The Fugees (from L) Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill and Prakazrel Michel pose with the Grammy they won in the Best R & B Performance by a Duo or Group category for “Killing Me Softly With His Song” at the 39th Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in New York. Image: Reuters
LOS ANGELES — Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel of the hip-hop group Fugees have reunited to announce their first tour in 25 years and first shows in 15 years, celebrating the anniversary of their blockbuster 1996 “The Score,” the group announced Tuesday morning. The 12-city tour launches Wednesday, Sept. 22, with a show in New York at an undisclosed location.
That New York show is in support of “Global Citizen Live,” a global broadcast event “calling on world leaders to defend the planet and defeat poverty,” to air on Sept. 25.
The rest of the tour, which is presented by Diaspora Calling and produced by Live Nation, will commence Nov. 2 at United Center in Chicago and cross the U.S. before concluding in Africa, with the final shows taking place in Nigeria and Ghana.
Fugees charitable fund will partner with Global Citizen to work on philanthropic initiatives around the tour.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, Sept 24, at 10 a.m. local time.
In a statement with the announcement, Hill said, “The Fugees have a complex but impactful history. 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.”
Jean stated, “As I celebrate 25 years with the Fugees, my first memory was that we vowed, from the gate, we would not just do music we would be a movement. We would be a voice for the un-heard, and in these challenging times, I am grateful once again, that God has brought us together.”
Michel has not issued a statement as of this writing.
After debuting in the early 1990s as the Tranzlator Crew, the Fugees were together for just five years and two albums, but their then-pioneering fusion of rapping, melody and West Indian sounds, largely powered by Hill’s voice, made an indelible mark on the music world of the 1990s.
The group debuted with 1994’s hip-hop heavy “Blunted on Reality,” but their full potential became clear with “The Score” two years later, which, driven by their innovative and ubiquitous cover of Robert Flack’s “Killing Me Softly,” won two Grammys and has been certified seven-times platinum.
However, they splintered soon after, clearing the way for Hill’s galvanizing 1998 debut “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” and solo careers for Jean and Michael as well. A brief reunion in 2005 yielded the single “Take It Easy.” JB
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