Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean Reunite for Fugees Classics at Diaspora Calling! as The Score Turns 30

Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean brought the sound of the Fugees back to the stage in England as they celebrated the 30th anniversary of the group’s landmark album The Score.

Hill, 51, and Jean, 56, reunited on Friday, Aug. 7, at the first-ever Diaspora Calling! festival in Milton Keynes, England, delivering performances of two of the Fugees’ most recognizable songs: “Ready or Not” and “Fu-Gee-La.”

The appearance served as both a celebration of the group’s legacy and a reminder of the musical chemistry that helped make the Fugees one of the defining hip-hop acts of the 1990s.

The festival was curated by Hill and hosted by Dave Chappelle, combining music, art and culture in a large-scale event built around the broader idea of diaspora and artistic connection.

For longtime Fugees fans, however, the reunion between Hill and Jean was one of the most anticipated moments of the night.

Celebrating 30 Years of The Score

The Fugees released “The Score” in 1996, and the album quickly became one of the group’s defining achievements.

Three decades later, its impact remains central to the legacy of Hill, Jean and fellow member Pras Michel.

At Diaspora Calling!, Hill and Jean revisited the era by performing “Ready or Not” and “Fu-Gee-La,” two songs closely associated with the album and the group’s global breakthrough.

The Score went on to earn major critical and commercial recognition and won two Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

The album’s anniversary therefore gave the reunion added historical weight.

It was not simply a nostalgic performance.

It was also a celebration of a record that helped reshape the sound of hip-hop and R&B in the mid-1990s.

Hill and Jean Also Performed Solo Material

The pair did not limit the evening to Fugees songs.

Jean performed “911,” one of the best-known tracks from his solo career.

Hill also revisited some of her own signature work, performing “Ex-Factor” and “To Zion.”

Both songs come from Hill’s celebrated solo career after the Fugees’ rise.

Her performance of “Doo Wop (That Thing)” became another major moment when she was joined onstage by Erykah Badu.

The collaboration brought together two artists closely associated with the late-1990s and early-2000s neo-soul movement, making the performance another highlight of the event.

Hill’s Sons Joined the Celebration

The festival also had a family element.

YG Marley and Zion Marley, Hill’s sons with Rohan Marley, joined Hill and Jean onstage.

Their appearance linked several generations of musical legacy in one setting.

Hill’s connection to the Marley family has long been part of her personal and creative history, and the presence of her sons added another layer to a festival already focused heavily on heritage, culture and continuity.

Diaspora Calling! itself first launched in Brooklyn, New York, in 2016, and the Milton Keynes event represented a major expansion of that concept.

Hill’s role as curator placed her at the center of both the festival’s creative direction and its musical programming.

Pras Michel Could Not Attend

The Fugees reunion was not complete.

Third member Pras Michel was unable to participate because he is currently serving a 14-year federal prison sentence.

Michel was convicted on charges including conspiracy, concealment of material facts and witness tampering.

His absence meant that the anniversary celebration featured Hill and Jean rather than all three members of the original group.

Even so, the performance carried a clear sense of reflection about the group’s history and the complicated path its members have taken since their peak years.

Hill Says the Original Mission Still Matters

During the festival, Hill spoke to the audience about reconnecting with the values and purpose that shaped the group in its early years.

“When we started, this was the mission from the beginning,” she told the crowd, according to a release.

She acknowledged that artists can sometimes drift away from their original path over time.

“Sometimes you get off the path a little bit, but you have to reclaim that and get back on it,” she said.

Hill described that process as deeply meaningful.

“That was a big deal for us,” she continued. “I grew up with heroes who did that for me.”

Her comments suggested that the reunion was about more than simply revisiting old hits.

It was also about reconnecting with the intention, community and artistic identity that first brought the Fugees together.

Hill and Jean Say They Are in ‘An Amazing Place’

Ahead of the concert, Hill and Jean spoke with the BBC about their relationship today.

The pair said they were currently in “an amazing place.”

That description is notable given the complicated history of the Fugees and the long periods during which the members worked separately.

The group went on hiatus in 2003, and fans have repeatedly wondered whether Hill, Jean and Michel would ever fully reunite or record new material.

When asked whether she and Jean might make music together again, Hill gave a clear answer.

“Absolutely,” she said.

She then described an emotional transformation that had taken place between the bandmates.

“There was an incredible healing process that happened with us as a band and as bandmates,” Hill explained.

She said the goal now was to show that renewed energy publicly.

“We just want to showcase that and give some of that energy to the world as well,” she added.

Those remarks have naturally fueled new speculation about whether another Hill-Jean collaboration could eventually move beyond live performance.

A Reunion Years in the Making

Hill and Jean have appeared together before in recent years.

Their previous major reunion came at the 2024 BET Awards.

At that ceremony, Jean joined Hill and YG Marley for a performance that included “Fu-Gee-La.”

The appearance closed out the show and became one of the ceremony’s most nostalgic moments.

The Diaspora Calling! performance, however, carried a different significance.

This time, the reunion was directly tied to the 30th anniversary of The Score and was part of a festival personally curated by Hill.

That gave the event a more deliberate sense of celebration and reflection.

A Legacy That Still Resonates

The Fugees’ run as a group was relatively brief compared with many other legendary acts, but their cultural impact has remained significant.

The Score became the record most closely associated with that legacy.

Its blend of hip-hop, reggae, soul and R&B helped distinguish the group from many of their contemporaries.

Hill’s vocals and lyricism, Jean’s production and musical versatility, and Michel’s contributions created a sound that proved influential far beyond the album’s original release period.

Three decades later, songs such as “Ready or Not” and “Fu-Gee-La” still remain instantly recognizable.

That staying power was evident in Milton Keynes.

Could More Music Be Coming?

For now, no new Fugees project has been officially announced.

But Hill’s “absolutely” response when asked about making music with Jean again is enough to keep the possibility alive.

The fact that both artists say they are in a healthier place personally and creatively also gives the idea more weight than it might have had in previous years.

Their Aug. 7 reunion showed that the songs still work onstage.

It also demonstrated that the connection between them has not disappeared.

Thirty years after The Score helped make the Fugees global stars, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean returned to those songs not simply as relics of the past, but as music that still carries meaning.

And if their recent comments are any indication, this anniversary performance may not be the last time fans see them creating together.