Fugees (; sometimes The Fugees) is an American hip hop group formed in 1990 in South Orange, New Jersey. Deriving its name from a shortening of the word "refugees", the group consists of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill. The group rose to prominence in the mid-1990s for their pioneering blend of reggae, R&B, funk and hip hop, which eschewed gangsta rap and made them one of the most significant alternative hip hop acts. They occasionally rapped in Haitian Creole, and were one of the first hip hop bands to incorporate live instrumentation, along with The Roots.In 1993, the trio signed to Ruffhouse, distributed through Columbia Records. Their debut album Blunted on Reality (1994), fused elements of political hip hop, jazz and neo soul. The album received mostly favorable reviews; and included the Salaam Remi-remixed underground hits "Nappy Heads" and "Vocab". According to The New York Times, the group's second studio album The Score (1996) placed them "at the forefront of pop music". The album peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200, and was certified 7× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It spawned the singles "Ready or Not", "Fu-Gee-La", and "Killing Me Softly". The latter single reached number one in over twenty countries worldwide. The Score was nominated at the Grammy Awards for Album of the Year. This marked the second time a rap album received a nomination for the award.In 1997, The Fugees released the single "Rumble in the Jungle" (featuring Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest & John Forté), which peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart. They were also featured on the Bounty Killer single "Hip-Hopera", that spent several weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. That same year, the group disbanded so that the members could pursue solo careers. The Fugees briefly reunited in 2004, and again in 2021 for reunion tours.

Together they have won two Grammy Awards, and a Brit Award for International Group. The Fugees were placed at number 17 on VH1's list of the "50 Greatest Hip-Hop Artists". They are one of the best-selling hip hop groups of all time, and were the second biggest R&B act worldwide after Michael Jackson in the 1990s. The Score was ranked among the 500 Greatest Albums by Rolling Stone. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame named "Ready or Not" one of the Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

Source: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugees)