Fugees

{{Short description|American hip-hop trio from New Jersey}} {{redirect|The Fugees|the episode of the American TV series Shameless|The Fugees (Shameless)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Fugees | image = Fugeesmontage.png | caption = Left to right: Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel | image_upright = 1.25 | alias = {{hlist|Tranzlator Crew|Refugee Camp}} | origin = South Orange, New Jersey, U.S. | genre = {{hlist|East Coast hip-hop|alternative hip-hop<ref name="allmusic"/>|progressive rap<ref name="coker"/>}} | works = Discography | years_active = {{hlist|1990–1998|2004–2006|2021–present}} | label = {{hlist|Ruffhouse|Columbia}} | spinoffs = Refugee Camp All-Stars | website = {{URL|thefugees.com}} | current_members = * Lauryn Hill * Wyclef Jean | past_members = * Pras Michel }}

The '''Fugees''' ({{IPAc-en|'|f|uː|dʒ|iː|z}} {{Respell|FOO|jeez}}) are an American hip-hop group formed in South Orange, New Jersey, in 1990. The trio of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill became known for their fusion of hip-hop, reggae, R&B, and funk, socially conscious lyrics, and use of live instrumentation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Iverem |first=Esther |date=1996-04-14 |title=THE FUGEES' ALIEN IDEAS |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1996/04/14/the-fugees-alien-ideas/7909dab5-c032-4022-88d9-d189e65fbbe7/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=VIBE |date=2010-12-07 |title=What Wyclef's Learned From… Carlos Santana, The Roots, Rakim & More |url=https://www.vibe.com/gallery/what-wyclefs-learned-carlos-santana-roots-rakim-more/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401143240/https://www.vibe.com/gallery/what-wyclefs-learned-carlos-santana-roots-rakim-more/ |archive-date=April 1, 2023 |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=VIBE.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Their sound stood apart during the gangsta rap-dominated era, establishing them as one of the most significant alternative hip-hop acts.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=1996-09-05 |title=The Fugees: Leaders of the New Cool |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-fugees-leaders-of-the-new-cool-244125/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=May 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527025936/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-fugees-leaders-of-the-new-cool-244125/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="POP MUSIC;With Help From Roberta Flack, The Fugees Are Redefining Rap">{{Cite news |last=Linden |first=Amy |date=1996-05-26 |title=POP MUSIC;With Help From Roberta Flack, The Fugees Are Redefining Rap |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/26/arts/pop-music-with-help-from-roberta-flack-the-fugees-are-redefining-rap.html |access-date=2023-04-01 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=April 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401143237/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/26/arts/pop-music-with-help-from-roberta-flack-the-fugees-are-redefining-rap.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Their name, derived from "refugees", referenced Jean's immigrant background, Michel's Haitian heritage, and recurring themes of resilience.<!--There are no sources or citations indicating that Hill is Jamaican. Only add 'Jamaican' as her ethnicity if there is a source for that claim.-->

After signing with Ruffhouse Records, an imprint of Columbia, the group released ''Blunted on Reality'' (1994). Though modest at first, the album gained traction through local shows and remixes of "Nappy Heads" and "Vocab" by Salaam Remi, with the former reaching the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Their second album, ''The Score'' (1996), brought commercial success, spawning the hit singles "Fu-Gee-La", "Ready or Not", and a reimagined "Killing Me Softly", which topped the charts in more than 20 countries. The album peaked atop the ''Billboard'' 200, was certified 7× Platinum by the RIAA and became the second rap album to earn a Grammy Award nomination for Album of the Year.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Grein |first=Paul |date=2020-03-24 |title=3 Reasons Lil Uzi Vert Could be Headed for Album of the Year Grammy Nomination |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/lil-uzi-vert-possible-album-of-the-year-grammys-nomination-9341082/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US |archive-date=April 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401143237/https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/lil-uzi-vert-possible-album-of-the-year-grammys-nomination-9341082/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Its success placed the Fugees "at the forefront of pop music", according to ''The New York Times''.<ref name="POP MUSIC;With Help From Roberta Flack, The Fugees Are Redefining Rap" />

At their commercial peak, the Fugees worked with artists such as Simply Red on "Angel",<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xwkEAAAAMBAJ&dq=simply+red+fugees&pg=PA80 |title=Billboard |date=1996-10-26 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |language=en}}</ref> and with Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, and John Forté on "Rumble in the Jungle", both of which reached the top five on the UK Singles Chart, as well as Bounty Killer on the rap opera single "Hip-Hopera". During this period, Jean released his solo debut ''The Carnival'' (1997), which featured extensive contributions from Hill, Michel, and the Refugee Camp All-Stars. They also staged what was the largest concert in Haitian history.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Strauss |first=Neil |date=1997-04-15 |title=For a Rap Leader, a Concert Grows Into a State Visit |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/15/arts/for-a-rap-leader-a-concert-grows-into-a-state-visit.html |access-date=2023-07-24 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=April 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404030107/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/15/arts/for-a-rap-leader-a-concert-grows-into-a-state-visit.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Internal tensions followed, and the trio separated later that year to pursue solo careers. They have reunited periodically for tours and live performances, such as their appearance in ''Dave Chappelle's Block Party'' (2005).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tmz.com/2023/06/04/fugees-reunite-lauryn-hill-roots-picnic-last-time/|title=The Fugees Reunite During Lauryn Hill's Set, Likely Last Time for a While|website=TMZ|date=June 4, 2023|accessdate=June 6, 2023|archive-date=June 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605105513/https://www.tmz.com/2023/06/04/fugees-reunite-lauryn-hill-roots-picnic-last-time/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The group has won two Grammy Awards,<ref>{{cite web |date=November 23, 2020 |title=Fugees |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/fugees/7429 |access-date=April 11, 2021 |website=GRAMMY.com |archive-date=January 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118140225/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/fugees/7429 |url-status=live }}</ref> a Brit Award for International Group,<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=https://www.brits.co.uk/history/shows/1997 |access-date=April 11, 2021 |website=BRIT Awards |archive-date=August 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813211621/http://www.brits.co.uk/history/shows/1997 |url-status=live }}</ref> and received the Medal of Honor from Haitian President René Préval.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Greene |first=Meg |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6qBbAgAAQBAJ&dq=%22fugees%22+%22medal%22&pg=PT42 |title=Lauryn Hill |date=2000 |publisher=Infobase Learning |isbn=978-1-4381-4101-5 |language=en |access-date=October 1, 2023 |archive-date=December 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229170848/https://books.google.com/books?id=6qBbAgAAQBAJ&dq=%22fugees%22+%22medal%22&pg=PT42 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Fugees / Radio Haiti Archive / Duke Digital Repository |url=https://repository.duke.edu/dc/radiohaiti/RL10059-RR-1517_01 |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=Duke Digital Collections |language=en |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724040050/https://repository.duke.edu/dc/radiohaiti/RL10059-RR-1517_01 |url-status=live }}</ref> Frequently named among the greatest rap groups,<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Unterberger |first1=Nefertiti |last2=Austin |first2=Kyle |last3=Denis |first3=Raquelle |last4=Harris |first4=Carl |last5=Lamarre |first5=Jason |last6=Lipshutz |first6=Joe |last7=Lynch |first7=Heran |last8=Mamo |first8=Gail |last9=Mitchell |first9=Neena |date=2023-06-28 |title=50 Greatest Rap Groups of All Time |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-rap-groups-hip-hop-all-time/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724033438/https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-rap-groups-hip-hop-all-time/ |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |access-date=2023-07-24 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US |last10=Rouhani |first10=Dan |last11=Rys |first11=Andrew}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-01-28 |title=MTV News: The Greatest Hip-Hop Groups Of All Time |website=MTV |url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2007/groups/index3.jhtml |access-date=2023-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128224305/http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2007/groups/index3.jhtml |archive-date=January 28, 2010 }}</ref> VH1 ranked them 17th on its 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Artists list.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rock On The Net: VH1: 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Artists |url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2003/vh1hiphop.htm |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=www.rockonthenet.com |archive-date=June 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609050038/http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2003/vh1hiphop.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The Score'' appears on ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s 500 Greatest Albums, while "Ready or Not" has been recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.

==History==

=== 1990-1994: Formation and ''Blunted on Reality'' === {{Further|Blunted on Reality}}

Lauryn Hill and Pras first met at Columbia High School, in Maplewood, New Jersey. Pras, Lauryn, and a mutual friend Marcy Harriell formed a musical trio called Tyme; Wyclef Jean joined the line-up and Marcy left soon afterward, in 1990.<ref>{{cite journal |title=How Life Changed |journal=XXL |date=March 2011}}</ref> The moniker Tranzlator Crew refers to the name of their band at the time, which included Johnny Wise on drums, Ti Bass (Jerry Duplessis) on bass guitar, and original DJ Hard Hittin Harry (Harry D'Janite). DJ Leon (Leon Higgins) joined the group in 1994 after Harry left to pursue a career as a publicist.<ref name="Lorna" /> In 1993, after some gigs and recorded demos, the trio signed to Ruffhouse, distributed through Columbia Records.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lazerine |first1=Devin |last2=Lazerine |first2=Cameron |title=Rap-Up: The Ultimate Guide to Hip-Hop and R&B |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s5Y7-DTbSMcC&q=Fugees&pg=PT118 |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |date=February 29, 2008 |access-date=August 7, 2018 |isbn=9780446511629 |via=Google Books}}</ref> The members then changed the group's name to Fugees, which was purposely taken from a word often used derogatorily to refer to Haitian-Americans (''refugee'').<ref name="Foege">Foege, Alec. "Fugees (cover story)", ''Rolling Stone'', September 5, 1996, p. 40-47</ref> Refugee Camp, while a name sometimes credited to the trio, also refers to a number of artists affiliated with the members, and particularly Jean.

The trio soon changed musical direction, and released its first hip-hop LP, ''Blunted on Reality'', under the guidance of Kool and the Gang's producer Ronald Bell. The group wrote and recorded the album in 1992 at the House of Music Studios in West Orange, New Jersey. However, due to a dispute with its record label, the album was not released until February 1, 1994. Fugees' members have subsequently said they allowed the producers too much control over the album's content and form.<ref>''Ebony''. November 1996. p. 72. Accessed from May 31, 2013.</ref> Although the album did not contain as many lyrics with overtly political messages as songs from their next and better-known album ''The Score'', there were still political intentions.<ref name="Lorna">{{Cite episode |title=The Fugees |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fiz3BsYk0NY |series=Lorna's Corner |network=Hartford Public Access TV |airdate=1990 |access-date=March 12, 2016 |archive-date=May 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511203106/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fiz3BsYk0NY |url-status=live }}</ref> Though ''Blunted on Reality'' spawned the three singles "Boof Baf", "Vocab", and "Nappy Heads", they struggled to gain mainstream attention despite earning plaudits for its artistic quality and innovative use of samples.<ref>Weheliye, Alexander G. ''Phonographies:Grooves in Sonic Afro-Modernity'', Duke University Press, 2005.</ref> The album's most successful single was a remixed version of the song "Nappy Heads" produced by Salaam Remi. The remix peaked at number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100.

===1996-1998: ''The Score'' and breakup=== {{Further|The Score (album)}} The musical qualities of the first Fugees record were revisited with their sophomore effort ''The Score'', which was released in February 1996, and became one of the biggest hits of 1996 and one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of all time. The Fugees first gained attention for its cover versions of old favorites, with the group's reinterpretations of "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley & the Wailers and "Killing Me Softly with His Song" (first recorded by Lori Lieberman in 1971, remade by Roberta Flack in 1973), the latter being their biggest hit.<ref>{{cite web|date=February 15, 2016|title=5 Best Songs From Fugees' 'The Score' Album|url=https://theboombox.com/5-best-songs-from-fugees-the-score-album/|access-date=2021-04-11|website=The Boombox|archive-date=April 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411034955/https://theboombox.com/5-best-songs-from-fugees-the-score-album/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The album also included a re-interpretation of The Delfonics' "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love)" in their hit single, "Ready or Not",<ref>{{cite web |title=First Listen: The Delfonics, 'Adrian Younge Presents The Delfonics' |url=https://www.npr.org/2013/03/04/172983631/first-listen-the-delfonics-adrian-younge-presents-the-delfonics |access-date=2021-04-11 |website=NPR.org |date=March 4, 2013 |archive-date=April 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411034956/https://www.npr.org/2013/03/04/172983631/first-listen-the-delfonics-adrian-younge-presents-the-delfonics |url-status=live |last1=Kelley |first1=Frannie}}</ref> which featured a prominent sample of Enya's "Boadicea" without the singer's permission. This prompted a lawsuit resulting in a settlement where Enya was given credit and royalties for her sample.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://0-ehis.ebscohost.com.ignacio.usfca.edu/eds/detail?vid=3&hid=5&sid=9ecec6b3-37bd-47c4-ba48-edfd2eaf96f0@sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ|title=Rap takes Enya's 12 notes up chart|last=Battles|first=Jan|date=March 28, 2004|work=The Sunday Times|access-date=October 11, 2011}}</ref> The group members have continuously thanked and praised Enya for her deep understanding of the situation, for example in the liner notes of ''The Score''. The Fugees won two 1997 Grammy Awards with ''The Score'' (Best Rap Album) and "Killing Me Softly" (Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group).

In 1997, Fugees were featured on the song "Hip-Hopera" by Bounty Killer, which spent five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 81.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Bounty Killer|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bounty-killer/|access-date=2023-01-14|magazine=Billboard|language=en-US|archive-date=January 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114201303/https://www.billboard.com/artist/bounty-killer/|url-status=live}}</ref> The group also recorded the song "Rumble in the Jungle" featuring Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest & John Forté, for the 1996 documentary ''When We Were Kings''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=|first=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IA8EAAAAMBAJ&dq=fugees+rumble+in+the+jungle&pg=PA9|title=Billboard|date=1997-01-18|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|language=en|access-date=February 22, 2023|archive-date=April 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404132508/https://books.google.com/books?id=IA8EAAAAMBAJ&dq=fugees+rumble+in+the+jungle&pg=PA9|url-status=live}}</ref> They produced remixes of Michael Jackson's "Blood on the Dance Floor" and "2 Bad".<ref>{{cite web|author=MTV News Staff|title=The Fugees Talk About Remixing Michael Jackson|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1429268/the-fugees-talk-about-remixing-michael-jackson/|access-date=2021-06-11|website=MTV News|archive-date=June 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611213556/http://www.mtv.com/news/1429268/the-fugees-talk-about-remixing-michael-jackson/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Later that year, Fugees each began solo projects: Hill began writing and producing for a number of artists (including Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige) and started work on her critically acclaimed ''The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill''; Jean also began producing for a number of artists (including Canibus, Destiny's Child and Carlos Santana) and released his debut album ''Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival''; Pras, with Mýa and Ol' Dirty Bastard, recorded the single "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" for the soundtrack to the film ''Bulworth''. In 1998 they reunited to shoot a music video for the song "Just Happy to Be Me" which appeared in the ''Sesame Street'' special ''Elmopalooza'', and also on the Grammy Award-winning soundtrack album.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5Q0EAAAAMBAJ&q=fugees+just+happy+to+be+me&pg=PA63|title=Billboard|date=2003-07-12|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.}}</ref>

=== 2006-present: Later years === The three Fugees reunited and performed on September 18, 2004, at the concert in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn featured in the film ''Dave Chappelle's Block Party'' (2004), headlining a star-studded bill that included Kanye West, Mos Def, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Talib Kweli, Common, Big Daddy Kane, Dead Prez, Cody ChesnuTT and John Legend. Their performance received several positive reviews, many of which praised Hill's near a cappella rendition of "Killing Me Softly".<ref>{{cite web|last=Schwartz|first=Danny|date=2021-03-04|title=The Making of Dave Chappelle's Iconic 'Block Party'|url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2021/3/4/22312236/dave-chappelle-block-party-making-of-history-anniversary|access-date=2021-04-11|website=The Ringer|archive-date=April 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411034954/https://www.theringer.com/movies/2021/3/4/22312236/dave-chappelle-block-party-making-of-history-anniversary|url-status=live}}</ref>

Fugees made their first televised appearance in almost 10 years at BET's 2005 Music Awards on June 28, opening the show with a 12-minute set.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Baltin|first=Steve|date=2005-06-29|title=Fugees Surprise at BET Awards|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/fugees-surprise-at-bet-awards-118260/|access-date=2021-04-11|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|archive-date=April 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411034954/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/fugees-surprise-at-bet-awards-118260/|url-status=live}}</ref> With a new album announced to be in the works, their final track, "Take It Easy", was leaked online and eventually released as an Internet single on September 27, 2005.<ref>{{citation|title=The Fugees Take It Easy – IGN|date=September 29, 2005|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/09/29/the-fugees-take-it-easy|access-date=2021-04-11|archive-date=April 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411034953/https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/09/29/the-fugees-take-it-easy|url-status=live}}</ref> It peaked at number 40 on the ''Billboard'' R&B Chart.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Fugees|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/fugees/chart-history/bsi/|access-date=2021-04-11|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=November 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117221926/https://www.billboard.com/artist/fugees/chart-history/bsi/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In November 2005, the Fugees embarked on a European tour – the members' first together since 1997 – from 30 November to 20 December, playing in Finland, Austria, Norway, Germany, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and Slovakia. The group had been scheduled to play at the Hammersmith Apollo on November 25, 2005; however, it was forced to move the gig to December due to production issues.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gigwise.com/news/10365/the-fugees-forced-to-reschedule-tour-date|title=The Fugees Forced To Reschedule Tour Date|website=Gigwise.com|access-date=August 7, 2018|archive-date=August 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807190116/https://www.gigwise.com/news/10365/the-fugees-forced-to-reschedule-tour-date|url-status=live}}</ref> The tour received mixed reviews. On February 6, 2006, the group reunited for a free show in Hollywood, with tickets given away to about 8,000 fans by local radio stations. Later that month, a new track called "Foxy" was leaked, a song dubbed the "real return of the Fugees" by several online music blogs.

However, following the reunion tour, the album that was said to be in the works did not materialize and was postponed indefinitely, as relationships between band members apparently deteriorated. During the recording of the album, the group was plagued with creative differences.<ref>{{cite web|date=2017-07-19|title=If You're Waiting for The Fugees Reunion, Don't Hold Your Breath|url=https://www.ebony.com/entertainment/music/sorry-fans-no-reunion-for-the-fugees/|access-date=2021-04-11|website=EBONY|language=en-US|archive-date=April 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411035006/https://www.ebony.com/entertainment/music/sorry-fans-no-reunion-for-the-fugees/|url-status=live}}</ref> They recorded a song titled "Lips Don't Lie", but Hill did not like the song and, after some disagreements over it, the group disbanded again. The song was ultimately given to singer Shakira with featured vocals by Jean and, after the title was changed to "Hips Don't Lie", the song was released as a single and became a global hit.<ref>{{cite web|date=February 26, 2016|title=10 years of Shakira's Hips Don't Lie: 7 facts about the song the world is obsessed with|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/music/story/10-years-of-shakiras-hips-dont-lie-shakira-music-wyclef-jean-310727-2016-02-26|access-date=2021-04-11|website=India Today|archive-date=February 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217085912/https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/music/story/10-years-of-shakiras-hips-dont-lie-shakira-music-wyclef-jean-310727-2016-02-26|url-status=live}}</ref> In August 2007, a year after the group's second disbandment, Pras stated, "Before I work with Lauryn Hill again, you will have a better chance of seeing Osama bin Laden and [[George W. Bush|[George W.] Bush]] in Starbucks having a latte, discussing foreign policies, before there will be a Fugees reunion".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hamilton |first1=Tiffany |title=Pras: It Will Take An Act of God To Change Lauryn |url=http://allhiphop.com/blogs/news/archive/2007/08/22/18461347.aspx |website=AllHipHop.com |year=2007 |access-date=October 11, 2011 |archive-date=October 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007151222/http://allhiphop.com/blogs/news/archive/2007/08/22/18461347.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Meanwhile, in September 2007, an equally outspoken Wyclef told ''Blues & Soul'': "I feel the first issue that needs to be addressed is that Lauryn needs help... In my personal opinion, those Fugees reunion shows shouldn't have been done, because we wasn't ready. I really felt we shoulda first all gone into a room with Lauryn and a psychiatrist... But, you know, I do believe Lauryn can get help. And, once she does work things out, hopefully a proper and enduring Fugees reunion will happen."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/360/wyclef_jean_perfect_gentelman/|title=WYCLEF JEAN: Perfect Gentleman|first=Stephen|last=Clark|website=Bluesandsoul.com|access-date=August 7, 2018|archive-date=January 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107231047/http://www.bluesandsoul.com/feature/360/wyclef_jean_perfect_gentelman/|url-status=live}}</ref> On July 15, 2017, an old song by the Fugees was leaked on Hot 97 radio; this led to reports that the group was reforming, which were later denied by group members on Twitter.

After the group split, Wyclef Jean co-founded and headed the Yele Haiti Foundation, a non-profit organization "focusing on emergency relief, employment, youth development and education, and tree planting and agriculture" in Haiti.<ref>"Who We Are." YeleHaiti. Web. October 11, 2011. <{{cite web|title=About Us|url=http://www.yele.org/newyele/view-content/11/About-Us.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017142516/http://www.yele.org/newyele/view-content/11/About-Us.html|archive-date=October 17, 2011|access-date=October 12, 2011}}></ref> Pras starred in a documentary about homelessness in Los Angeles and remained outspoken about Haitian politics.<ref>{{cite video|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0795381/|title=Skid Row|people=Pras (cast), Ross Clarke, Niva Dorell, and Marshall Tyler (directors)|year=2007|medium=DVD|access-date=June 30, 2018|archive-date=February 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219095506/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0795381/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ex-Fugee Pras Michel: Haiti earthquake aid not arriving fast enough – NY Daily News|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/01/24/2010-01-24_exfugee_pras_michel_haiti_earthquake_aid_not_arriving_fast_enough.html|access-date=August 7, 2018|website=Daily News|location=New York|archive-date=January 28, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128115818/http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/01/24/2010-01-24_exfugee_pras_michel_haiti_earthquake_aid_not_arriving_fast_enough.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=August 7, 2010|title=Fugees' Pras Defends Endorsing Wyclef Jean's Haiti Presidential Rival, "We Need A Real Leader" [Video]|url=http://www.sohh.com/2010/08/fugees_pras_defends_endorsing_wyclef_jea.html|access-date=August 7, 2018|website=Sohh.com|archive-date=February 2, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130202155110/http://www.sohh.com/2010/08/fugees_pras_defends_endorsing_wyclef_jea.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Lauryn Hill continued recording and performing socially conscious music and went on to advocate for female empowerment especially within the music industry.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Lewis|first1=Andrea|year=1999|title=The Missed Message of Lauryn Hill – artist ushers hip-hop into the mainstream|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1295/is_4_63/ai_54246116/|journal=The Progressive|access-date=October 11, 2011|archive-date=May 8, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060508011906/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1295/is_4_63/ai_54246116|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Brubaker, Ben. [http://nolahope.blogspot.com/2007/05/lauryn-hill-post-modern-prophetic-hip.html "Lauryn Hill: Post-modern Prophetic Hip-Hop Queen."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006025950/http://nolahope.blogspot.com/2007/05/lauryn-hill-post-modern-prophetic-hip.html|date=October 6, 2011}} nolahope. May 11, 2007. Web. October 11, 2011.</ref> The Fugees also turned their recording studio, the Booga Basement, into a transitional house for young Haitian refugees immigrating to the United States.<ref name="Foege"/>

In September 2021, the Fugees announced a reunion tour to celebrate 25 years of their album, ''The Score.''<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-21|title=Fugees Announce Reunion Tour|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/fugees-announce-reunion-tour/|access-date=2021-09-21|website=Pitchfork|language=en-US|archive-date=September 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921125338/https://pitchfork.com/news/fugees-announce-reunion-tour/|url-status=live}}</ref> On Friday, October 29, 2021, the Fugees announced that their reunion tour dates were postponed to early 2022.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|title=Fugees Postpone Reunion Tour to Celebrate 25th Anniversary of 'The Score' – UPDATE|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/fugees-reunion-tour-25th-anniversary-the-score-9633167/|date=October 29, 2021|access-date=October 29, 2021|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=October 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030042800/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/9633167/fugees-reunion-tour-25th-anniversary-the-score/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, on January 21, 2022, the Fugees released a statement saying they would not be going on tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lavin |first=Will |date=2022-01-21 |title=Fugees completely cancel 'The Score' 25th anniversary reunion tour |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/fugees-completely-cancel-the-score-25th-anniversary-reunion-tour-3143738 |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=NME |language=en-GB |archive-date=November 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130001855/https://www.nme.com/news/music/fugees-completely-cancel-the-score-25th-anniversary-reunion-tour-3143738 |url-status=live }}</ref> The tour was rescheduled and set to begin in August 2024 but was quietly canceled three days before the first show, with no reason given to customers receiving refunds.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/lauryn-hill-fugees-cancel-tour-2024-concerts-1236098008/|title=Lauryn Hill and the Fugees' 2024 Tour Is Quietly Canceled, Three Days Before First Date|last=Willman|first=Chris|publisher=Variety|date=6 August 2024|access-date=7 August 2024|language=en}}</ref> The UK leg of the tour did go ahead as planned. On November 20, 2025, member Pras was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of 10 criminal counts related to involvement in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.<ref name="CNN2">{{cite web |first=Holmes|last=Lybrand|url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/26/politics/pras-michel-trial-verdict/index.html|title=Ex-Fugees rapper Pras Michel found guilty in scheme to help China influence US government|website=CNN|date=April 26, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-20|title=Fugees rapper Pras Michel sentenced to 14 years in prison over illegal donations to Obama campaign|url=https://apnews.com/article/prakazrel-pras-michel-rapper-fugees-sentencing-626135406baa3b045f1ac4fc5ec3ad42|access-date=2025-11-20|website=AP News|language=en}}</ref> On February 1, 2026, Hill and Jean reunited to perform a tribute to D'Angelo and Roberta Flack at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards with Pras absent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coleman |first=Ryan |date=2026-02-02 |title=Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean reunite Fugees to lead Grammys tribute to D'Angelo and Roberta Flack |url=https://ew.com/fugees-lauryn-hill-wyclef-jean-lead-grammys-2026-dangelo-roberta-flack-tribute-11897140 |access-date=2026-02-09 |website=Entertainment Weekly |language=en}}</ref>

==Legacy== The Fugees have often been referred to as one of the most influential and significant groups of the 1990s,<ref>{{cite news|last=Itzkoff|first=Dave|date=2010-08-06|title=Wyclef Jean Can't Count on Fugees Vote|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/07/arts/music/07arts-WYCLEFJEANCA_BRF.html|access-date=2021-05-29|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=June 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603001511/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/07/arts/music/07arts-WYCLEFJEANCA_BRF.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Former Fugees member Pras charged with "conspiracy to defraud the United States government"|url=https://www.thefader.com/2019/05/10/pras-fugees-campaign-finance-violations-charged|access-date=2021-05-29|website=The FADER|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213235/https://www.thefader.com/2019/05/10/pras-fugees-campaign-finance-violations-charged|url-status=live}}</ref> with ''Billboard'' stating "their influence on modern hip-hop and R&B music is undeniable".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=13 Influential Artists Snubbed By The Rock Hall in Their First Year of Eligibility|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/rock-hall-snubs-8533107/|access-date=2021-05-29|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=June 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604044848/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8533107/rock-hall-snubs|url-status=live}}</ref> They are often considered to be one of the definitive alternative hip-hop acts, being one of the first alternative hip-hop acts to break into the mainstream.<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|date=2020-03-13|title=Alternative Rap Music Genre Overview {{!}} AllMusic |website=AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/style/alternative-rap-ma0000012203|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313171608/https://www.allmusic.com/style/alternative-rap-ma0000012203|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-03-13|access-date=2021-05-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Foege|first=Alec|date=1996-09-05|title=The Fugees: Leaders of the New Cool|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-fugees-leaders-of-the-new-cool-244125/|access-date=2021-05-29|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|archive-date=May 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527025936/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-fugees-leaders-of-the-new-cool-244125/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="coker">{{cite news |last=Coker |first=Cheo Hodari |author-link=Cheo Hodari Coker |title=Lots of non-hip-hop fans groove to their complex beat, but they'll tell you their roots are firmly in the 'hood |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-03-31-ca-53176-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=March 31, 1996 |access-date=July 25, 2021 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602212640/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-03-31-ca-53176-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> According to ''Forbes'', their success helped establish Ruffhouse Records as a major record label.<ref>{{cite web |last=Chiu |first=David |title=Ruffhouse Records CEO Chris Schwartz On The Fugees, Lauryn Hill And His New Memoir |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidchiu/2019/07/02/ruffhouse-records-ceo-chris-schwartz-on-the-fugees-lauryn-hill-and-his-new-memoir/ |access-date=2021-05-29 |website=Forbes |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214721/https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidchiu/2019/07/02/ruffhouse-records-ceo-chris-schwartz-on-the-fugees-lauryn-hill-and-his-new-memoir/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Consequence'' noted the Fugees for putting Haiti on the hip-hop map.<ref>{{cite web|date=2021-03-25|title=Fugees Put Haiti on the Hip-Hop Map|url=https://consequence.net/2021/03/the-opus-the-score-episode-3/|access-date=2021-05-29|website=Consequence|language=en-US|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213124/https://consequence.net/2021/03/the-opus-the-score-episode-3/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Alternative Press'' argued that the group paved the way for modern alternative music and stated "If you listen to modern hip-hop today, so many of the new faces went to the Fugees' School of Songwriting."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coffman |first=Tim |title=20 albums that paved the way for alternative as we know it |url=https://www.altpress.com/albums-that-shaped-alternative-music/ |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=Alternative Press Magazine |date=February 11, 2022 |language=en |archive-date=April 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402152710/https://www.altpress.com/albums-that-shaped-alternative-music/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Matthew Ismael Ruiz of ''Pitchfork'' noted the group had removed negative connotations of Haitian immigration and the word 'Refugee',<ref>{{cite book|last1=Goldsmith|first1=Melissa Ursula Dawn|last2=Fonseca|first2=Anthony J.|title=Hip Hop around the World: An Encyclopedia [2 volumes]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6mR2DwAAQBAJ&dq=%22fugees%22+inspired&pg=PA261|date=2018-12-01|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-35759-6}}</ref> stating that "The Fugees managed to diversify the voice of the ghetto, one often depicted in a single dimension. They reclaimed pride for Haitians worldwide, a heritage maligned for its postcolonial poverty and strife but still remembered as the setting for the new world's first successful revolt of enslaved people against their oppressors. Their sound was multifaceted because they were, too, their music diverse, just like the Black experience."<ref>{{cite web|title=Fugees: The Score|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/fugees-the-score/|access-date=2021-05-29|website=Pitchfork|archive-date=May 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517132954/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/fugees-the-score/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''The Ringer'' noted that the Fugees delivered political messages and brought hip-hop to the mainstream in their music by blending elements of pop, soul, dancehall and Caribbean music, making it more palpable for a wider audience without making the message dense, stating "the Fugees disguised resistance as art, the same way that enslaved Africans once hid martial arts from their colonial masters by pretending that they were a dance."<ref>{{cite web|last=Okwonga|first=Musa|date=2021-02-12|title=In 'The Score,' the Fugees Made Refugees the Heroes of an Epic Tale|url=https://www.theringer.com/music/2021/2/12/22280168/the-fugees-the-score-diguise-resistance-as-art|access-date=2021-05-29|website=The Ringer|archive-date=February 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212174139/https://www.theringer.com/music/2021/2/12/22280168/the-fugees-the-score-diguise-resistance-as-art|url-status=live}}</ref>

Writing for The Recording Academy, music journalist Kathy Iandoli wrote about the impact of the group on the hip-hop genre stating: <blockquote>"As hip-hop's East and West Coasts continued their tussle, their lighter-hearted approach to socially conscious rap curtailed any overarching assumptions that hip-hop was going down a "bad road". Plus, they had Lauryn Hill, who doubled as a songbird and lyrical spitfire. Together, by juxtaposing live instrumentation, soulful melodies and abstract bars, The Fugees gave hip-hop a renewed spirit and propelled it to a different kind of mainstream".<ref>{{cite web|date=2021-04-06|title=For The Record: The Fugees 'The Score' At 25|url=https://www.grammy.com/news/2021-for-the-record-fugees-the-score|access-date=2021-05-29|website=GRAMMY.com|archive-date=June 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625064933/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2021-for-the-record-fugees-the-score|url-status=live}}</ref></blockquote>The group has sold over twenty-two million records worldwide,<ref>{{cite web |author=MTV News Staff |title=Fugees Producer Predicts Group Reunion |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2495293/fugees-producer-predicts-a-reunion/ |access-date=2021-05-29 |website=MTV News |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214441/http://www.mtv.com/news/2495293/fugees-producer-predicts-a-reunion/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> and are one of the biggest-selling hip-hop groups of all time.<ref>{{cite web |title=CNN Programs – Showbiz Today |url=http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/showbiz.today/music.ontheroad/0206/28.html |access-date=2021-05-29 |website=www.cnn.com |archive-date=May 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529202702/http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/showbiz.today/music.ontheroad/0206/28.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Wyclef Jean |url=https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/musicdb/artists/2630/wyclef-jean |access-date=2021-05-29 |website=Hollywood Bowl |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213336/https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/musicdb/artists/2630/wyclef-jean |url-status=live }}</ref> Multiple recording artists have cited the Fugees as an influence, including Bono,<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Bono|author-link=Bono|date=2020-05-15|title=Bono: 60 Songs That Saved My Life|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/bono-60-songs-that-saved-my-life-999226/|access-date=2021-05-30|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|archive-date=January 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116055410/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/bono-60-songs-that-saved-my-life-999226/|url-status=live}}</ref> Drake,<ref>{{cite web|date=2016-01-29|title=8-Year-Old Drake Reciting "Ready Or Not" Is All Kinds Of Awesome|url=https://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/8-year-old-drake-killing-me-softly-401678/|access-date=2021-05-29|website=VIBE.com|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214701/https://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/8-year-old-drake-killing-me-softly-401678/|url-status=live}}</ref> Kanye West,<ref>{{cite web|title=Kanye West Influences|url=https://www.shmoop.com/through-the-wire/influences.html|access-date=2021-05-29|website=www.shmoop.com|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213236/https://www.shmoop.com/through-the-wire/influences.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Akon,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Scaggs |first=Austin |date=2007-04-19 |title=Q&A: Akon |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/qa-akon-77485/ |access-date=2021-05-30 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US |archive-date=September 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923083125/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/qa-akon-77485/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Black Eyed Peas,<ref>{{cite book |last=Easlea |first=Daryl |title=Let's Get It Started: The Rise & Rise of the Black Eyed Peas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5zv_AgAAQBAJ&dq=%22fugees%22influenced+%22black+eyed+peas%22&pg=PT45|date=2012-10-15|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=978-0-85712-795-2}}</ref> Young Thug,<ref>{{cite web|date=2017-01-17|title=Young Thug's "Wyclef Jean" Video Is Weird & Awesome As F*ck|url=https://www.vibe.com/music/videos/young-thug-wyclef-jean-video-music-480598/|access-date=2021-05-29|website=VIBE.com|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602212641/https://www.vibe.com/music/videos/young-thug-wyclef-jean-video-music-480598/|url-status=live}}</ref> Bridgit Mendler,<ref>{{cite web|last=C|first=Jeff|date=2013-01-15|title=Bridgit Mendler Talks Fugees Influence On 'Ready Or Not' {{!}} popdirt.com|url=http://popdirt.com/bridgit-mendler-talks-fugees-influence-on-ready-or-not/122712/|access-date=2021-05-29|website=popdirt.com|language=en-US|archive-date=September 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921144731/http://popdirt.com/bridgit-mendler-talks-fugees-influence-on-ready-or-not/122712/|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Sean Kingston,<ref>{{cite web|last=Watkins|first=Grouchy Greg|date=2007-05-04|title=Sean Kingston: Trenchtown Rap|url=https://allhiphop.com/features/sean-kingston-trenchtown-rap/|access-date=2021-05-30|website=AllHipHop|language=en-US|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602212801/https://allhiphop.com/features/sean-kingston-trenchtown-rap/|url-status=live}}</ref> Ava Max,<ref>{{cite web|title=Ava Max Creates the Playlist of Her Life|url=https://www.teenvogue.com/video/watch/playlist-of-my-life-ava-max-creates-the-playlist-of-her-life|access-date=2021-05-30|website=Teen Vogue|language=en-US|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214719/https://www.teenvogue.com/video/watch/playlist-of-my-life-ava-max-creates-the-playlist-of-her-life|url-status=live}}</ref> Doja Cat,<ref>{{cite web|date=2020-12-31|title=Who Is Doja Cat's Mom? All About Deborah Elizabeth Sawyer|url=https://www.gossipcop.com/doja-cat-deborah-elizabeth-sawyer/602/|access-date=2021-06-01|website=Gossip Cop|language=en-US|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213434/https://www.gossipcop.com/doja-cat-deborah-elizabeth-sawyer/602/|url-status=live}}</ref> Bastille,<ref>{{cite web|title=Bastille's Dan Smith Admits He's 'Surgically Attached' To His Phone|url=https://www.iheart.com/content/2020-01-22-bastilles-dan-smith-admits-hes-surgically-attached-to-his-phone/|access-date=2021-06-01|website=iHeartRadio|date=January 13, 2020|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602220707/https://www.iheart.com/content/2020-01-22-bastilles-dan-smith-admits-hes-surgically-attached-to-his-phone/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Kid Laroi,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Woods |first=Aleia |title=The Kid LAROI Is on the Rise, Spotify's Third U.S. RADAR Artist |url=https://www.xxlmag.com/the-kid-laroi-spotify/ |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=XXL Mag |date=October 23, 2020 |language=en |archive-date=April 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402152709/https://www.xxlmag.com/the-kid-laroi-spotify/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Post Malone,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Post Malone's Playlist: Kendrick Lamar, Dwight Yoakam, Nirvana & More |url=https://www.iheart.com/content/2017-10-27-post-malones-playlist-kendrick-lamar-dwight-yoakam-nirvana-more/ |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=iHeart |language=en |archive-date=April 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402152710/https://www.iheart.com/content/2017-10-27-post-malones-playlist-kendrick-lamar-dwight-yoakam-nirvana-more/ |url-status=live }}</ref> DJ Khaled,<ref>{{Cite web |title=DJ Khaled Details Upcoming Nas Collaboration In A Thank You Letter To The Fugees |url=https://www.thefader.com/2016/07/27/dj-khaled-letter-to-the-fugees-nas-single |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=The FADER |date=July 27, 2016 |language=en |archive-date=April 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402152710/https://www.thefader.com/2016/07/27/dj-khaled-letter-to-the-fugees-nas-single |url-status=live }}</ref> and Diplo.<ref>{{cite web|title=Diplo Lists The Twelve Albums That Inspired Him|url=https://www.okayplayer.com/news/check-out-the-12-albums-that-inspired-diplo-growing-up.html/amp|access-date=2021-05-29|website=www.okayplayer.com|date=January 19, 2017|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214959/https://www.okayplayer.com/news/check-out-the-12-albums-that-inspired-diplo-growing-up.html/amp|url-status=live}}</ref>

The impact of the Fugees has been compared to that of the Beatles, with U2's Bono calling them hip-hop's version of the Beatles.<ref name="abcnewsradioonline.com">{{cite web|title=The Fugees' Wyclef Reflects on 20th Anniversary of "The Score" – Music News – ABC News Radio|url=http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2016/2/12/the-fugees-wyclef-reflects-on-20th-anniversary-of-the-score.html|access-date=2021-05-30|website=abcnewsradioonline.com|archive-date=April 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411021253/http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2016/2/12/the-fugees-wyclef-reflects-on-20th-anniversary-of-the-score.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Daryl McIntosh of ''Albumism'' compared the public response from the group's sophomore album, ''The Score'' to that of Beatlemania, referring to it as "Fugee-mania".<ref>{{cite web|title=The Loves of His Life: Albumism's Daryl McIntosh Selects the 20 Albums He Can't Live Without|url=https://www.albumism.com/lists1/daryl-mcintosh-selects-the-20-albums-he-cant-live-without|access-date=2021-05-30|website=Albumism|date=September 2020|language=en-US|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214621/https://www.albumism.com/lists1/daryl-mcintosh-selects-the-20-albums-he-cant-live-without|url-status=live}}</ref> Former United States President Barack Obama, named the Fugees single "Ready or Not" his favorite song ever.<ref name="abcnewsradioonline.com" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Music Picks From Obama, McCain|website=NPR.org|date=August 12, 2008 |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93540755&ft=1&f=1039|access-date=2022-04-07|archive-date=April 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407122022/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93540755&ft=1&f=1039|url-status=live}}</ref> Their album ''The Score'' was placed on the list of 200 Definitive Albums in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2007) by National association of recording merchandisers (NARM).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 200 Definitive Albums Of All Time Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame 2007 at EIL.COM, home of Esprit International Limited |url=https://eil.com/features/Definitive_200.asp |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=eil.com |archive-date=March 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302171038/https://eil.com/features/Definitive_200.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> "Ready or Not" was named among the Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll (2018) by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rocklist.net...Steve Parker...Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.. |url=https://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/halloffame.htm |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=www.rocklistmusic.co.uk |archive-date=December 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216105911/https://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/halloffame.htm |url-status=usurped }}</ref> The following year, they were inducted into the N.J. Pop & Rock Hall.<ref>{{cite web|first=Tris|last=McCall|date=2012-03-16|title=N.J. Rock & Pop Hall: The Fugees|url=https://www.nj.com/rockpop-stories/2012/03/the_fugees_rock_pop_hall.html|access-date=2021-06-01|website=nj|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215652/https://www.nj.com/rockpop-stories/2012/03/the_fugees_rock_pop_hall.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

A photograph of the group taken in 1994 has been stored and collected by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Fugees, NYC, 1994|url=https://nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2015.132.202?destination=edan-search/collection_search%3Fedan_local%3D1&edan_q=lauryn|access-date=2021-05-30|website=National Museum of African American History and Culture|archive-date=September 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923081910/https://nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2015.132.202?destination=edan-search/collection_search%3Fedan_local%3D1&edan_q=lauryn|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, ''The Score'' ranked 134th on the revised version of ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=2020-09-22|title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/|access-date=2021-06-01|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|archive-date=September 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922163403/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/|url-status=live}}</ref> The following year, their version of "Killing Me Softly" was placed on the revised version of ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=2021-09-15|title=The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/|access-date=2021-09-21|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|archive-date=September 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915162053/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/|url-status=live}}</ref> MTV ranked it the ninth-greatest hip-hop group of all time (2007). BET placed the group on its list of 'Hip Hop's Greatest Trios' (2012).

==Discography== {{main article|Fugees discography}}

* ''Blunted on Reality'' (1994) * ''The Score'' (1996)

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==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20111011021136/http://www.legacyrecordings.com/artists/fugees-refugee-camp Official Fugees Website] *{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p44735|label=The Fugees}} *{{Discogs artist|Fugees}}

{{The Fugees}} {{Navboxes |title = Awards for Fugees |list = {{Brit International Group}} {{Grammy Award for Best Rap Album}} {{Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Music Group}} {{Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Song}} {{MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video}} }} {{Lauryn Hill}} {{Wyclef Jean}} {{Pras}} {{UK best-selling singles (by year) 1990–2009}}

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Category:Fugees Category:American hip-hop trios Category:Brit Award winners Category:Grammy Award winners for rap music Category:Five percenters Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1997 Category:Musical groups established in 1994 Category:Musical trios from New Jersey Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2004 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2006 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2021 Category:Alternative hip-hop groups Category:American contemporary R&B musical groups Category:East Coast hip-hop groups Category:Wyclef Jean Category:Lauryn Hill Category:1994 establishments in New Jersey Category:MTV Europe Music Award winners Category:Musical groups from Essex County, New Jersey