The Fugees Reunite as Surprise Opening Act at 2005 BET Awards Show

The Fugees -- Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Prakazrel Michel ("Pras") -- took audience members, and television viewers, by surprise when the legendary hip-hop supergroup appeared on-stage at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre as the unannounced opening act for the 2005 BET Awards ceremony on Tuesday, June 28.

To the delight of the audience at the Kodak Theatre and fans watching the ceremony on BET at home, the rejuvenated Fugees performed a jaw-dropping set that included the signature hits "Ready or Not," "Fu-Gee-La," and "Killing Me Softly With His Song."

Lauryn, Wyclef and Pras have been busy working together in New York City creating a new studio album, the long-awaited successor to the Fugees' groundbreaking last opus, The Score, the biggest-selling hip-hop album of all time.

Released in 1996, The Score became that year's best-selling album, taking home two Grammy Awards: Best Rap Album and Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal (for "Killing Me Softly With His Song"). Certified 6x platinum by the RIAA, The Score has sold more than 13,600,000 copies worldwide.

Following the massive international success of The Score, the Fugees went on hiatus with the group's individual members -- Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras -- each pursuing solo careers.

Lauryn's 1998 debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, earned the artist five Grammy Awards including Album of the Year, and has been certified 8x platinum by the RIAA.

Wyclef Jean, the first of the Fugees to embark on a solo career, racked up seven RIAA gold and platinum certifications for his solo albums -- 1997's The Carnival (gold, 2x platinum) and The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II A Book (gold, platinum) -- and 1998's smash single "Gone Till November" (gold, platinum). Clef has been in-demand as a producer/mixer (Santana, Whitney Houston, Black-Eyed Peas, Destiny's Child) and is an outspoken social activist and force behind numerous benefit concerts including aid for his native Haiti.

Prakazrel Michel ("Pras") -- who co-founded the rap group Tranzlator Crew (later rechristened the Fugees when Pras' cousin Wyclef joined) with his high- school classmate Lauryn Hill in 1987 -- had a #1 R&B hit with his 1998 single, "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)," from the soundtrack of Warren Beatty's "Bulworth." Turning his attention to film, Pras played a villain in the 1999 Ben Stiller superhero send-up, "Mystery Men," and starred as a struggling drug-running rap musician in "Turn It Up," a film based on Pras' own "Ghetto Supastar" sagas.

The Fugees gave the first intimidation of a full-fledged reunion when the group made a surprise appearance at a Brooklyn block party thrown by comedian Dave Chappelle in September 2004.

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SOURCE: Sony Urban/Columbia Records

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