“You can try, but you can’t divide the tribe.”
Hip Hoppers, check it… The Beast was definitely loose in 1996 when The Fugees dropped their classic sophomore LP, The Score. The trio came back from near obscurity after their freshmen LP failed to do the numbers, and Lauryn Hill was playing sidekick to Whoopi Goldberg in “Sister Act 2”. When The Score reached my ears, my ears rejoiced, and I dug into the music of Wyclef, Lauryn, and Pras. Lunch room debates ensued as to who was the best member, what their best song was, and who had the best solo release. After successful solo projects from Wyclef (Welcome to The Carnival) and Lauryn Hill (Miseducation of Lauryn Hill), as well as hit single from Pras, the public was ready for their third LP. Sadly, we’re still waiting and it doesn’t seem like we will ever get it. While bad reviews from Vibe couldn’t divide the tribe, multiple other issues did, and the Fugees are no more.
I take solace in the goodness of The Score, and during a recent listen, kept hitting rewind on “Zealots”. The song has it all, biting quotes, Wyclef’s harmonizing chorus, and the Hip Hop hits the island style production that the Fugees did so well. I definitely love this song, and if you’re a newbie that’s never heard it, prepare to be blown away. And I’ll add a motherf**ker!
The Fugees: “Zealots”
[audio: http://rubyhornet.com/media/rh/music/fugees_zealots.mp3|width=180]