Rating:
Genre:
Rap
Release Date: 06/24/1997
The Score was one of those rare
hip-hop albums that came out of nowhere and rewrote the rules. In the aftermath of its success, many pundits predicted that
rap would move away from
gangsta and toward a richer, more varied existence. Given such heady praise, perhaps it was reasonable that
Wyclef Jean, the guitarist and male rapper for
the Fugees, decided to follow
The Score with a solo project. However,
Presents the Carnival comes across like
Jean presenting his case that he is the
true genius in
the Fugees. And he's partially right. He has the ambition and drive common to many great artists, but he lacks the skills to fulfill his vision. Of course, the very fact that he has an original vision makes
Jean one of the more compelling figures of late-'90s
hip-hop. Not content to rely solely on
hip-hop,
Jean adds all manners of influences to his music. You can hear
reggae,
soul,
disco, Caribbean rhythms,
worldbeat, and
opera scattered throughout
The Carnival, giving the record the riotous atmosphere of its title. Even so,
Jean occasionally tries too hard, forcing disparate genres to mix and spending more time on production than songwriting. But even with all its faults,
The Carnival delivers great thrills when operating at full strength, demonstrating that
Jean is at least half a genius.
~Leo Stanley, All Music Guide
;)
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