Fugees

Pras Michel Of The Fugees Has Been Found Guilty In His Money Laundering Trial

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Pras Michel
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Last year, Fugees canceled their reunion tour due to legal troubles. It was reported that Pras — also known as Prakazrel “Pras” Michel — was facing a trial after being indicted in 2019 on charges of conspiracy, making a false statement, and two counts of falsifying records after making contributions to Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign on behalf of Malaysian businessman Jho Low.

Michel was accused of setting up bank accounts to help Low move money into the States, and Low was infamous for stealing $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s 1Malaysia Development Berhad sovereign wealth fund.

On Wednesday, April 26, Michel was found guilty on all 10 counts. According to the Justice Department, he faces up to 20 years in prison for the most severe counts in the case.

Michel has been charged with money laundering, campaign finance violations, acting as an unregistered agent for China, concealment and false record keeping, witness tampering, and false statements, according to Barron’s.

Leonardo DiCaprio testified for the prosecution of Low, saying, “I understood him to be a huge businessman with many different connections in Abu Dhabi, Malaysia… a sort of prodigy in the business world, incredibly successful.” Low used stolen money to fund The Wolf Of Wall Street, as well as other projects.

A Rumor Calling Pras Michel An ‘FBI Informant’ Is Sweeping Twitter After He Testified In His Money Laundering Trial

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Social media is often a flashpoint for misinformation and disinformation, and one of the worst offenders is Twitter. A prime example is a rumor that swept the app calling Fugees member Pras Michel an “FBI informant” after his testimony in the federal money laundering case against him last Tuesday.

<em>Rolling Stone reported that Pras made the unusual move to testify in his own defense after consulting with his lawyers and “the universe” according to Mother Jones reporter Dan Friedman. However, in the report, Rolling Stone noted that Pras had met with FBI agents over the course of the investigation into his association with Malaysian financier Jho Low and whether Pras had helped Low, a foreign national, make campaign contributions illegally in the 2012 election. Low is also under investigation — and currently a fugitive — for allegedly stealing $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.

Obviously, this is a complex case and those “hip-hop Twitter” gossip accounts aren’t exactly legal geniuses. But it doesn’t take a genius to extrapolate “FBI informant” from the report — just a dire misunderstanding of the facts of the case. And once there’s a hot take circulating online, it doesn’t take long for it to start circulating, true or not, as long as it’s inflammatory enough.

In hip-hop, the term “informant” carries a lot of baggage, so of course, “Pras is an informant” is one hell of a takeaway.

In reality, Pras is simply on trial because he allegedly took money from Low and put it into Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign and lobbied Donald Trump’s administration to stop investigating Low and extradite Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, an associate of Steve Bannon. Michel said he met with FBI agents to discuss sending Guo back to China but denied doing so on behalf of the Chinese government (Guo fled to the US in 2015 to escape fraud, corruption, and rape charges, according to Mother Jones. Guo sought asylum, claiming to be a whistleblower).

The rumor probably won’t stop circulating now, but here’s yet another reminder that Twitter gossip is not a trustworthy source — especially not now that old emerald mine nepo baby Musk is in charge.

Sheryl Lee Ralph Once Advised Lauryn Hill To ‘Rethink’ The ‘Fugees’ Band Name

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Sheryl Lee Ralph‘s career is currently surging as a result of her role on Abbott Elementary, but she’s also an industry vet with decades of experience under her belt. That experience has served her well as a mentor for the show’s creator Quinta Brunson, but that doesn’t mean her advice is always 100 percent correct.

Appearing on Good Morning America, Ralph revealed one time her advice missed the mark as she mentored another rare talent in the entertainment field, Lauryn Hill. The two were cast together in Sister Act 2 when Ralph advised Hill against naming her then-new hip-hop trio “Fugees.” Recollecting the conversation, Ralph gave effusive praise to her then-teenaged co-star while jokingly self-deprecating her rare show business miss.

“That was one of the best times because I got to work with this enthusiastic, bright, talented young woman,” she said. “When I tell you, I look at Lauryn Hill, I remember Lauryn Hill telling me, ‘Ms. Ralph, I’m going to have a band, and the name is going to be the Fugees,’ and I was like, ‘Baby you will definitely have a band, but you may need to rethink that name.’ And she said, ‘Ms. Ralph, you oughta get it, Fugees. Re-fugees,’ and I was like, ‘Okay, I get it, but, rethink it.’ But she was absolutely right.”

This makes me wonder… Do you think Quinta can rap like some of her comedian friends? Just a thought.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Yes, The Leonardo DiCaprio You’re Thinking Of) Testified In An Embezzlement Trial Involving One Of The Fugees

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Last week, after the season finale of Law & Order: Gwyneth On The Slopes, it quickly became apparent that we, as a society, need more celebrity trials, if only for the spectacle that is rich people interacting with normal folks. Well, we didn’t have to wait long for another star-studded courtroom appearance (not including James Marsden’s mockumentary Jury Duty) as Leonardo DiCaprio took the stand today, though not for any winter sport-related injury, but for art!

DiCaprio was called to the stand in the trial of Pras Michel of the Fugees, who was allegedly part of a multimillion-dollar conspiracy in which Jho Low, a Malaysian businessman, reportedly gifted DiCaprio with paintings that had been bought with embezzled funds.

The actor said in court that he and Low attended “a multitude of lavish parties” while working on The Wolf Of Wall Street, which Low possibly paid for with those illegal funds. “I understood him to be a huge businessman with many connections,” DiCaprio said of Low in court, according to BBC. “He was a prodigy in the business world.” Do you know who else was a business prodigy at one point?

DiCaprio also testified that Low had once expressed interest in donating a “significant” contribution of $20-30 million to the Democratic Party ahead of the 2012 election. DiCaprio recalled, “I basically said ‘Wow, that’s a lot of money.” Legally, this checks out as a lot of money to most people. Prosecutors claim that Michel funneled money from Low into Obama’s 2012 campaign and hide the source of the funds which would be, as you might have guessed, not legal.

While Prais Michel denies any wrongdoing, there still haven’t been any elaborate stick figure diagrams to help the audience understand how this alleged embezzlement went down. How are we supposed to understand what’s happening when it isn’t drawn out in the simplest of terms? And when will Margot Robbie show up to take the stand?!

(Via Vulture)

[PHOTOS] Lauryn Hill Intimate Performance at Iconic Surf Lodge

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Lauryn Hill The Surf Lodge

GRAMMY award winner,  Lauryn Hill returned to The Surf Lodge this past Monday, September 5, taking the stage at the iconic venue for an intimate concert. 

She performed some of her most popular hits from the Fugees including “Fu-Gee-La,” “Doo Wop (That Thing),” and “Killing Me Softly.”

Notable guests in attendance at the concert included Liev Schreiber, Olivia Culpo, and Mischa Barton.

This was L Boogie’s second time performing at The Surf Lodge, she first played the Montauk hot spot back in 2017.

“It was a complete honor to welcome such an iconic and prolific artist back to the property,” says Jayma Cardoso, Founder and Creative Director of The Surf Lodge.

“Ms. Hill is a multigenerational talent that completely captivates her audience, and it was so special to have her grace our stage once again.”

READ MORE: Ms. Lauryn Hill, Lil Baby, Jazmine Sullivan, Rick Ross & More Set for ATL’s One Music Fest

In addition to Hill, The Surf Lodge has also announced their final fall music lineup to close out the 2022 with acclaimed musical acts, Wyclef Jean on Saturday, September 17 and Lupe Fiasco Saturday, September 24.

(Photos Courtesy of The Surf Lodge)

Lauryn Hill The Surf Lodge
Lauryn Hill The Surf Lodge

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Fugees Reportedly Canceled Their Reunion Tour Because Pras Was Indicted For Money Laundering

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These days, it seems like rappers are always in some sort of legal trouble, much of it pertaining to their lyrics if not accusations of legitimate criminal activity. But Pras Michael, 1/3 of ’90s icons Fugees, is currently facing trial for charges that might very well be completely unprecedented in the rap business. A new report from Puck.News via Consequence detailing the case seems to also suggest that Michel’s indictment was actually one of the key reasons behind the cancelation of the trio’s 2021 reunion tour — which they’d originally attributed to logistical issues caused by COVID-19.

As reported in 2019, Pras was indicted on charges of conspiracy, making a false statement, and two counts of falsifying records after making contributions to Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign on behalf of Malaysian businessman, Jho Low. Low — who is currently a fugitive from his own home government — is notorious for stealing $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s 1Malaysia Development Berhad sovereign wealth fund, using the money to fund a lavish lifestyle that included partying with celebrities like Michel, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Paris Hilton and financing Hollywood films such as The Wolf Of Street.

Authorities allege that Pras set up bank accounts to help Low move money into the States in order to influence officials overseeing the criminal investigation into Low’s misuse of 1MDB funds. According to Puck.News, the Justice Department told Pras not to leave the country, which effectively put the kibosh on the Fugees’ plans for a world tour. Pras’ trial is set for November 4 in Washington, DC, and his defense — led by David Kenner, who successfully defended Snoop Dogg from a murder charge in 1996 — will argue that the rapper has been unfairly singled out while others are being let off the hook.

He also maintains that his old entertainment lawyer, whom he’d consulted on the involved business dealings, was also working for the Department of Justice at the time. That old lawyer, George Higginbotham, is now a witness in the trial after being indicted himself, pleading guilty to a lesser charge, and agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors. Pras’ defense now argues that because Higginbotham did not advise Pras to register as a foreign agent, despite consulting on these dealings, the case should be dismissed.

If the government can prove that Pras really did work for Low to influence the 1MDB investigation, and the jury doesn’t eat his excuse that his DOJ-employed legal counsel should have advised him to register as a foreign agent, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

Fugees Cancel Planned Reunion Tour Due To Covid-19

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The Fugees

Three months after the Fugees postponed their much-anticipated reunion tour, the group announced Friday that the tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of their album, The Score, is now officially canceled. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel took to Instagram to share a statement that said the touring condition caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic […]

Fugees Cancel Their Reunion Tour As COVID-19 Makes ‘Touring Conditions Difficult’

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Bad news, Fugees fans. While news of the New Jersey trio’s reunion tour was met with skepticism due to their longstanding history of inter-group friction, the news that they’ve officially canceled the tour — which they just announced today — still comes as a blow for those who were looking forward to finally seeing Lauryn, Pras, and Wyclef onstage together again for the first time in years.

“We anticipate and understand disappointment but our anniversary tour will not be able to happen,” the announcement reads. “The continued Covid pandemic has made touring conditions difficult, and we want to make sure we keep our fans and ourselves healthy and safe. An idea sparked to honor and celebrate this 25th anniversary of The Score but we see now it may not currently be our time for revisiting this past work. We’re grateful for the special night we got to share with some of you in New York with that rare live moment. If opportunity, public safety, and scheduling allow, we hope to be able to revisit this again sometime soon. THANK YOU for all your love and support throughout the years.”

While the news is certainly disappointing, at least their performance at Global Citizen’s September benefit show at Pier 17 was captured for posterity, giving us all something to watch as we dream of the time COVID-19 isn’t ruining our live entertainment plans.