Pras Is Skeptical About His Future With The Fugees Amid His Prison Sentence

Pras has had a rough time as of late, as the court sentenced him to 22 years in prison for a federal corruption scheme that also involved various other celebrities. However, he’s also thinking a lot about how he will turn this around, appeal the sentence, and how this all relates to his rap crew, the Fugees. The Brooklyn native recently sat down with Variety to talk about his legal predicament and how he feels like his former group mates in the hip-hop space left him to the wayside amid all this drama, which he says is something he can’t focus on too much.

“I’m done with that,” Pras told the outlet. “They’re going to Europe [for a tour]. I can’t go, so… It’s what it is. You can’t give people that kind of energy. So you could be frustrated, you could be disappointed, but I really believe in my path and in my journey, and I believe what’s mine, no one’s going to be able to take it away from me. So it’s better that you have a small group of people who really believe in you and believe in what you’re doing than to have 100 people around you, and the minute something happens — boom. People just disappear.”

Pras & The Fugees Performing In 2023

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JUNE 03: Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill, and Pras Michel of The Fugees perform during the 2023 The Roots Picnic at The Mann on June 03, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images for Live Nation Urban)

Furthermore, this comes after Lauryn Hill responded to Pras’ lawsuit against her, which claims fraud and breach of contract over some canceled shows. “This baseless lawsuit by Pras is full of false claims and unwarranted attacks,” she expressed on Instagram. “It notably omits that he was advanced overpayment for the last tour and has failed to repay substantial loans extended by myself as an act of goodwill.”

As for his legal troubles, Pras is keeping the coolest head he can. “I don’t know if subconsciously it was a bit exciting for me,” he reportedly told Variety. “I like spy movies. But I never wanted to be a spy. I don’t think that’s sexy. But a part of it felt like that. Technically, I’m a foreign agent. […] I’m going to fight, and I’m going to appeal. But there’s a possibility that I’m going in while I’m fighting… It’s just the reality.”

About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case.

Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.