Wyclef Jean Masquerade CD

Feat.Claudette Ortiz(Cityhigh) ,M.O.P.,Bumpy Knuckles,Governr

Personnel includes: Wyclef Jean (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); Melky Sedeck (vocals, keyboards); Sharissa, Tom Jones, Claudette Ortiz (vocals); Governor, Prolific, M.O.P., Miri, Ja Rah Rah, Bumpy Knuckles (rap vocals); Eric Edwards (spoken vocals); Robert Aaron (saxophone, keyboards); Teflon (keyboards, background vocals); Shea Taylor (keyboards); Cory Rooney (string synthesizer); Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis (bass); Donald Guillaume (drums).
Producers include: Wycef Jean, Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis, Melky Sedeck, Teflon, Ed Roc.
Recorded at Platinum Sound, The Hit Factory, New York, New York; Record Plant, Los Angles, California; Hans Tonstudios, Berlin, Germany.
Personnel: Wyclef Jean (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Jennifer Hamady, Governor (vocals, background vocals); Claudette Ortiz, Felipe Luciano, M.O.P., Yami Bolo, Big E, Erick Edwards, Bumpy Knuckles, Butch Cassidy (vocals); Miri Ben-Ari (violin); Corey Rooney (strings); Robert Aaron (saxophone, keyboards); Teflon (keyboards, background vocals); Donald Guillaume (drums); Mary Brown (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Kevin Myers; Andy Grassi.
Recording information: Hansa Studios, Berlin, Germany; Hit Factory Studios, New York, NY; Platinum Sound studios, New York, NY.
Photographer: Nitin Vadukul.
Wyclef Jean prides himself on having a vision, which he does. Few of his peers are as determined to appeal to as broad an audience as a possible, dabbling in everything from ragga to sugary pop, tying it all together as a self-conscious "big statement." His ambition has been clear since The Score, if not the Fugees' debut, and with each of his post-Fugees solo projects, he's worked with the same basic template -- a lot of pop, a lot of hip-hop, reggae, and worldbeat touches, lots of social consciousness, a little does of party anthems, all produced with enough gloss and melody to reach a wide audience, yet with enough NPR sensibility to bring in the serious-minded progressives, no matter their age. If anything, he perhaps tipped a little bit too close to the pop last time around, letting Kenny Rogers in for a new version of "The Gambler," so the first part of his third album, Masquerade, feels like a bit of an overcorrection, as he toughens up the beats, brings in the hard(er) rappers, and aims to the street. Then, after the point has been made, it settles into a Marley-esque reggae groove, before easing into pop for a while, then winding up back in Marley territory with "War No More." Throughout it all, Jean's musical skill is impressive and most of this long, 20-track album is quite pleasurable, but his skills as a recordmaker waver on occasion. The primary problem is that Wyclef wants to be everything to all people, so he'll hit too hard on the hip-hop, then back way up and invite Tom Jones into the studio for a new, not very good, version of "What's New, Pussycat," while rewriting Frankie Valli ("Oh What a Night") and Dylan ("Knocking on Heaven's Door," which now contains shoutouts "to Biggie Smalls and 2Pac...to my people in the twin towers") with equal abandon. He pushes too hard on sermonizing, no matter if it's pompous pleas to the ghettos or heartfelt laments (a spoken tribute to his recently passed father, "War No More," a "Redemption Song"-styled protest song with the unforgettable line, "this looks like a scene from the movie Star Wars"), which offsets the lighter tracks. Instead of sounding generous and openhearted, it's a bit muddled and confusing, especially when taken all at once -- but when isolated in parts, or heard in passing, it's an enjoyable record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Continuing to build on a wildly eclectic solo career that's taken him far beyond the success of The Fugees, Wyclef Jean uses his third album MASQUERADE to weave a message of social consciousness laced with hard-edged hip-hop nuances. Utilizing the concept of these tracks emanating from the fictitious pRolling Stone (7/11/02, p.110) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Entertaining..."
Vibe (7/02, pp.133-4) - 3 discs out of 5 - "...Marks an ostensible return to the streets for Clef....he continues to be the expectation-defying powerhouse he thinks he should be..."
Mojo (Publisher) (1/03, p.73) - Ranked #7 in Mojo's "Best Urban Albums of 2002"
NME (Magazine) (6/22/02, p.53) - 8 out of 10 - "...MASQUERADE can't help but be his most meditative album yet. It's also his best...Warmth, wit and a timeless blend of songwriting styles are rare, and they're Wyclef's business. A mighty ego-free album that doesn't need to shout to be heard."