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The Fugees are an American hip hop trio 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 during their performances, along with the Roots. In 1993, the trio signed with Ruffhouse Records, an imprint of Columbia Records. Their debut album Blunted on Reality (1994), fused elements of political hip hop, jazz and neo soul. It was met with 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. Afterwards, the Fugees made an uncredited guest appeara