By shelz.

Hip-Hop has managed to engage and absorb almost every other genre available in its quest to dominate the musical landscape.  However, when you wade through all the contrived and awkward attempts at fusion and you are left with that which works, a handful of albums come to the forefront.  Two of those albums are The Root’s Things Fall Apart and The Fugee’s The Score.

This wasn’t the first release from either group.  The Roots were three albums in when Things Fall Apart dropped and The Score was The Fugees^‘ second and final release.  While sobering lyrical themes and musical hybridization were common in both groups’ previous albums, these two releases were the realization of both groups’ desire to blend their chosen sounds effortlessly and both projects hit their marks.

Things Fall Apart was smooth and less frenetic than the group’s previous work.  The heavy jazz, funk, and soul influences settled in for a fluid ride that led straight to their first hit single “You Got Me,” a convoluted love story that introduced the world to Eve and bolstered the popularity of neo-soul’sthen- reigning earthy queen, Eryka Badu.  The album also incorporated industry vets like DJ Jazzy Jeff and Mos Def, but never came off disjointed or forced.  It was a melodic case study in the seamless blend.

The production was thoughtful, even morose at times, laying the perfect foundation for Black Thought et al to tackle a myriad of heavy issues from love to loss to self-importance and Hip Hop nostalgia. It was a melodic repose from the heavy handed gangsta fairy tales that wafted through Hip-Hop fans speakers during that time; the haute couture of rap brought to you courtesy of real musicians who were anything but pretentious.  To this day Things Fall Apart is arguably viewed as The Roots best album, but its five star predecessor in synthesis takes the top spot in the alternative Hip-Hop realm for some.

The Score was a phenomenal sophomore effort from The Fugees considering the minimal interest fostered by Blunted on Reality.  There were few genres that weren’t tapped by the trio as their influences meandered from to classic soul to reggae to new age Celtic without breaking a sweat or raising eyebrows. The album was perfectly balanced and incredibly brave considering the depth of all the inclusions. It was Hip-Hop ingenuity at its best.

The brilliance of the covers, “No Woman No Cry” and “Killing Me Softly” was within the slightness of the changes.  They made the songs their own, provided a Fugee Hip Hop stamp on both without dismantling the original feelings or melodies of either.  The album’s original material even though sample heavy managed to display the personality of the group as a backdrop for the honest yet cautiously optimistic lyricism.

The topics covered were just as eclectic as the production they were layered over.  Tales of fake urban desperados mingled with stories of family loyalty, dirty cops and love for the culture.  With three capable emcees under the Fugee umbrella, tons of features weren’t needed and the few they had, including Rah Digga and John Forte were impactful. The Score was the ghetto without the glamour, the guns without the gore and the truth without the dread.  The eclectic feel of the musical foundation simply mirrored the diversity of the urban experience.

Both groups scribbled way outside the Hip Hop box musically, presenting signature sounds that have yet to be copied while tackling the urban experience with a depth and diversity that was only outdone by their own melodic gumbos.  However, one of these albums has to take the crown.  Which one is it? You tell us.

The Score LISTEN

Things Fall Apart LISTEN

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