Fugees

Why they matter

Lauryn Hill and Pras Michel met at Columbia High School in Maplewood, and Pras’s cousin Wyclef Jean joined in 1990. They started as Tranzlator Crew, with a live band that included Jerry Duplessis on bass, signed to Ruffhouse through Columbia in 1993, and renamed themselves Fugees. The name came from “refugee,” a word used as an insult against Haitian Americans; Wyclef and Pras are of Haitian heritage.

Blunted on Reality (1994) was recorded in West Orange under the guidance of Kool & the Gang’s Ronald “Khalis” Bell. The group later said they let the producers have too much control over it. Its best-charting single was Salaam Remi’s remix of “Nappy Heads.”

The Score (1996) was the correction. The Fugees produced most of it themselves with Jerry Duplessis and Warren Riker, recorded partly at Booga Basement in East Orange, and brought in Outsidaz members Rah Digga, Young Zee and Pacewon for guest verses. Covers of “Killing Me Softly” and “No Woman, No Cry,” plus “Ready or Not” built on the Delfonics, put old soul and reggae into a rap album without making it sound like a tribute record. It topped the Billboard 200, won the Grammy for Best Rap Album, and has been certified seven times platinum.

Then they split for solo work. Wyclef’s The Carnival came out in 1997 with the other two on it, and Hill’s solo record gets its own page.

What a working rapper can take from it

Don’t hand your debut to somebody else’s vision. The Fugees said themselves that Blunted on Reality gave the producers too much say. Two years later they produced the follow-up in a basement and it went to No. 1. Before you sign or book a producer, know what you sound like, and agree up front who makes the final call.

A familiar song is a door for a new voice. “Killing Me Softly” got Hill’s voice onto pop, R&B and adult radio, because those listeners already knew the song. Covers and interpolations can introduce you to rooms that would never play an original. Do the paperwork first; the song registration guide covers what to file before release.

Players change what’s possible on stage. Tranzlator Crew had a drummer and a bassist before it had a record deal. A group that can play its own changes can stretch a song, drop to a cappella, or rearrange on the fly. If you can’t afford a band, even one live player beside the DJ changes the room. The show guide covers building the set around that.