Did The Roots Give The Fugees the Blueprint for ‘The Score’? | 50 For 50

Did The Roots provide the secret blueprint for one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time? In this deep dive from 50 For 50, Mike Joseph and Garrett Gonzales explore the fascinating theory that The Roots’ live performances directly influenced the sound and strategy of The Fugees' sophomore masterpiece, The Score.

Before they were global superstars, The Fugees were opening for The Roots, witnessing firsthand how the Philly legends used "Hip Hop 101" live sets—blending familiar R&B covers with hip-hop beats—to win over skeptical audiences. We analyze how Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill may have taken that "familiarity" strategy into the studio to create massive hits like "Killing Me Softly" and "Ready or Not."

In this 4-minute breakdown, we discuss:

Cover Song Strategy: How The Fugees utilized "familiarity" to bridge the gap between underground rap and global pop.

The Sound Evolution: Moving from the raw energy of Blunted on Reality to the polished, live-inspired feel of The Score.

Questlove’s Perspective: What the legendary drummer has said about "borrowed" live concepts.

Check out the full episode here: https://youtu.be/8Zwhd5syBB0?si=YpWkMEZfI1OWEL8_ 🎧

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