Published on Jul 2, 1998
Before making
The Carnival, Wyclef Jean said he wanted to be the Mozart of
rap. A fairly bold statement, but Jean has always aimed a tad
higher than most of his rap peers. While east and west coast
rappers try and top each other, Jean is more interested in world
domination. With an awesome band of production, clever lyrical
hooks, guest vocals and even his guitar, Jean lives up to his
potential in
The Carnival.
Unless you’re incredibly white, you alread know that Wyclef is
one of the members of The Fugees, who struck big with
The Score in 1996. They were one of the few bands who
shunned gangsta rap but at the same time, embraced the leaders of
the genre, including Dr. Dre, Tupac and Biggie Smalls. In
The Score as well as
The Carnival, Wyclef wasn’t above playing out the playa
fantesy with tales of revenge and vengence.
Wyclef’s strong ties to Hatian culture as well as Lauren Hill’s
world-wise voice gives him a depth that is hard to find in the rap
or even rock world today. In
The Carnival, Wyclef comes into his own as a total original.
The album also shows how great of a role he plays in the Fugees
sound, even though Hill and third member, Prakazrel “Praz” Michel
serve as co-executive producers to
The Carnival.
The Carnival is a concept album, in the weakest tense. It
opens with a court hearing, with Wyclef being accused of being a
revolutionary as well as a player. The evidence:over 20 tracks of
phat tracks. The first half of the album is a stunning testament of
Wyclef’s skills. Pensive ballads (“To All The Girls”, “Gone Till
November”) and streetwise tales like “Bubblegoose” and “Anything
Can Happen” seem to be spaced out in perfect harmony in this exotic
Hatian like atmosphere.
Still, 70 minutes plus is a lot of material to digest. Like
other musical greats such as Sting and even Rush, you tend to look
more at their work in awe at their musical accomplishments, where
they may be lacking in soul. In
The Carnival, Wyclef uses third world beats, west coast
funk, rock and reggae.
Celebration is the lifeblood to
The Carnival though. And judging by the 2-hour-plus releases
of rap artists last year, 70 minutes seems like a damn
featherweight contender. By sampling the palatte of so many musical
styles, Wyclef created one of the most rewarding listens of 1996.
Unlike many artists who release solo albums,
The Carnival is quite vital and will stand on its own merits
no matter what happens with the Fugees. Get some culture, pick it
up.