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

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.