Discussion of the Week: In A Perfect World, What Band Do You Wish Would Get Back Together?

Happy Monday, Musicheads! You know, listening to a lot of today’s music makes me realize just how fortunate I am to have come up in the 80’s and 90’s when Hip-Hop was ruled the world. I came up in the age of storytellers who could paint pictures with their rhymes. Rap groups were usually a force to be reckoned with; each member bringing their own flow and style that contributed to the whole. As a teenager in the Mid 90’s, I didn’t know anyone who didn’t own this album:

Unlike a lot of folks, I already knew about The Fugees well before this album came out. They were on my radar when their first album dropped, 1994’s Blunted on Reality. There weren’t a lot of rap groups that had a girl in the crew (besides Digable Planets), so that automatically made their sound stand out in my mind. I liked their flow back then, but I remember thinking that they didn’t have any standout singles that were really “hit-worthy.” Then 1996’s The Score dropped, and "All Hell Broke Loose." One of the best albums to drop that year, not only in Hip-Hop, but in music, in general, The Score was one of the few albums of its time that cohesively tied together the mellowness of Bob Marley and the Wailers, with the heavy hitting sound of 90’s Hip-Hop. It also highlighted the strengths of each one of the group’s members. There was Lauryn’s voice, not only as a singer, but as a dope lyricist in her own right; Wyclef’s production; and Pras’ style that tied the whole thing together. From the militant teenager- to the stoned out young adult- to the lover of old school R&B, there was something on this album for everyone.

Unfortunately, it would be their last album.

Now there have been lots of theories swirling around over the last 20 years as to why the group broke up in the first place, but according to an interview in the Huffington Post from Wyclef Jean himself, he says that the real reason for the breakup was because Hill lied about the paternity of her first child Zion. Yes, that Zion…the same one whom she made a tribute song to on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. According to Jean, Hill told him that they child was his, when in fact; the baby actually belonged to her then-boyfriend and later husband, Rohan Marley (son of Bob Marley). This was a fact that Jean couldn’t forgive, leading to the dissolution of their long-term affair and the group.

They tried performing together a few times in recent years, but Hill’s erratic behavior led to even Pras publicly stating that a Fugees reunion was unlikely. Here’s to still hoping against hope that they are able to peace things up and make amends, and maybe even make some music again one day. Believe me, Hip-Hop needs them….