Fans enjoyed a highly-anticipated reunion on Wednesday, September 22, as the Fugees and Ms. Lauryn Hill celebrated the 25th anniversary of The Score with a concert on New York City’s Pier 17 Rooftop. The concert, a strictly phones-free affair, was the first time the trio have reunited in over 15 years. They came together to share a message of peace, reunion, and hope, highlighting the resilience of Haitian immigrants and calling on President Biden to offer them asylum. Ms. Lauryn Hill, dressed in a dramatic, ruffled red gown, reflected onstage about her life’s trajectory since she began touring with the Fugees in her teens, saying: “Respect the miracle of this union.”
The Fugees Return
After a long-ago split, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel came together again as the Fugees to perform a selection from The Score. Fans from all demographics came to the event to witness the influential hip-hop group perform. The group played nine songs from the The Score, opening with “How Many Mics,” and also performing classics “Fu-Gee-La,” “Zealots,” and “Ready or Not.” Ms. Lauryn Hill destroyed a performance of crowd favorite “Killing Me Softly With His Song” as well. Ending the concert with a rendition of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry,” the group gave the audience a new experience of classic music, a fitting opener to their fall tour. They will do a 12-city world tour to celebrate their “miraculous union” with audiences. For tickets, visit the Livenation website.
Flashback: Ms. Lauryn and The Fugees Split
Back when the Fugees first split in 1997, there was more to the story than we knew. Initially the group claimed a desire to pursue solo careers as the reason for the split, but that was not the case. Branden C. Pother of Grunge writes: “The Huff Post reported on Jean’s autobiography, Purpose, released the same year. In that book, Jean said that it was his affair with Hill that ended everything between them.” In the early days of The Fugees, Jean and Hill were inseparable; they had been together since the trio became a band.
Moreover, though Jean was married to Marie Claudinette, he maintained an affair with Hill. The Fugees broke apart when Hill lied to Jean about being the father of her son, when it was actually Bob Marley. With the real reason for the bands split being so emotional and complicated, to move on, they had to forgive each other and put aside their differences. The proof of this healing over time came through on stage, and created an excellent environment for the legendary artists to perform for their fans. A short-but-sweet set left fans hyped up and satisfied, even those who waited hours to see the band come on at 10p.m. Though this group has the clout and talent to always keep us guessing, excitement is high for future tour dates.
Listen to Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean talk about making the reunion happen below:
What’s your favorite Fugees track, and what do you expect from the rest of their tour? Let us know by interacting with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @FMHipHop.
