Search - Fugees :: Blunted on Reality

Another Phat Album From '94 {4 Stars}

Norfeest | Washington DC USA | 07/05/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Most know my position on hip hop releases from 1994. No need to write that paragraph. The Fugees dropped Blunted On Reality to almost no fanfare. Joints like "Boof Baf" and "Vocab [Remix]" were dope enough for most underground heads, but MTV, BET, and radio wouldn't catch on until they dropped the classic "Nappy Heads" remix. Those looking for the same sound from The Score will be in for a bit of a disappointment. Lauryn doesn't sing on this album. As a matter of fact, her and Wyclef rhyme with a passion that you'll probably never hear from them again. Man, to hear dope emcees when they're truly hungry is such a privledge in my mind. Anyway, there are plenty of dope cuts on this LP. Along with the joints I already mentioned, there are dope cuts like "Some Seek Stardom", "Temple", and the regular version of "Nappy Heads". Amazon lists 18 tracks, but 6 of them are interludes. The production is mostly handled by Wyclef, Pras, Salaam Remi, Khalis Bayyan, Rashad Muhammad, and Stephen Walker. The sound varies from acoustic to boom bap to mellow -- it's pretty versatile.



As far as flaws, there is only one that really stands out to me: Pras. Dude was never all that nice behind the mic ("if you saw me chillin' in my hood, would you say I'm hoodin"....come on), but Clef and Lauryn do a good job of taking most of the spotlight, so you never really notice him. Also, the version of "Vocab" on this album, though dope, doesn't really hold a candle to the remix (it's an acoustic version while the remix is more boom bap). Not only that, it's over five minutes long. The rest of the album is pretty good in my opinion.



Blunted On Reality is definitely dope on all fronts. It came out in '94 (when the standard for what was considered dope was REALLY, REALLY high), so you know that it's 4 star material at the very least. It's got a harder more underground edge than The Score does, but I'd have to say that The Score is still the better album. That doesn't take anything away from this LP though. It's still dope and worth checking out. I recommend adding this album to your collection.



Standout Tracks: Nappy Heads, Boof Baf, How Hard Is It?, Some Seek Stardom, Nappy Heads [Remix] (My Favorite), Blunted Interlude, Refugees On The Mic, Temple, Vocab, and Living Like There Ain't No Tomorrow"

BLunTeD oN rEaLITy

Jimmy Garcia | SLC, UT | 12/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wyclef, Pras, & Lauren delivered my favorite record from the camp to date! This was them at their rawest & grimiest. They always came through with solid records but Blunted On Reality stands out because they're hungry. Really hungry... You can hear it on every track! For all that enjoy Artifacts, Lords of the Underground, Onyx, Hoodratz, etc. cop this today. peace!"

Good album, but not the best execution

Marie_del_a_Mer | 08/10/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Definitely worth while for Fugees fans.



Not as enjoyable as The Score, even though the lyrics are probably just as good. My main criticism is that they don't make good use of Lauryn Hill's phenomenal singing voice with the exception of a couple of tracks. Look out for Some Seek Stardom, Hill sings an orginal rhyme to the tune of the saxophone solo in Moody's Mood For Love. A few tracks sample jazz, and the whole album is doing something a little different from straight up rap. A good effort."