On July 2, 1996, Nas unleashed the follow-up to his critically acclaimed debut, 1994’s Illmatic entitled It Was Written, the album featured production from DJ Premier, Dr. Dre, and Havoc.
This time around, the fresh-faced, 22-year-old Brooklyn-born emcee consciously pushed the album in a more mainstream direction, hoping to secure a wider fan base. It worked.
The album proved to be Nas’ most commercially successful release, debuting at #1 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It’s viewed by music critics as one of Nas’ strongest records and remains his best-selling release, with over four million copies sold in the U.S. alone.
One of the album’s standout singles, “If I Ruled the World,” featured Lauryn Hill, who (at the time) was riding the wave of her recent success with The Fugees. Other guests included Foxy Brown, Dr. Dre, and Mobb Deep.
The Fugees reunion tour is officially off, citing COVID-19 complications as the reason. On Friday (Jan. 21), the iconic group released a statement:
“We anticipate and understand disappointment but our anniversary tour will not be able to happen,” The Fugees said in a statement. “The continued Covid pandemic has made touring conditions difficult, and we want to make sure we keep our fans and ourselves healthy and safe.
“An idea sparked to honor and celebrate this 25th anniversary of The Score but we see now it may not currently be our time for revisiting this past work. We’re grateful for the special night we did get to share with some of you in New York, with that rare live moment. If opportunity, public safety and scheduling allow, we hope to be able to revisit this again sometime soon. THANK YOU for all your love and support throughout the years.
The Fugees have reunited last year and were planning a tour of their debut album, The Score. Speaking with Billboard, Pras Michel called the reunion what “the culture really needed.” Pras would also reveal how the team would get back on the same page for their performances.
“We let the music and our vibe and energy just naturally come out,” Pras said. “Then we heard the band doing their thing, putting it together and vibing. And it just started to feel like those old moments that made us so happy. Making music and just making people smile, so that made us smile too. It just made us feel good.”
He added, “One thing I would say about us is that everything has to feel organic. It’s not about anything but that. Because if it ain’t feel right for even one of us, I don’t think we would’ve been able to pull it off.”
The now nixed 12-city international tour was kicked off with an intimate pop-up show in New York City, for a partnered performance with Global Citizen Live.
The Fugees have reunited and are set to tour the nation to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their album, The Score. Speaking with Billboard, Pras Michel called the reunion what “the culture really needed.”
Pras would also reveal how the team would get back on the same page for their performances.
“We let the music and our vibe and energy just naturally come out,” Pras said. “Then we heard the band doing their thing, putting it together and vibing. And it just started to feel like those old moments that made us so happy. Making music and just making people smile, so that made us smile too. It just made us feel good.”
He added, “One thing I would say about us is that everything has to feel organic. It’s not about anything but that. Because if it ain’t feel right for even one of us, I don’t think we would’ve been able to pull it off.”
Presented by Diaspora Calling and produced by Live Nation, the 12-city international tour kicked off with an intimate pop-up show in New York City.
Giving a taste of what’s to come, Fugees appeared at the Roof at Pier 17 in New York City for a partnered performance with Global Citizen Live. The trio took the stage in front of a crowd of over 3,000 but took the stage after three and a half hours of waiting for the audience.
During their time on stage, Fuugees performed seven songs. Opening with “The Score,” the trio would go on to perform “How Many Mics,” “Zealots,” “Fu-Gee-La,” “Killing Me Softly,” “Ready or Not,” and “No Woman, No Cry.”
“The Fugees have a complex but impactful history,” said Ms. Lauryn Hill. “I wasn’t even aware the 25th anniversary had arrived until someone brought it to my attention. I decided to honor this significant project, its anniversary, and the fans who appreciated the music by creating a peaceful platform where we could unite, perform the music we loved, and set an example of reconciliation for the world.”
Fugees will hit the United Center in Chicago on November 2 before hitting Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, Paris, London, and more, before finishing the tour in Africa, with the final shows taking place in Nigeria and Ghana. Full tour details are available below.
