WBUL 1620am

Imagine that you're in a club. All of a sudden the multi-talented and multi-lingual Wyclef Jean bumps into you and spills your beer. Automatically you begin to apologize and even try to offer to buy him a drink, instead he offers you a trip of a lifetime. Without any hesitation you accept. You hop on his private jet and your off to who knows where. You see the Eiffel Tower in your window, hop off the plane party some more and then your off again to Cairo, then Bombay, then in Columbia drinking tequilas and dancing all night to salsa. Next thing you know wake up halfway sober laying on the couch of your cramped one bedroom apartment with a guitar in your arms.

Well, If you can imagine that, than you are beginning to have an idea of what his new album Carnival: Memoirs of an Immigrant sounds like. He introduces the album with themes of poverty, justice, equality, responsibility, and redemption. Wyclef's on his second wind with this second installment of The Carnival. I expected a more island vibe from the album; but tracks like King and Queen ft. Shakira, Selena, and especially Touch Your Button Carnival Jam ft. Will.I.am, Melissa Jimenez, Machel Montano, Daniela Mercury, Black Alex and DJakout Mizik make attempts to satisfy that expectation. The best tracks on the album are Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill) ft. Akon, Lil Wayne and Niia, Riot ft. Serg J Tankian and Sizzla, Welcome to the East ft. Sizzla, King and Queen , and Hollywood Meets Bollywood (Immigration) ft. Chamillionaire. The album starts off hard with Riot but fails to live up to his previous albums and singles such as Gone 'til November, Hips Don't Lie, and the entire album of The Score. I try to stay away from comparing an artist's new album to his previous ones. Each one is different but in this case I will give him props for his intellect, his socio-political consciousness, and his industry connections in that he is able to take well know-artists and put them on a track that's a hit. If you're ready for an international thrill then this album is for you. Enjoy the trip! RATE: 3.5 out of 5