The Fugees

. In 2002, she appeared in Spider-Man as herself and worked on Shaman, an album by Santana before releasing 2003's The Trouble With Being Myself. They appeared onstage together at an exclusive block party in New York City that month, hosted by Dave Chappelle. charts, in spite of appearances by John Frusciante and Erykah Badu, though the single "Sweet Baby" hit #11 there. In September 2004, it was announced that The Fugees have settled their differences and are currently working on a new album. In the midst of the controversy, Gray's The Id became a commercial failure, largely stalling on the U.S. Though the Fugees remain tight-lipped about the exact reasons, most fans believe that a serious personality conflict between Hill and Jean contributed to their breakup following The Score. With her fame growing, Gray became known for a series of bizarre antics, including being booed in 2001 after forgetting the words to the American national anthem.

After each member found success in other ventures, the Fugees failed to reform. She then collaborated with Fatboy Slim (on Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars), Black Eyed Peas and Slick Rick ("The World Is Yours" from Rush Hour 2 soundtrack), as well as acting for the first time in Training Day. After 1997, the Fugees all began solo projects: Hill started work on her critically acclaimed The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Jean began producing for a number of artists (including Destiny's Child and Carlos Santana) and recorded his debut album The Carnival, and Michel, with Mya and Ol' Dirty Bastard, recorded the single "Ghetto Superstar" for the soundtrack to the Warren Beatty/Halle Berry film Bulworth. The next year, Gray won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal for "I Try", and was nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The Fugees won two 1997 Grammy Awards: The Score won for Best Rap Album, and "Killing Me Softly With His Song" won for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. "I've Committed Murder" and "Why Don't You Call Me?" were minor hits there. The album also included a re-interpretation of The Delfonics' "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love)" in their hit single "Ready or Not". by 2000.

The Fugees were known for their unusual choice of covers and sampling sources on both albums; The Score, for example, included covers of "No Woman No Cry" (Bob Marley & the Wailers) and "Killing Me Softly (With His Song)" (Roberta Flack), which was their first and only #1 pop hit. "I Try", the first single, became a big hit and had gone triple platinum in the U.S. Despite the relative failure of their first album, The Score became one of the biggest hits of 1996 and was one of the first hip hop albums to incorporate reggae in a major way. The resulting album was 1999's On How Life Is, which gained commercial success slowly, though critical acclaim was nearly unanimous and she was nominated for two Grammy Awards (Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal). The trio released their first LP, Blunted on Reality, after a long period of performing, but the album failed to live up the expectations of fans who attended their concerts. A publishing contract with Zomba followed, as a result of her demo tape, and Gray signed another deal, this time with Epic Records, in 1998. Hill and Jean each went on to successful solo recording careers, while Michel focused mainly on soundtrack recordings and film acting. Gray then signed to Atlantic Records, who refused to release the album she recorded.

Deriving their name from the term "refugee", the group is noted for the integration of soul and reggae into their work, and recorded two albums--one of which, The Score, was a multi-platinum and Grammy-winning success--before going their separate ways after 1997. She began performing in hotels in the area, eventually forming an after-hours called the We Ours. Both Jean and Michel are of Haitian heritage; Hill is an African American native of South Orange, New Jersey. At a demo session for which the singer didn't arrive, Gray sang and the recording became a surprise success. The members of the group are leader/rapper/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel. Her career began after moving to Los Angeles in University of Southern California's screenwriting program, also penning lyrics for a friend's songs. The Fugees are an American music group, popular during the mid-1990s, whose repertoire includes primarily hip hop, with elements of soul, and Carribean music (particularly reggae). Macy Gray (born Natalie McIntyre, September 6, 1970) is an American neo-soul R&B singer from Canton, Ohio.

Fugees Lyrics (http://www.lyricscafe.com/f/fugees.htm). The Trouble with Being Myself (2003). Fugees Fansite (http://user.aol.com/Snicka/fugee2.htm). The Id (2001). 1996: "Ready or Not". On How Life Is (1999). 1996: "Killing Me Softly (With His Song)" (US #1).

1995: "Fu-Gee-La" (US #29). 1994: "Vocab". 1994: "Nappy Heads" (US #49). 1996: The Score.

1994: Blunted on Reality.