PRAS

'Prakazrel Samuel Michel', known as 'Pras', (born October 19, 1972) is a Grammy Award-winning Haitian-born American rapper, actor, producer, and member of the hip hop trio The Fugees, considered one of the most influential groups of the 1990s for their album The Score .
Raised in Brooklyn, New York and South Orange, New Jersey, Pras cultivated an early interest in music. When he was 15, Pras met 12-year-old Lauryn Hill, a talented singer whose star potential Pras recognized early on. In 1988, Pras introduced Lauryn to his "cousin", Wyclef Jean, and subsequently formed a musical group called the Tranzlator Crew. The group soon changed its name to The Fugees, as a tribute to the many Haitian refugees desperately crossing the ocean to the United States.
Before and during the time that The Fugees were recording their first album, Blunted on Reality, Pras attended Rutgers College and Yale University, pursuing a double major in philosophy and psychology.
In 1996, The Fugees achieved historic crossover success with The Score, which went multi-platinum. To date, the Fugees retain the title of best-ever selling hip-hop group, with sales reaching over 30 million albums.
Pras has also forged a successful solo career, beginning with an international hit single from his first full-length solo LP, "Ghetto Superstar (That Is What You Are)", featuring Mya and Ol' Dirty Bastard. "Ghetto Superstar" became a top ten single in 1999, and the #8 most played single; it was received with critical acclaim and earned Pras a performance at the World Music Awards. The hit single was included in the soundtrack for the Warren Beatty-starring film, "Bulworth". "Ghetto Superstar" spent eight weeks in the UK Top 5, peaking at number 2 in July of 1998, and reached US #15 a month later. "Blue Angels", from the same album, was acknowledged as a UK Top 10 hit, reaching #6 in November of the same year.
In Fall 2007, Pras will release an album under the Sony/BMG label, titled "Experience". He will also be featured on the upcoming Swami album, Equalize, to be released in the summer of 2007.
With numerous awards to his credit - including two Grammys, a Billboard Award, multiple Brit Awards, a World Music Award, a Top of The Pops Award and a Video Music Award, Pras has continued to develop his career as a successful music artist and actor.
After his cameo debut in the 1999 film, "Mystery Men", Pras focused his energy on Hollywood. In 2000, Pras starred in the New Line film, "Turn It Up". In early 2002, he appeared in the Sony/Urban World release "Higher Ed", and "Go For Broke", in which he starred and produced. He is co-starring in three 20th Century Fox films, to be released in 2007-2008 (he will receive producing credit on two of those films). Pras recently finished the film, "The Mutant Chronicles".
In 2006, Pras created "Skid Row", a hard-hitting documentary account of his nine-day experience posing as a homeless person living in downtown Los Angeles. Using a hidden camera, Pras captured the devastating reality of homelessness, with first-person stories that are heart-rending and vivid. Skid Row will be released in August 2007.
The experience of living on the street inspired Pras to launch prAsperity project in May of 2007. prAsperity project is a non-profit organization that jump-starts awareness and solutions for intractable problems affecting the human condition. The organization takes on humanity "projects" as distinct crusades that need attention, working on behalf of established community groups to inject energy and progress towards issues ranging from homelessness to social injustice.
On an edition of MTV Cribs, he revealed he has houses in New York and California, where he keeps his car collection.

Contents

Discography

Albums with The Fugees

Singles with The Fugees

Albums (Solo)

Singles (Solo)

Acting and Producing career

External links

Discography

Albums with The Fugees

★ 1994: ''Blunted on Reality''

★ 1996: ''The Score'' US Certification: 6x Platinum, #1 US (WW Sales: 18 million)

★ 1996: ''Refugee Camp - Bootleg Versions''

★ 2001: ''The Complete Score''

★ 2003: ''Fugees - Greatest Hits''

Singles with The Fugees

'Year'	'Title'	'Chart positions'			'Album'
		US Hot 100	US R&B/Hip-Hop	UK Singles Chart
1994	"Boof Baf"	-	-	-	''Blunted on Reality''
1994	"Nappy Heads"	#49	#12	-	''Blunted on Reality''
1994	"Vocab"	-	-	-	''Blunted on Reality''
1995	"Fu-Gee-La"	#29	#13	#21	''The Score''
1996	"Killing Me Softly"	#2	-	#1	''The Score''
1996	"Ready or Not"	-	-	#1	''The Score''
1996	"No Woman, No Cry" (with Stephen Marley)	-	-	#2	''The Score''
1997	"Rumble in the Jungle" (feat. A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes & John Forté)	-	-	#3	''When We Were Kings'' Original Soundtrack
2005	"Take It Easy"	-	#40	-

Albums (Solo)

★ 1998: ''Ghetto Supastar''

★ 2005: ''Win Lose or Draw''

★ 2007: ''Experience''

Singles (Solo)

★ 1998: "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" (featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard & Mýa)

★ 1998: "Blue Angels"

★ 1998: "Another One Bites the Dust" (Queen featuring Wyclef Jean, Pras & Free)

★ 1999: "What'cha Wanna Do" (featuring The Product & Free)

★ 1999: "Avenues" (featuring Refugee Camp Allstars)

★ 2001: "Miss California" (Dante Thomas featuring Pras)

★ 2005: "Haven't Found"

★ 2007: "Turn You On" (DeDe featuring Pras)

Acting and Producing career

★ ''Mystery Men'' (1999) - Tony C (credited as Prakazrel Michel)

★ ''Turn It Up'' (2000)- Denzel/Diamond (credited as Pras Michel) (co-producer)

★ ''Higher Ed'' (2001)- Ed Green (credited as Pras Michel) (executive producer)

★ ''Go For Broke'' (2002)- Jackson/Jackie (credited as Pras Michel) (producer)

★ ''Nora's Hair Salon'' (2004)

★ ''Careful What You Wish For'' (2004) - Zen Salesman (credited as Pras Michel)

★ ''Reggaeton'' (2007) - Electric

★ ''First Night'' (2006) - himself (producer)

★ ''The Mutant Chronicles'' (2007)- Captain Michaels (producer)

External links

★ Fugees-Online.de - news on Pras, biography, discography, photos, interviews

★ Pras Official Website

★ ''Rolling Stone'' page

★ MTV artist page

★ iMusic Urban Showcase artist page