Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee Allstars (EXPLICIT) (CD)

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.

• Category:  Music  »  Rap & Hip Hop  »  East Coast Rap
• Format: CD   Learn more about the CD format using Tower WIKI.
• Release Date: June 24, 1997
• Label: Refugee Camp Records
• UPC: 074646797426
• WAPI (Tower ID): 106695279
• Average Customer Review: There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review!
• Tower.com Sales Rank: #11171 in Music (See Top 100 Music Bestsellers)
• #222 in Rap & Hip Hop (See Top 100 Rap & Hip Hop Bestsellers)
• #39 in East Coast Rap (See Top 100 East Coast Rap Bestsellers)

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Rolling Stone (5/13/99, p.77) - Included in Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the 90's."
Rolling Stone (7/10-24/97, p.122) - 4.5 Stars (out of 5) - "...Wyclef Jean is pushing hip-hop into an international, multicultural milieu by mining his Carribean roots. For Wyclef and his native culture, the carnival is a place where `anything can happen...'"
Spin (8/97, p.111) - 8 (out of 10) - "...A savvy raptivist, Wyclef's reaching for both pop superstardom and rebel cred. It's hard to tell if that will be his downfall or his biggest asset....Still, Wyclef is a master producer and Dr. Dre in any genre..."
Entertainment Weekly (7/18/97, p.84) - "Writer, arranger, singer, producer, musician, MC, linguist--is there no end to the talents of Fugee member Wyclef Jean?....All indulgent hiatus side projects should be this accomplished."
- Rating: A
Q (6/00, p.126) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Jean's warm voice and acoustic guitar just about hold the center and each play unveils something previously unnoticed. What a fertile man Wyclef Jean is."
Vibe (8/97, p.141) - "...THE CARNIVAL rates above most contemporary discs by being an actual body of compositions, not just a collection of songs....THE CARNIVAL is 'Clef wiggling his Haitian butt on a world stage and subliminally explaining his Hendrix fixation..."
The Source (8/97, p.155) - 4 Mics (out of 5) - "...It seems like the Refugee Camp can do no wrong....Wyclef sounds equally comfortable and effortlessly able to fuse his wide range of musical influences into the context of hip-hop music..."
Musician (10/97, p.88) - "...a dizzying, invigorating midway of thick rhythms, canny arrangements, comic set-pieces, and a winning blend of song styles from all over the Western hemisphere....nearly every track mixes some sounds of tradition with thoroughly modern hip-hop sonics..."
Rap Pages (8/97, p.97) - "...Anything can--and does--happen....'Clef brings the Port-au-Prince to Armegeddon....Jean, your guitar is our salvation..."
Village Voice (2/24/98) - Ranked #16 in the Village Voice's 1997 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.

Full performer name: Wyclef Jean Featuring Refugee Allstars.

Wyclef Jean Featuring Refugee Allstars: Wyclef Jean (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Prakazrel "Pras", Lauryn Hill, John Forte, Melky Sedeck.

I Threes: Rita Marley, Marcia Griffith, Judy Mowatt (background vocals).

Additional personnel includes: Jerry "Te Bass" Duplessis (bass); Funkmaster Flex, DJ Skribble (scratches); Joel Servilus (background vocals); Celia Cruz, The Neville Brothers, Crazy Sam, Talent, Will, R.O.C., Sweet Mickey, Jacob Desvavieux, Jocelyn Berouard, Jeni Fujita.

Producers include: Wyclef, Salaam Remi, Prakazrel "Pras".

THE CARNIVAL was nominated for a 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. "Guantanamera" was nominated for a 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group.

"Gone Till November" was nominated for a 1999 Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance.

The Fugees are one of the few hip-hop groups who successfully blend elements of other musical genres with rap. Their multi-platinum album THE SCORE reached audiences all over the world due to its universal appeal. Wyclef Jean (1/3 of the Fugees) delves even deeper into his personal well of creative musicality on THE CARNIVAL, his solo debut.

As a producer, Wyclef doesn't just sample records. He takes a pre-existing track and uses it as a foundation, building up layers of complex textures. Not many hip-hoppers would try rapping over the Bee Gees classic "Staying Alive," but Wyclef does it on "We Trying To Stay Alive" and makes it work. "Guatanamera," which features the vocals of Celia Cruz, takes an old Latin folk song and turns it into a totally contemporary piece. Full of inventive musicianship and devoid of hip-hop cliches, THE CARNIVAL is an impressive next step in the development of rap.

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