Wyclef Jean's Carnival II: A Disjointed, Collaborative Effort

Wyclef Jean is one of the most called-upon collaborators in hip hop. In the past few years he has worked with proven hit makers T.I. and Shakira. It has been three years since Wyclef's last solo album, Welcome To Haiti: Creole 101. Now he is back with his new album, The Carnival II: Memoirs Of An Immigrant. Will Wyclef be able to capitalize on all of his recent collaborations to create a classic album?

The first single off of The Carnival II: Memoirs Of An Immigrant, is Sweetest Girl (Dolla Bill) featuring Akon, Lil Wayne and Niia. The song is solid and features a solid verse from Lil Wayne. The song has all the appeal of a typical Akon single which is very good. Wyclef relies a little too heavy on the Autotune on the track but the beat is catchy and the lyrics are solid. Akon delivers a solid chorus to just add to the song.

On Riot (Trouble Again) Wyclef is joined by Serj Tankian from System Of A Down and reggae artist Sizzla. The song is a hybrid of reggae, rock and R&B. The song is very different than anything you would expect Wyclef, Serj or Sizzla to do. The song is catchy in an awkward way.

King And Queen features Wyclef teamed up with his frequent collaborator Shakira. The song is very disjointed. Wyclef's part of the song is a much harder rap and reggae inspired section while Shakira is over a much smoother and catchier beat. The song definitely needs more cohesion.

On Fast Car, Wyclef is joined by musical legend Paul Simon. The song is definitely one of the best on the album. The song features vocals from the legendary Paul Simon who adds a great deal to the track. The song is the most commercially viable on the album other than the lead single.

Welcome To The East finds Wyclef joined by Minister Louis Farrakhan, Sizzla, Uncle Murder and Movado. The song is nothing special. The strong part of the song is the musicality found in the track and Uncle Muder's verse. Minister Louis Farrakhan adds instrumentation by playing violin on the track.

What About The Baby features Mary J. Blige. The song in a way is a sequel to their previous collaboration 911. The song is nothing really special and fails in comparison to their previous hit.

Any Other Day is one of the better songs on the album. It features singer Norah Jones. The track is the perfect mellow compliment to the rest of the album.

Touch A Button/Carnival Jam features Will.I.Am, Melissa Jimenez, Machel Montano, Daniela Mercury, Black Alex and Shabba of Djakout Mizik. The song is a non-stop up-tempo romp through various countries. The song is fairly solid.

On Slow Down Wyclef is joined by T.I. The song is an acoustic guitar heavy track. The song is not what you would expect from T.I. The song is so mellow and T.I.'s southern drawl goes along with that.

The Carnival II: Memoirs Of An Immigrant is an interesting album. The album features all kinds of musical influences from all over the globe and creates interesting collaborations. However, this can make the album feel disjointed. Overall, however, Wyclef Jean's The Carnival II: Memoirs Of An Immigrant gets 7.5 out of 10. If you are a fan of Wyclef Jean make sure you pick up his new album The Carnival II: Memoirs Of An Immigrant when it is available in stores on December 4^th.