The New Jersey rap trio clears up a few misconceptions on its second album. The first is that because of its occasional leanings toward live instruments, its music falls into the nebulous "alternative rap" category. Second, that emcee Lauryn Hill is the group's only asset. And third, that its hit "Vocab" was some strange fluke.
"The Score" succeeds on all counts. As a cohesive unit, Hill, Wyclef Jean and Prakazrel Michel complement one another like no rap trio since A Tribe Called Quest. Their specialty is matching a gymnastic rhyme flow and rock-solid beats with expert crooning.
