Ready or not, here (they) come.The iconic hip-hop group Fugees are reuniting for their first world tour in 25 years.
The group’s upcoming 12-city reunion tour will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Fugees’ — Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel — Grammy-winning sophomore album “The Score,” according to a press release from their reps.
The tour kicks off Wednesday with “an intimate pop-up show” in New York City for Global Citizen Live, “a once-in-a-generation global broadcast event” that aims to tackle world hunger and climate change by calling on the help of world leaders,” the press release read. The Fugees’ performance, their first live show in 15 years, is set to air across platforms— ABC, FX, Apple TV, YouTube — on Sept. 25.
Released in 1996, “The Score,” with its “heady fusion of boom-bap beats and chilled island vibes,” spawned the No. 1 R&B/hip-hop single “Killing Me Softly” and has sold seven million copies to date in the U.S., according to the Recording Industry Association of America, and 22 million copies worldwide.
Following Global Citizen Live, the tour resumes Nov. 2 in Chicago and will continue in major cities including Los Angeles, Miami, Paris and London. The tour will conclude in Africa with shows in Nigeria and Ghana.
More than two decades later:‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ is still relevant to power and pain of womanhood
More reunions:ABBA is back! The ‘Dancing Queens’ band releases its first new music in four decades via a virtual concert.
Fugees got their start in the early ’90s as “a crew of crafty New Jersey MCs:” Hill, Michel and Jean. Originally known as Tranzlator Crew, the group adopted the name Fugees, an abbreviation of “refugees,” which referenced Michel and Jean’s shared Haitian-immigrant background.
Hill would eventually have a breakout solo career with the release of her 1998 debut album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” which has sold 10 million copies in the U.S. to date, according to RIAA.
“The Fugees have a complex but impactful history,” Hill released a statement about her upcoming tour. “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.”
From Bessie Smith to Cardi B: 25 essential songs by Black women that rocked the world
Jean also found solo success, carving out his own lane in “the globalized sound of rap in the 21st century.” His collaboration with Colombian pop star Shakira, “Hips Don’t Lie,” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2006.
“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,” Jean made the statement in a statement. “We would be a voice for the unheard, and in these challenging times, I am grateful once again that God has brought us together.”
Tickets for the tour go on presale Wednesday via Spotify, Live Nation and Ticketmaster. They will go on sale Friday at 10 am to the general public.
Contributing: Chris Jordan, Asbury Park Press
