The Score (album) - Reception

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Robert Christgau	A
Entertainment Weekly	A
Los Angeles Times
The New York Times	(favorable)
Q
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
The Source
Spin	9/10

Upon its release, The Score received mostly positive reviews from most music critics. Entertainment Weekly writer James Bernard gave the album an A rating, and commented "What a shock: a smooth, well-produced rap album that doesn't have Dr. Dre's fingerprints on it The Score showcases their acrobatic lyrical techniques and restless intelligence, and unlike much East Coast rap, The Score feels warm and intimate — partly because the instruments are live but also because the Fugees sound so relaxed and casual." Robert Christgau from The Village Voice also gave the album an A rating and stated "Forget their debut this isn't another terrible thing to waste. It's so beautiful and funny its courage could make you weep." Steve Huey from Allmusic gave the album 5 out of 5 stars, and stated

"Even when they're not relying on easily recognizable tunes, their original material is powered by a raft of indelible hooks The Score balances intelligence and accessibility with an easy assurance, and ranks as one of the most distinctive hip-hop albums of its era." —Steve Huey

He and others also touted it for its eclecticism, group rapping with good chemistry and social consciousness. Cheo Hodari Coker from Los Angeles Times gave the album 2½ out of 4 stars, and wrote "The Score succeeds on all counts. As a cohesive unit, Hill, Wyclef Jean and Prakazrel Michel complement one another like no rap trio since A Tribe Called Quest. Their specialty is matching a gymnastic rhyme flow and rock-solid beats with expert crooning." Spin gave the album a 9 out of 10 rating, and commented "A sense of organic interaction is the hallmark of this album the album's most important factor is its beats; chest-shaking, obscure-texture-having, freestyle-friendly beats." Q gave The Score 4 out of 5 stars, and described the album as "An impressively panoramic soundscape." Initially, Rolling Stone gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, with Ann Powers commenting "The Fugees' roots in reggae gives them a solid base in song and a basic philosophy that's richer than the money-or-nothing ethic that dulls much of rap these days. Without being sanctimonious, The Score paints the ghetto as a mythical landscape, one that can inspire pride as well as sorrow. Like Wu-Tang Clan, the Fugees view the world as their movie, complete with stunts and special effects." Rolling Stone later rated the album 4½ out of 5 stars in 2004, with Christian Hoard complimenting the group's growth since their previous album.