Fugees - Blunted On Reality

Two years before The Score made them global stars, the Fugees introduced themselves with Blunted On Reality, a scrappy, restless debut that deserves more than a footnote.

Released in 1994, the album was recorded across 1992 and 1993 but sat on the shelf during a long dispute with their label, and the group later admitted they had handed their producers too much control. Wyclef Jean and Pras produced much of it, often alongside Kool & the Gang's Khalis Bayyan, and it catches a trio still working out exactly who they were.

"Nappy Heads" became their biggest early single, a loose, head-nodding cut that hinted at the crossover to come, while "Vocab" leans on acoustic guitar and puts their wordplay front and centre. "Boof Baf" and "Some Seek Stardom" push into harder, hungrier territory, with rugged beats and plenty of East Coast attitude.

Lauryn Hill is the giveaway, her verses already cutting through with a poise and fire that point straight at everything she would do next. The reggae-flecked melodies and nods to Haiti hint at the Caribbean roots that would become central to the group's identity.

Rougher and more chaotic than its famous successor, it is a fascinating portrait of a group on the verge of something huge.