Influential NJ hip hop group The Fugees cancel reunion tour

The lesson here is: Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

The Fugees, credited by many as one of the most influential groups in hip-hop history, announced late last year that they were headed back out on the road for a tour, their first in a decade and a half. The occasion was celebrating the 25th anniversary of their landmark album "The Score."

After a successful reunion show in New York City, the plans for the reunion tour began to face some challenges.

First they had to push the tour back several months due to the at-the-time surging COVID-19 Omicron variant forcing cancellations across various industries. This week, the news got even worse.

The Fugees announcing in a statement a tour is no longer in the cards ... at least for now. See their statement below posted to Ms. Lauryn Hill's Instagram:

The statement reads:

We anticipate and understand disappointment but our anniversary tour will not be able to happen. The continued Covid pandemic has made touring conditions difficult, and we want to make sure we keep our fans and ourselves healthy and safe. An idea sparked to honor and celebrate this 25th anniversary of The Score but we see now it may not currently be our time for revisiting this past work. We’re grateful for the special night we did get to share with some of you in New York, with that rare live moment. If opportunity, public safety, and scheduling allow, we hope to be able to revisit this again sometime soon. THANK YOU for all your love and support throughout the years.

The Fugees originated in South Orange, New Jersey, in the early 90s. Ms. Lauryn Hill was born in Newark and raised in the aforementioned South Orange. Hill met her eventual bandmate Pras at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey. Pras was born in Brooklyn but was raised in Irvington. Rounding out the group is Wyclef Jean. Jean was born in Haiti, but was raised in East Orange and Newark.

Together, The Fugees only have two studio albums, yet have sold over 22 million records worldwide, making them one of the biggest-selling hip hop groups of all time.

The album they were planning the tour for, "The Score," received rave reviews at the time of its release. The Village Voice called the album "so beautiful and funny its courage could make you weep." The album was later nominated for the album of the year Grammy, and won the Grammy for best rap album.

Hopefully once "The Score" is 30 years old we can revisit the idea of a Fugees tour.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 producer, writer, and host Joe Votruba. Any opinions expressed are his own.

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