When the famous trio announced their reunion show for the 25th anniversary of their acclaimed album The Score, many fans were understandably excited for the return of one of the most renowned hip-hop collectives of all time. The group managed to put aside their differences for a set atop New York City’s Pier 17.
Fans were left waiting in classic Ms. Lauryn Hill fashion as the group did not arrive on stage until almost four hours past the show's starting time. This echoes Hill’s past performances, such as her Boomtown and Isle of Wight festival performances, where she was similarly late to the stage. Hill, alongside bandmates Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel, finally stepped onto the stage after keeping the crowd waiting for hours, but the wait was by no means detrimental to the overall vibe of the show.
Luckily, the band hired a DJ to support them, preventing the audience from getting too disgruntled and giving ample time for the atmosphere to grow larger, rather than leaving them in radio silence. DJ Reborn rose to the tall task of supporting The Fugees expertly, spinning classic Latin, Caribbean and hip-hop tunes. She kept the energy high before the headliners hit the stage.
Wyclef and Pras were first on the stage, before Hill emerged in a long red dress and black shades to great applause. According to onlookers and short videos that were taken, (most of those in attendance were required to put cameras and phones away) the chemistry between the members was surprisingly enthralling, as if the band had never broken up after their short yet substantial 5 year stint as a collective. It was a wholesome display, as if the members had never changed from who they were back in the day.
The event coincided with the release of images showing Haitians trapped at the American border , being deported en masse in a violent way. The band made many references to the Black Lives Matter movement during their set, with Jean (of Haitian descent) also condemning President Biden on the videos of US border control members whipping migrants. He later stated: “Everybody wanna be cowboys, Haitians shouldn’t have to live like this”, before wrapping the Haitian flag around his head.
After his statements, Wyclef offered a solo freestyle to Ms. Hill, who instead chose to address the crowd and talk of the band’s prevalence and described to the audience the cultural significance of the group, saying: “The Fugees have a very complex but beautiful, impactful history, there was destiny in those tracks, destiny in the people we inspired. It was definitely a movement. For our generation, it was big. We dreamed big, we toured long, we helped move hip-hop around the globe. I had to take a hiatus in order to experience the youth that I missed 25 years ago.” It is easy to forget she was only 12 when she first stepped into the studio.
The overwhelming consensus of the reunion was incredibly positive, proving just how important The Score, and indeed The Fugees were to black communities in the ‘90s and beyond – the band have been sampled over 250 times by artists that have preceded them. Ms. Hill ended the occasion by saying: “respect the miracle of tonight, respect the miracle that after everything we went through, we could still get up here and do this for you.”
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