The Fugees were proud of their immigrant struggles; they repped the point of view of a "refugee from Guantanamo Bay" before most Americans knew where that was. They were unapologetically bookish, citing physics and astronomy, routinely busting 4-or-more syllable words. They favored the kind of AM soul and roots reggae — music from the Flamingos to Bob Marley — that might have been blasting from an island boom box on a hot 70s Sunday afternoon anywhere from Hawaii to Havana. On tracks like "The Mask", they could reveal the sociology of urban life with the precision and soul of masters like Stevie Wonder or Slick Rick. No wonder The Score remains one of Barack Obama's favorite rap albums.

Fugees songs have often lived double lives. "Fu-Gee-La" and "Ready or Not" tapped nostalgia for the Teena Marie and Jackson 5 originals, but they also signified that the crew had hardcore bonafides and battle-ready skills. The best example was Lauryn Hill's take on "Killing Me Softly", the stunning single that helped push The Score's sales past 18 million. In the context of the album, it was not just a beautifully sung Roberta Flack cover, but a soundboy-killing… read more »