The Fugees are back on the line. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean opened the Fugees Hopeline on November 5, a call in project that lets fans hear personal messages from the pair, get a first listen to a new Fugees medley and leave their own messages of hope.
The medley matters because of what it represents. CIRCA says the full release, planned for December 2026, will be the group's first official new music since Take It Easy in 2005. That is more than 20 years without a new Fugees record, and the Hopeline gives fans the first taste now, over the phone, the way the group first reached people a generation ago.
Hill also created three original collages for the project, and the Hopeline number will appear throughout November on London's Piccadilly Lights, the Marriott L.A. Live screen in downtown Los Angeles and other screens around the world. Callers can keep leaving messages through December 31. After that the number stays live for listening only.
The launch arrived as the group kicked off the Fugees 30 tour, marking 30 years since The Score, the 1996 album that made them legends. The Hopeline was built with CIRCA, the United Kingdom public art platform, and it draws inspiration from John Giorno and his Dial A Poem project from the late 1960s, which let callers dial in to hear recorded poetry.
Fans in the United States can call +1 424 738 4337 to hear the messages and the new medley, which is narrated by Selah Marley, Hill's daughter. Callers outside the United States can reach the same number through WhatsApp. Everyone who calls can also record a reflection on hope, and selected recordings will be presented at Faena Forum in Miami Beach on December 4 and 5 during Art Basel Miami Beach, as part of an exhibition curated by Hill.
The medley matters because of what it represents. CIRCA says the full release, planned for December 2026, will be the group's first official new music since Take It Easy in 2005. That is more than 20 years without a new Fugees record, and the Hopeline gives fans the first taste now, over the phone, the way the group first reached people a generation ago.The tour continues the celebration. After opening night at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley on November 4, the run hits Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas on November 6, the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on November 8 and Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on November 10, with more dates to be announced.
Hill also created three original collages for the project, and the Hopeline number will appear throughout November on London's Piccadilly Lights, the Marriott L.A. Live screen in downtown Los Angeles and other screens around the world. Callers can keep leaving messages through December 31. After that the number stays live for listening only.For a group that shaped hip hop, R&B, reggae and soul all at once, the Hopeline is a fitting return: no big rollout, no press tour, just a phone number and a chance to hear Lauryn and Wyclef again. Thirty years after The Score, the Fugees are still finding new ways to reach the people.
Sources
Artnet November 5 2026
That Grape Juice November 5 2026
The Music Universe November 5 2026
Ground Up Radio November 5 2026
