The Fugees' 1996 cover of "Killing Me Softly" is widely considered one of the most successful and influential reinterpretations in music history. Released as the second single from their landmark multi-platinum album, The Score , the track reimagined the 1973 soul classic made famous by Roberta Flack . While the original was an introspective folk-soul ballad, the Fugees rebuilt it into a "boom-bap" hip-hop and neo-soul anthem that defined the sound of the 1990s.
: The track's signature groove features a prominent sitar and drum break sampled from A Tribe Called Quest's "Bonita Applebum" (which itself sampled Rotary Connection and Little Feat ). Killing me softly - Fugees (cover)
: The concept to cover the song came from member Pras Michel , who wanted to bring the track "back home" through a hip-hop lens. The Fugees' 1996 cover of "Killing Me Softly"
: The group initially intended to update the lyrics with "anti-drug and anti-poverty" themes under the title "Killing Them Softly". However, the original songwriters, Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel , denied permission for a rewrite, though they allowed a direct cover. : The track's signature groove features a prominent
: The production is intentionally sparse, leaving room for Lauryn Hill’s powerhouse vocals and Wyclef Jean's background ad-libs like "one time, two times". Lauryn Hill’s Star-Making Performance