The Carnival II: Memoirs Of An Immigrant

Performer: Wyclef Jean
Artist: Paul Simon; Mary J. Blige; T.I.; Norah Jones; Akon; Lil Wayne; Shakira
Engineer: John Pirretti; Julian Vasquez; Doug Rotwitt; Elvis Aponte; Mike "Nyte" DeSalvo; Serge "Serjical" Tsai; Idris "Baby Shaq" Washington; Kiana "Kiki" Sullivan; Joe Deluso; Devon Golder; Lamont "Logic" Coleman; Glen Marchese; Elliot Carter; Wilner Alexandre; "Super" Dave Clauss; Andy Grassi
Producer: Wyclef Jean; Djakout Mizik; Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis; Sedeck "All Hands On Deck" Jean
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel: Wyclef Jean (guitar). Additional personnel: Aadesh Shrivastava, Horacio Jimenez (vocals); David Brozer (guitar); Andy Grassi (guitars); Louis Farrakhan (violin); Rubin Kodheli (cello); Mike "Nyte" DeSalvo, "Super" Dave Clauss (horns); Arden "Keys" Altino, Sedeck "All Hands On Deck" Jean, J. Thomas (keyboards); Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis (bass guitar); Lamont "Logic" Coleman, Marivaldo, Joe Tomino (percussion); LaTavia Parker, Anthony Leggett, Devon Golder (background vocals); Melissa Jimenez, Niia, Daniela Mercury, Djakout Mizik, Akon, Lil Wayne, Machel Montano, Mary J. Blige, Norah Jones, Paul Simon, Serj Tankian, Shakira, Sizzla, T.I., Will.I.Am, Black Alex, Chamillionaire. In the decade since his post-Fugees solo debut Wyclef Jean has become as well known as an activist as a pop artist. CARNIVAL II: MEMOIRS OF AN IMMIGRANT reflects Jean's political commitment in its detailing of immigrant experience, but not without also turning in an album of bright, eclectic, and continually inventive music. Reggae, Latin, and South Asian sounds can be heard amid the hip-hop and R&B, creating a multicultural pastiche that perfectly suits Jean's lyrical message. CARNIVAL II is star-studded affair, with everyone from Paul Simon to Mary J. Blige to Nora Jones to the Minister Louis Farrakhan making guest appearances. There's plenty of the smooth rapping and pop smarts that Jean fans expect, but the arrangements and production for the disc set it a cut above. "Riot," featuring dancehall king Sizzla and System of a Down's Serj Tanikan, is a highlight, as is "Hollywood Meets Bollywood," a track that features the Southern MC Chamillionaire.

Rolling Stone (p.130) - 3.5 stars out of 4 -- "It's a breathtaking, ambitious ride through a carnival of global music too rarely explored." Entertainment Weekly (p.76) - "[With] the post-Katrina hymn 'Any Other Day,' on which Norah Jones joins Wyclef to paint a poignant picture of families stranded on rooftops..." Vibe (p.108) - "[The album] makes Wyclef's M.O. crystal-clear: There are no division. He's aiming for one world, rocking to his thick, improbable grooves." Q (Magazine) (p.124) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he roll-call of guests reflects his savvy, anything-goes approach." Mojo (Publisher) (p.102) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Jean's sonic scope is breathtaking, complemented by imaginative lyrics whose themes range from family break ups, prostitution and drive-by shootings to the US occupation of Iraq."

Haitian-born and Brooklyn-raised Wyclef Jean joined the hip-hop supergroup the Fugees in the early 1990s with his cousin Pras (Michel) and his friend Lauryn Hill. The trio went on to major success with THE SCORE. Wyclef didn't realize his full artistic potential until his 1997 debut solo album, THE CARNIVAL, on which he combined reggae, rock, hip-hop, and pop into a potent sonic document. The record earned him the top ten crossover ballad, "Gone Till November." While subsequent records never reached such elevation, they kept him in the public eye, and his eclectic touch and unique flow made him a sought after collaborator.

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