Fugees reunite for their first performance since 2021
The trio's surprise show at Global Citizen Festival was to raise awareness for world hunger
Lauryn Hill, Pras Michél and Wyclef Jean returned as the Fugees for the first time since 2021 at Global Citizen Festival last weekend.
The trio performed 'Killing Me Softly', 'Ready or Not' and 'Fu-Gee-La' as a surprise addition to Lauryn Hill's set.
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Hill played amongst Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Jung Kook and a special 50th anniversary of hip hop performance featuring Busta Rhymes, Big Daddy Kane, Rapsody and D-Nice.
Global Citizen Festival has been running for over 10 years, landing in Accra, Hamburg, Mandela and its home, New York, raising money and awareness to end extreme poverty.
The action platform, which now has offices in Canada, South Africa, Nigeria, Australia, Germany and the UK alongside its headquarters in the Big Apple, has three missions: to defeat poverty, defend the planet and demand equity.
According to its website, the 2023 edition of the charity festival rallied $290 million in commitments from world leaders towards these goals.
Fugees' last performance together was, coincidentally, also at Global Citizen Festival, New York in 2021. You can watch their electrifying rendition of 'Ready or Not' complete with orchestral accompaniment below:
Last weekend's surprise performance precursors a run of 11 Fugees shows across Canada and the United States over the next two months as part of the 'Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' album's 25th anniversary tour. Hill will also be performing with Koffee when her tour pitches down in Australia and New Zealand.
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This may be the last chance to see the Fugees for a while, given Pras Michél was found guilty of all 10 criminal conspiracy charges he faced in federal court in April. Michel, who had been convicted of accepting payments to further China's political interests and Malaysian billionaire Jho Low's political connections, could face up to 20 years in prison. This wouldn't be the first time that the rapper's past got in the way of Fugees performances, as his legal battle in 2022 ultimately led to the cancellation of their reunion tour last year.
Watch the stream from Global Citizen 2023 below.
Tibor Heskett is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow him on Twitter