Wyclef Jean
The Carnival
[Ruffhouse/Columbia]
Rating: 8.1
I've got a feeling that Wyclef is really the brains behind the whole
Fugees operation. Know why I feel like that? It's because The
Carnival, his first solo outing, features innovative samples and
fresh beats (literally-- no sampling in that department). And it's
lyrically brilliant.
"Apocalypse" boasts a killer rap over a sampled piece of classical
music with a trained soprano letting loose on the high notes. "To
All The Girls" is an incredibly catchy track with beats as phat as
a double quarter-pounder with cheese, telling the story of Wyclef's
divorce. The beautifully sad "Gone Till November" is remarkably
moving, even with its simple lyrics, "January February March April
May/ I see you crying/ But girl I can't stay /I'll be gone till
November/ Give a kiss to my mother." And of course, to overlook
the hit single, "We Trying to Stay Alive," based around the
Bee-Gee's disco smash "Staying Alive," would just be wrong.
So what makes The Carnival so great? What more evidence do
you need? It's Wyclef Jean.
-Ryan Schreiber