The Fugees are reuniting for the first time in 15 years and making a tour stop at State Farm Arena Nov. 18.
UPDATE: The concert was postponed until March 17, then cancelled altogether. The band blamed the pandemic
All three original members of the New Jersey trio will be represented: Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel. They have each thrived as solo artists over the years.
“I wasn’t even aware the 25th anniversary had arrived until someone brought it to my attention,” Hill said in a statement. “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 added: “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.”
This tour celebrates their seminal album “The Score,” released a quarter century ago. The album hit No. 1 on the BIllboard album charts at the time and was the No. 3 best-selling album of 1996 behind albums by Alanis Morissette and Celine Dion. Three major singles emanated from the album: “Killing Me Softly,” “Fu-Gee-La” and “Ready or Not.”
“The Score” is ranked No. 134 in the Rolling Stones Top 500 greatest albums of all time. The magazine lauded it for the way it “blended rap, R&B, and reggae into an intimate, widescreen sound, using panache, a teasing sense of humor, and a forthright intelligence.”
The Fugees are doing a modest 12-city international tour that also includes Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Paris and London before finishing the tour in Africa, with final shows taking place in Nigeria and Ghana.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, Sept. 24, at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster.com or LiveNation.com. Prices start at $59.50 and VIP packages exceed $1,000.
The Fugees on the first date Sept. 22 in New York City arrived three hours late. Hill, unfortunately, has a reputation of showing up late to shows and she even addressed it in a song recently. In the song “Nobody,” she sang, “I’m saving souls and y’all complaining ‘bout my lateness. Now it’s illegal for someone to walk to in greatness.”
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