MAKE UPS TO BREAK UPS – The Fugees

 

For the month of February, typically a month of love, we’re going to examine those bands that brought us love, then delivered heratbreak. The “Make Ups to Break Ups” collection will examine all of our favorite groups, why they were loved, and ultimately, how their love went awry. Do enjoy, and share a wistful moment, and hopefully learn to, if you have someone in your life, to savor the one you love right now, and bask in the precious moments you share together.

The Fugees are likely my favorite hip hop group of all time.When breakbeats, boom bap and conscious flows were the soundtrack to my everyday existence, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel were deities. I can still recite The Score, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and Wyclef Jean’s Carnival with bar by bar perfection. I learned about the Carribean through Wyclef. I learned about pain and perseverance through Lauryn, and, much like everyone else, I pretty much hated Pras. But, even in that dislike, I knew that he was a contributor, even if not on a vocal level, through production, so I respected him. I fast forward to their performance together in Dave Chappelle’s excellent concert film Block Party and reminisce about late afternoons and afterschool commutes, slipping on my Walkman, and feeling like I was in the Booga Basement recording studio sitting behind Salaam Remi and Clef, and these amazing musicians were pouring their hearts through a strainer and I was better for sitting under it and catching the remains.

The true piece de resistance of the partnership is of course 1996’s The Score. 1993’s Blunted on Reality only gains credence as an album if you were lucky enough to have been a DJ or an absolute “Stan” esque fan of the trio and grabbed the 12″ single of “Nappy Heads,” or heard the exact same incredible remixes of “Nappy Heads” and “Vocab” on the Bootleg Versions. Where Blunted on Reality fails and The Score succeeds actually has a lot to do with the chemistry that makes a group with just one #1 album one of the most legendary groups of all time. The Score blends Lauryn’s deep infatuation with classic soul, Wyclef’s ability as a producer to incorporate a plethora of disparate themes seamlessly into pop radio smashers, and Pras’ uncanny artistic nature with turning the commonplace into the grandiose. It also features Lauryn Hill snapping emcee’s necks with precision flow not seen since the days of MC Lyte, and also knowing how to fill entire songs or hooks up heartfelt emotion and let them cascade with refreshing perfection. Each member of the group filled their role like experts though they were neophytes in the industry. That bespeaks a passion for their sound and love of each other and creative vision that is truly rare.

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I don’t care who you are, but you can connect with “Killing Me Softly.” It’s easily the reason that pretty much everyone can unanimously agree that the Fugees should get back together. It may be one of the most perfect pop songs of all time. In four minutes and fourteen seconds, there is nowhere you’d rather be, or nothing else you’d rather listen to. Between incorporating a #1 song that parents knew, to a sample that hip hop clamors for (Tribe’s “Bonita Applebum“), a hook that middle America could get behind (Clef’s “one time” never fails to get even the stuffiest suit singing along) and a voice that is absolutely timeless, it’s beyond a pop confection, it’s a work of unparalleled genius.

But they broke up. We learned later that Wyclef had an affair with Lauryn that ended poorly, and likely contributed to much of the lyrical content of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Lauryn often will obtusely refer to the “stress and pressures” of fame and stardom that caused her to recede from public life, and Wyclef hardly if ever refers to the situation at all, only now calling for a Fugees reunion to aid his ravaged homeland of Haiti. Pras? Well, after a 2006 tour of Europe, he stated to SOHH.com that “Before I work with Lauryn Hill again, you will have a better chance of seeing Osama bin Laden and George W. Bush in Starbucks having a latte, discussing foreign policies, before there will be a Fugees reunion.”

In the eyes of this observer, the ultimate problem with the Fugees was Lauryn Hill. At her finest, she was easily one of the most talented musicians of all time. Listen to “Ready or Not” and “Zealots” on The Score. As well, after that, get into some “Everything is Everything” or “Lost Ones” on Mis-Education of Lauryn Hill. She makes a compelling argument to be on the level of  Roxanne Shante on those verses. As well, listen to every Fugees hook as well as “Ex Factor” or “To Zion.” The woman easily was more talented than a group of individuals who were also extraordinary talents. The nature of ego in situations like this is difficult. Mix ego with love and it’s the most volatile of combinations. Lauryn was the best, and Wyclef, who gave her much of her landscape upon which to create was not. Public opinion in the world of music is fact, even if on The Score you can argue that both individuals, as well as Pras, were at the apex of their creative abilities. Lauryn’s talents were showcased in a manner that there was no doubt as to whether or not she would be an international superstar. She was the girl, she was attractive, and most importantly, she had talent to back up both of the earlier assertions.

The nature of the Fugees success as a group is based on a connection seemingly made by sewing thread and burned immediately by a four alarm blaze. Though likely to never reunite, the glory of their excellence does come through reflection, as does the wistfulness regarding their split. “Ready or Not,” they came, and were amazing. They’re terribly missed.