Classic Album Review, The Fugees, "The Score"

Usually the phrases "alternative hip-hop" and "best selling album of all time" aren't used in the same sentence. But seldom does an album come along such as The Fugees second album, "The Score", which grants the use of both. Released in 1996, the album sold over 18 million copies, making it one of the best selling hip-hop albums of all time.

Comprised of Wyclef, Lauren Hill and Pras, The Fugees only released one album before "The Score", the underground hit "Blunted on Reality." Using that as a jumping off point, the group put together an epic album that is considered by critics and fans to be one of the best and most creative albums of all time.

The unique and inventive album dropped at a time when gangsta rap was at its peak, with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg working on the west coast, and artists such as the Notorious BIG and Jay-Z hustling on the east coast. The timing couldn’t have been better for The Fugees. They were able to tap a huge group of hip-hop fans who were less interested in thug life and hoping for some more socially conscious, intelligent hip hop.

Just take “Fu-Gee-La”, which was produced by Salaam Remi, contains a sample of "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right" by Ramsey Lewis, and is one of the most unique tracks on the album. Pras spits one of the best verses on the album, as he raps: “From Hawaii to Hawthorne, I run marathons/like Buju Banton, I'm a true champion/ike Farakkhan reads his Daily Qu'ran it's a phenomenon/lyrics fast like Ramadan.”



Two of the best tracks on the album are covers ("No Woman, No Cry”, and “Killing Me Softly with His Song”), but The Fugees put their stamp on them and really make each their own. That is something that is extremely difficult to do, especially when the songs are so well known and loved like “No Woman, No Cry”. Lauren Hill shows that she is one of the most talented vocalists of her generation as she takes hold on each the tracks.

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“Ready or Not” is my personal favorite track from the album. The song contains a sample of "Boadicea" by Enya, and its chorus is based on "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)" by The Delfonics.



The confidence and ferocity on this track are unmatched, as Wyclef raps: “Gun blast, think fast, I think I'm hit/My girl pinched my hips to see if I still exist/I think not, I'll send a letter to my friends/A born again hooligan only to be king again”

The release marked a resurgence for alternative hip-hop and the fact that The Fugees were to soon break up, releasing only two albums total, makes “The Score” even more emphatic. If they had stayed together could they have made an album even better than "The Score"? We'll never know. Either way it ranks as one of the most distinctive hip-hop albums of its era. It’s most definitely a classic.

The Office Recap, "Happy Hour"

"I'm date Mike..Nice to meet me."

The Office opens with Michael doing push ups as Dwight is counting. He manages to do 25, and asks if anyone can beat it. When no one responds, he says if they can, they would leave work early. Everyone tries, but it’s Stanley, with everyone cheering him on, who does it.

Oscar comes into work early so he can see Matt, the gay warehouse worker. He half asks him on a date, but Matt doesn’t realize. Oscar goes to talk to Darryl about organizing a Happy Hour for everyone, so he can go out to the same place with Matt.

Andy tries to get Jim to come, but he has the baby at home. As he says to the camera, the baby gets him out of everything. But when he mentions it to Pam, she gets super excited and they go out.

Andy and Erin attempt to hide their relationship from the office so they can “avoid the drama”. They try being mean to each other, but it isn’t much of a secret anyway.

Pam invited her friend Julie out to Happy Hour because she thinks her and Michael will hit it off. Pam says to the camera that “Julie laughs at everything”, and Michael is acting like his usually self, and the two are hitting it off.

Dwight and Angela are talking, but Isabel, Pam’s bridesmaid shows up, and they start flirting.

When Jim asks if Michael likes her, he realizes he’s on a date. He runs out to the car, takes off his tie and puts on a backwards Kangol cap like Samuel L. Jackson, and goes back in. “Michael Scott is on a date, this changes everything.”

Oscar is sad Matt hasn’t shown up yet. Ryan and Kelly are playing Dance Dance Revolution, when Andy and Erin come over. But they decide not to play together, so it appears they aren’t together.

Dwight is flirting more, and Angela is following the two as they walk and talk. Dwight starts to realize he likes Isabel more than Angela. He tells her to forget about their past contract to have a baby together.

Michael embarrasses himself trying to tie a cherry in his mouth, and almost gets thrown out of the bar after dancing on the pool table. The date is going terribly.

Erin and Andy, while trying to be secret, are just being more obvious, while Creed is killing it on DDR.
Michael confronts the manager, and asks for an apology for trying to throw him out. As they talk, they actually begin to flirt and hit it off. Julie decides to leave.

Oscar and Darryl start to talk, Oscar is still upset Matt didn’t show. But just then, he does, and him and Oscar play the basketball game, which he is terrible at.

Andy decides to announce to the bar that him and Erin are dating. “Too much drama”, they deadpan.

The episode ends with everyone leaving the bar. Michael is pumped about his new date, and Dwight and Isabel leave together, so Angela confronts them with the old contract. It makes things awkward, but Isabel shoves her away and they share a nice passionate Schrute kiss.

"The Office" is a rerun next week. Sad face.

Baseball is Right Around The Corner...

Check out this beyond ridiculous catch by Ichiro.


Thank god baseball is almost here.

Movie News: Wes Craven is Officially Directing "Scream 4" Starting This May

What’s your favorite scary movie? If than answer is “Scream,” then get excited, because Wes Craven is officially back to direct the fourth installment of the series.

According to Hero Complex: "Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courteney Cox are set to reprise their roles in the series, which last hit screens in 2000. Kevin Williamson, who wrote the franchise's first two films, is back for the fourth installment and told MTV last fall that he's already working on 'Scream 5' and 'Scream 6.'

As for '4,' the action takes place in the Sidney's hometown of Woodsboro. New castmembers will also be introduced.

The 'Scream' movies combined slasher terror themes with self-aware humor for a string of hits dating back to 1996. So far, the movies have grossed an astounding $293 million, domestically, and have featured a slew of famous faces, including Drew Barrymore, Patrick Dempsey and Heather Graham.

Even though it seems as if there is a new sequel or reboot happening in Hollywood every day, this is one that has a chance to turn out great. When “Scream” came out it was hugely popular and revitalized ‘scary’ movies. I thought “Scream 2” was a great sequel and with all the films like “Saw” and “Hostel” grossing things up, it will be nice to see a good ‘ol horror movie in theaters.

'Scream 4' will be produced the Dimension Pictures, a division of the Weinstein Company. Shooting begins in May.

Movie News: Leonardo DiCaprio Up For Vigilante Thriller "Prisoners"

Leonardo DiCaprio is apparently keen on starring in "Prisoners" for Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures.

According to Deadline Hollywood: Guzikowski's Black List script centers on a small-town carpenter whose young daughter and best friend are kidnapped. After the cops fail to find them, the man turns vigilante and starts an investigation of his own.

Directors like Antoine Fuqua and Bryan Singer, and actors like Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Mark Wahlberg have all been circling or attached at one point in the past few years. All have since dropped out for various reasons.

“Prisoners” has a “Mystic River”-meets-“Taken” storyline, and DiCaprio wants to play the small-town carpenter role. Said Kosove: “In the 12 years we’ve run this company, this is the most interesting, morally complex thriller we’ve ever gotten, and we can’t wait to make the movie.”

DiCaprio aside, this script sounds as if it has potential to be a great film. This project may not happen for a while, but be sure to keep an eye on it when it does.

Television News: Fox Circles Will Arnett Pilot

Actor Will Arnett is reuniting with his former "Arrested Development” producers Mitch Hurwitz and Jim Vallely on a pilot for a new U.S. comedy series.

According to Variety: The trio has been working on a pilot for an untitled comedy that would cast Arnett as a "rich Beverly Hills jackass who falls in love with a charitable tree-hugging woman who can't stand his lifestyle."

Lionsgate Television is expected to order the pilot, which was written by Hurwitz, Arnett and Vallely. The team previously collaborated on the celebrated, but short lived sit-com "Arrested Development."

If it gets picked up and goes to a series, the show would be another homecoming for Arnett, Hurwitz and Vallely at Fox, where "Arrested Development" earned critical acclaim (but small audiencess) over the course of three seasons.

More recently, Arnett provided the voice for "Ennis Hofftard" on Fox's animated comedy "Sit Down, Shut Up," which also came from Hurwitz and Tantamount. Show was short-lived, but Fox continues to air repeats on Saturday nights at midnight (behind "The Wanda Sykes Show").

Arnett's recent TV credits include guest stints on "Parks and Recreation"--opposite his real-life wife, Amy Poehler--and "30 Rock," where he recurs as Devon Banks. Vallely and Hurwitz are also writing the long-awaited "Arrested Development" movie, in which Arnett would revive his role as Gob Bluth.

“Arrested Development” is one of the smartest and funniest shows of I have ever seen, so anything coming from the creators of that show will catch my eye. Arnett is also hilarious and his style should fit perfectly with the character and story of this show.

Look for the show later this fall.

Movie News: Steven Spielberg On Why "Tintin" is in Motion Capture

While the release of "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn" is over a year away, director Steven Spielberg is already speaking out about the motion-capture technology that allowed him to digitally recreate the look of the original "Tintin" comics by Hergé on the silver screen.

Steven Spielberg gave some details on the film in an interview with The Los Angeles Times and said that the reason he and Peter Jackson went motion-capture with their adaptation was due to his respect for the material and "wanting to get as close to that art as I could."

Said Speieberg: "Hergé wrote about fictional people in a real world, not in a fantasy universe. It was the real universe he was working with, and he used National Geographic to research his adventure stories. It just seemed that live action would be too stylized for an audience to relate to. You'd have to have costumes that are a little outrageous when you see actors wearing them. The costumes seem to fit better when the medium chosen is a digital one."

Because much of the film's production was shot with the same techniques used with the Pandora scenes in James Cameron's "Avatar," Spielberg had the luxury of seeing what the end product would look as he was filming it.

Said Spielberg: "When Captain Haddock runs across the volume, the cameras capture all the information of his physical and emotional moves. So as Andy Serkis runs across the stage, there's Captain Haddock on the monitor, in full anime, running along the streets of Belgium. Not only are the actors represented in real time, they enter into a three-dimensional world."

Actor Nick Frost has described the motion-capture process as being "like rehearsing a play," and Spielberg has found the process very liberating.

Spielberg added: “It made me more like a painter than ever before. I got a chance to do so many jobs that I don't often do as a director. You get to paint with this device that puts you into a virtual world, and allows you to make your shots and block all the actors with a small hand-held device only three times as large as an Xbox game controller.”

I can’t wait for the release of this film. Anytime two filmmakers like Spielberg and Peter Jackson get together, you know things will be epic. Also, hearing how enthusiastic Spielberg is also makes this project feel even more promising.

"The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn"--the first film in a trilogy by Spielberg and Jackson--will star Jamie Bell in the title role, along with Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis and Nick Frost. It will be released in the U.S. on December 23, 2011--two months after its release around the world.

Movie News: Its "Win Win" For Tom McCarthy

Tom McCarthy ("The Visitor," "The Station Agent") is set to direct "Win Win" for Fox Searchlight Pictures.

According to Vulture: “McCarthy's new film is a drama about a suburban New Jersey family and the teen runaway who changes their lives and turns around the sagging fortunes of a high school wrestling team. Paul Giamatti (“Sideways”) and Amy Ryan (“The Wire”) are set to star.

For those who don’t quite know him, the versatile McCarthy is that rare working actor, director and screenwriter who seemingly does everything well: He was nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for his work on Pixar's “Up,” which also was nominated for Best Animated Feature and Best Picture. It won Best Animated Feature.

McCarthy also directed the independent films “The Station Agent” and “The Visitor,” the latter of which got Richard Jenkins a Best Actor Oscar nomination last year. McCarthy also starred in the final season of HBO's “The Wire,” playing an overambitious Sun reporter who wins the Pulitzer by fabricating quotes and even entire subjects for his stories.

McCarthy has shown over the years how versatile he can be as an actor, and he has also proved himself as a worthy director. Jenkins was always a great character actor, but never did he receive more praise than when he teamed with McCarthy for “The Visitor.”

I am also a big fan of Amy Ryan, who has done well for herself on television (“The Office,” “The Wire”) and the movies (“Gone Baby Gone”), garnering an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2007.

Production will begin later this year.

Movie News: Stephen Merchant Gets A "Hall Pass"

Stephen Merchant and J.B. Smoove have joined the cast of the Farrelly brothers comedy "Hall Pass" at New Line.

According to Reuters: The New Line project, headlined by Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis and Jenna Fischer, revolves around two couples with both wives giving their husbands permission to engage in extramarital encounters. When the wives begin exercising the same privilege for themselves, things get complicated.

Merchant and Smoove will play friends of Rick (Wilson) and Fred (Sudeikis) who accompany them as they cut loose and attempt to cash their tickets.

Bobby and Peter Farrelly are directing the script they co-wrote with Pete Jones and Kevin Barnett.

Merchant is currently in theaters with the Fox family comedy "Tooth Fairy." Smoove, who played Larry David's houseguest in the last two seasons of "Curb," recently wrapped a role in the feature comedy "Date Night," which Fox releases in April.

Merchant is a coming genius due to his involvement in “The Office” and Smoove showed on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” the past two years that he is absolutely hilarious. The Farrelly Brothers new film might be one of their best films yet. The cast was already great, and by adding two comic veterans like Merchant and Smoove can do no wrong.

The movie is shooting now Atlanta.

Classic Album Review: The Roots, "Illadelph Halflife"

The latest entry in my weekly column at Refined Hype. This week: The Roots, and their classic second album, "Illadelph Halflife".

Typically most hip-hop groups don’t have a drummer. But The Roots are no typical rap group. The casual, or less informed hip-hop fan may think of The Roots as Jimmy Fallon’s house band. But while they they're technically right, The Roots have accomplished far more than being the most eclectic band on late night television.

Over the years The Roots have been one of the most creative and original groups in hip-hop. Led by rapper Black Thought and drummer ?uestlove, the group has carved their own niche in the industry. Since their debut album “Organix”, they have perfected the use of live instruments and found the perfect way to rap about socially relevant issues.

Their second album, “Illadelph Halflife” may be their most inventive and arguably their best. It's a masterful piece of work throughout, especially because it is fundamentally original; there is absolutely no large reliance on samples here. “Illadelph” is pure music at its best. The introduction to the album states that: ''when rap music began, most people thought it was a fad.” Using that as inspiration, the group moves forward from there and with each track, shows why that statement might be a bit off.

The Roots are such an interesting group and one reason is due to the various musical genres and influences they tackle on each track. “Illadelph Halflife” is littered with Miles Davis sounding jazz riffs and soulful melodies that resemble classic R&B.

On "No Alibi", ?uestlove makes his presence known with some fantastic drum beats, while Malik B dishes out one of the best verses on the entire album. He is able to describe the state of urban America when he raps: “Until I fulfill the term of my prophecy/my attitude is scarred by this inner-city urban/Iller dolo stress on my brain just like a turban/Who get grazed by the bullet?/Triggers,who's quick to pull it?

"Respond/React" is my personal favorite track from this album. The laid-back production, and jazzy instrumentation mixed with bugged-out rhymes combines to make a socially relevant, foot-tapping track.

The lyrics are intelligent and novelistic, with Black Thought rapping: “Hey yo, I'm just a lyricist, a chemist of the hemp/The beat pimp, the ill Philly resident/That's far from hesitant, corrupt like a President/Never benevolent but poetically prevalent.”

"UNIverse at War" is a great track, and it features a cameo from another socially conscious artist, Common. The beat follows the theme of the album, and is a laid back, instrument heavy production that showcases the MC’s.


The track works on so many different levels, from its philosophical lyrics to the slew of thoughtful, yet witty lines from Black Thought and Common Sense. Common finishes off the track as he paints a vivid picture and raps: “For peace we skate, crackers we roll or player hate/Call each other cuz cause of how we relate/I see way too many Cadillacs with dope man plates/Through the wind and blow-ups, is how we communicate/Harmonizing through beeper and reefer/The city got my peoples in a sleeper, talk is getting cheaper.”

In addition to Common there are a lot of guest spots on the album, including Raphael Saadiq (“What They Do"), Q-Tip (“The Universal Side”), David Murray ("Dave Vs. Us"), and D'Angelo (The Hypnotic), among others. Usually I think numerous guest spots can mess with the flow of an album, but each is used perfectly on their respective track.

For example, on the last track, “The Adventures in Wonderland”, the involvement of spoken word artist Ursula Rucker makes the track one of the albums most original and inventive. The track is a brutal rap poem performed by Rucker over a truly spooky beat.


The track details a woman's plight up from the ghettos to the top of a fool's-paradise prostitute's glory, only to crash down into poverty and the loss of respect from her family. She illustrates the raw, gritty truth of this “wonderland” when she says: “The picture grew clearer; I made the move to rear her/In a life wanting for nothing/So I got into this drug thing/Not doing, but dealing.”

The organic combination of thunderous live drums, instruments and rapper Black Thought's smooth rhyme patterns shows that the group has no equal in the industry. The Roots have an extensive body of work, but “Illadelph Halflife” is a distinct classic, the best example of their spontaneous and distinct sound.