Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant

Wyclef Jean | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 4, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000V9KDMK
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,500 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Haitian born, Wyclef Jean, is a world renowned artist, songwriter, producer, Good Will Ambassador and activist through his Yelé Haiti foundation. He began his career as a member of the The Fugees. Their classic release, The Score, sold over 18 million copies worldwide and certified the trio as international superstars. Jean then began his solo career with 1997's platinum plus album The Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars. Wyclef went on to work with diverse artists including Santana, Destiny's Child, and Mick Jagger. Recently, he produced "Hips Don't Lie", a Grammy®-nominated duet with Shakira. The track broke the record for the most amount of airplay in the history of Billboard magazine’s airplay tracking. The Grammy® Award winner returns to Columbia Records to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of his first solo album with The Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant, which is slated for release on December 4, 2007.

Wyclef Jean Photo

More from Wyclef Jean and Friends

Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee Allstars	The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book	The Preacher's Son
Greatest Hits	The Score	Blunted on Reality

Product Description

2007 release, the sixth studio album from The Fugees' Wyclef Jean. The first single will be "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" which features Akon, Niia Bertino and Lil' Wayne. Other guests include Selena, Mary J. Blige, Paul Simon, Chamillionaire, Shakira, T.I., T-Pain, will.i.am and Serj Tankian of System Of A Down.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wyclef Jean - Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant February 18, 2008

By Done

Format:Audio CD

Wyclef Jean's sixth solo album "Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant" (2007) is a short enjoyable release. The Haitian MC and Producer delivers an outstanding album which will be enjoyed by an international audience. The diversity of guest appearances on this release is impressive with global guest appearances coming from Serj Tankian (Lebanon), Sizzla (Jamaica), Akon (Senegal), Lil Wanye (New Orleans, Louisana), Niia (Needham, Massachusetts), Shakira (Barranquilla, Columbia), Paul Simon (Newark, New Jeresy), Mary J Blige (Bronx, New York), Chamillionaire (Houston, Texas), Aadesh Shrivastava (India), Norah Jones (Brooklyn, New York), Melissa Jiménez (New Jeresy), Will.i.am (Los Angeles, California), Machel Montano (Trinidad and Tobago), Daniela Mercury, (Salvador, Brazil), Black Alex (Haiti), Shabba Ranks (Jamaica), Djakout Muzik (Haiti), Lucina(Mexico), Sun (Singapore), Elephant Man (Jamaica) & Tony Matterhorn (Jamaica). Clef makes his intro with his daughter talking in the background, leading up to the album's first full length track "Riot" Feat. Serj Tankian (Of System of a Down)& Sizzla a solid track - I like how Wyclef references Big Pun and rhymes like him for a minute. I have two favourite track's on this release, one is the lead single "Sweetest Girl" (Dolla Bill) which features appearances from Akon, Nia & Lil Wayne. Akon's borrows the chorus from Wu-Tang's famous song "C.R.E.A.M." singing soulfully, in a musical tale about deportation - everyone hold's their own on this first class track. The later favorite is a collaboration with T.I. on "Slow Down" a highlight track, Wyclef rhymes and sings about many of the problems of the world, with T.I. relating, Wyclef's chorus is outstanding & the track has a positive message behind it, some people need to slow down & rethink the directions they are moving in life. Shakira delivers some soulfully smooth vocals for the love ballad "King & Queen". "Fast Car" is a laidback collaboration with singer/guitarist Paul Simon. Mary J Blige & Wyclef reunite for another on point collaboration on "What About The Baby". Musical director Aadesh Shrivastava of India provides the backdrop for "Hollywood Meets Bollywood" (Immigration) which features an appearance from Chamillionaire. "Any Other Day" is a mellow collaboration with the multi talented Norah Jones in a track which was originally made for a Hurricane Katrina benefit album. "Heaven's In New York" is the only full length track which has Wyclef on solo, and its a memorable one dedicated to refugees worldwide, Clef sings soulfully " If it was my last day on earth I'd treat it like my first go out the way I came in so innocent so pure with no thoughts of insecurity Live life to the fullest be what I wanna be...". Wyclef and Mexican american singer Melissa pay tribute to the late "Selena" while "Touch Your Button Carnival Jam" is the album's biggest collaboration featuring will.i.am, Melissa Jiménez, Machel Montano, Daniela Mercury, Black Alex, Shabba & Djakout Muzik. Bonus track's include "On Tour" Feat. Lucina & "China Wine" Feat. Sun, Elephant Man & Tony Matterhorn. Wyclef Jean provides a high quality release full of uplifting music with "Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant".

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Eclectic Collaborations hurt by over-production December 5, 2007

By D. Hoelck

Format:Audio CD

Wyclef Jean likes music, and he doesn't discriminate by genre. His jack of all trades approach to his past albums brought a distinctly unique feel to them, but with this latest effort, it seems that while he may well be a jack of all trades, he's a master of none.
Jean's a producer at heart, and it's always shown. Relying on the collaborative effort to produce his visions has always worked well for him, and this album is no exception. A huge issue in production, however, is knowing when to stop.
Almost every one of Jean's songs feels like a mess. There's energy and passion, but there is no clarity to it. Mixing genres is fine, but the plan wasn't realized here, and just taking the different musical styles and throwing them into a blender isn't going to be enough.
For all the passion, talent, and exploration here, there just wasn't enough planning.

17 of 22 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Not a Bootleg Buyer, But I Understand December 8, 2007

By Shamontiel L. Vaughn

Format:Audio CD

I know this album is called "The Carnival," but I don't understand why it only has Wyclef Jean's name on the cover. There are so many guest appearances on this album that it should be called Wyclef and Friends. When 11 out of 14 songs have a guest rapper/singer/musician on it (and some with numerous guest appearances), the album has bypassed a solo artists' album and become an collaborative concert. It worries me that Wyclef is such a strong artist but let the other artists carry him on this album, especially when "The Carnival" and "The Ecleftic" were such great albums because of songs he did alone.
The beats on this album don't stand out at all, and then when he does conscious songs about subjects like young prostitution, crime, and poverty, the beats bug me because they're so happy-go-lucky. It's like Jean decided to hide messages behind clap-your-hands-singalong tunes, and it didn't work.
I'm a firm supporter of cinema, music, and literary artists, but this is one time when I understand why people buy bootlegs. I couldn't be more disapppointed, and I'm such a fan of his music, but this CD was so dumbed down that I can't even find anything good to say about it.