Reggae Music

Loose Ends is one of my favorite bands of all time. Their music first reached the American shores in the mid eighties. Coming out of the U.K., along with such acts as Soul II Soul, they garnered mass appeal and were very well received stateside. Have you listened to them lately? With a deluge of garbage being funneled on current radio playlists, this old school sound will truly be music to your ears. Why not rewind the time with "Don't Be A Fool" and/or "Look How Long". It was unfortunate that a group with such a unique sound couldn't weather the storm and stay together. Jane Eugene's solo career never really took flight. She appeared on a few projects after leaving the group. Most notably, working with producer Pete Rock in the early nineties. By the release of this album, Mr. McIntosh was the lone member from the original trio. Carl McIntosh is still well known and respected in the greater London circle. He was credited with giving Loose Ends their trademark sound. In any case, we continue to love their fabulous work and a brilliant sound which can't be forgotten.

DJ COA

In my openion this was their
best lp. I love 'Hold on' and the cut
that follows in almost medley form.
The Real C, would come in a close
second.

I dont consider this a "real" Loose Ends album - it is really more like a Carl McIntosh solo effort, using the Loose Ends name.

That said this i a very good album with many enjoyable songs, like "Cheap Talk", "I dont need to love", "Dont be A Fool", "Love's Got Me", ""Dont You Ever Try to Change me" and so on.

As a whole, this album perhaps continues the groove/feel of songs like "Remote Control" on the "real Chuckeeboo Album". So it was maybe a dissapointment to folks who wanted grooves like the first three songs on that album or like "Sweetest Pain" etc.

But that was the past when this album came out, Steve had moved on, and this is what was on the menu. Good stuff, I say, though maybe not everybody's cup of tea though. I am very happy I bought it at the time, and still happy with it almost two decades later, and would heartily recommend it!

If you like this, it is worth listening to Kwesi's album of about a half-decade ago, with will be appealing to anyone who likes this sound. McIntosh produced a song or two on it and inspired a whole lot more...."Heavenly Daughter" was the standout cut on that one I think...

I've always loved Loose Ends since 1984 and have 6 cds from them and got some for my friends..Even the Imports Rules..They need to put out a new one ..oh and love the the GREATEST HITS on Import from EMI MUSIC. We love you in CHICAGO!

i thought that with the absense of jane eugene and steve whatever his last name is that this joint's best bumper would be DON'T BE A FOOL. fortunately and thankfully, i was wrong. this is the best GROOVE joint that loose ends did period. my kneck was in pain after listening to this. i almost got up and danced, but i did not want to embarrass myself to much. grab this, now, and shake that big ole soft thang, gal!!!! i'll smile and give you my nod of approval doggone.

This cd takes me back, I love Dave Hollister, R&B just aint the same. This was when we still had something to sing about. I was very happy with how soon I got my cd and it was in really good condition.

There are a variety of tunes, both upbeat and ballads which make it a pleasure to listen to all day. His soulful voice draws you into each word and takes you to your own special place.

I bought this cd when it first came out, someone stole it, bought it again. I still listen to it from time to time. A classic, BUY it.....

I love all of Dave Hollisters' work! I miss him in the industry and pray that one day he'll return with a concert to his enduring fans. Masterpiece! Yes,a Masterpiece! Vocals are off-da-chain!

I would personally like to say that Dave Hollister is my favorite r&b soul artist. I heard Chicago 85' and I have been hooked ever since. I researched and found Ghetto Hymes and loved that even more. This man puts "soul" in R&B Soul. This man is a genius. Vocally hes amoungst the best, lyrically hes amounst the elite. I heard a song that he made with Curtis Jackson and was in awe, (@#$% that &%#@!) its an amazing song. "Doin wrong" is hit and "One women man" off his album is my favorite personal song. "Take care of home" speaks to you. If u have ever had a relationship, this man preaches. He is a great all around aritst and he shows it in Chicago 85'. Bought the CD 3 times and I can't get enough of it. Im listening to it right now. I hope he can get the credit he deserves, he got radio time with "One Women Man" and they have yet to really play anything else, its a shame but hes number one to me. Chi town baby.

Ky-Mani Marley once again impresses with his amazing vocal abilities!

The voice is strong, however the message is disappointing!

The cornerstone of the Marley family's consistent messages of love, faith, hope and redemptiom prevalent in Ky-Mani's past endeavors are sorely missing from this compilation. Ky-Mani's appearance of going "mainstream" may have garnered new fans but has left many long-time followers scratching their collective heads in wonderment as to why Ky-Mani has chosen to address the few new fans while seemingly moving away from the base of his true roots!

Given Ky-Mani's past works I had hoped better of this album, thus my 2 stars rating....

BIG UP RASTA!!! Ky-mani!! Bloody genius!!! I'm a fan ever since Many More Roads ( if you love Radio get this one too!) His music feeds my soul!! just like that of his father. No-one like him out there today!!! Every songs is brilliant!! makes me want to dance, make love!! and live!!!...THE LEGEND CONTINUES!! IF YOU LOVE MUSIC, JUST GET IT!! YOU WONT REGRET IT!!!

I can't believe he's singing about puttin' holes in your chest and cursing all over the album. Part of the beauty of Bob is I can play it around my kids and parents and anyone else and it is a message of love. This takes an about face from Ky-mani's previous release "Many More Roads" which is one of my favorite albums of all time. He says that "Radio" is finally more of who he truly is and that blows my mind. His dad lit up the darkness and continues to long after he has left this planet. I'm confused at the album's direction. This album I feel will fade away into the darkness with all the crude language and attitude albums that have come before and will come after it. Sad.

On the positive. The song "Hustler" is the track that is worth the money spent on the disc. Phat song without cursin' lyric and gun totin'. Royal Vibes is a good track that illustrates the genius that is Ky-mani's lyrical flow. Almost sounds like this track and "Hustler" were recorded closer to the "Many More Roads" sessions. In fact, on melodymakers.de, I saw this song pop ("Royal Vibes") up on there and I listened to it about 2 years ago. "I Pray" is a decent one.

I also noticed a huge recurrence of the sample from his father's "Crazy Baldheads." It seems it's used in half the songs.

I can't help to wonder whether Ky-mani would sing a song like "One Time" to his children. Is this song to teach that AK's and 9's are a good thing to talk about? Is it admiralble to put a baseball-size hole in ya chest? This is what confuses me about this album. What's going on?

Jah Bless

im a fan of ky-manis, dont get me wrong. he has a great voice, and style, HOWEVER, he just doesnt seem to have anything to say in this cd. it sounds just like the last one. guess im spoiled by brothers ziggy and stephen, who are prophet-like in their lyrics. this is boring. sorry.

This is one of the best CDs I have ever owned in my life, and I am over 40! Buy this CD. It is one of life's pleasures. I was attacked to this artist after hearing some of "The March" on the radio on my way to work. Then, as faith would have it, I was listening to a Podcast from NPR, which did a story on a voice-over company, Vox, detailing the technology behind how the Spanish version of this song was done in the artist own voice. During the report I got Ky-mani's name. This is a moment in my life that can only be describe as serendipity.

I wanted this CD to workout with. I was thrilled to find it at such a great price, in excellent condition. Shipped quickly, seller came through 100% on all claims.

I really like this Cd, it's a classic, with the title track to be one of those that will live forever. I think Stereo MC's are also worth checking out for some of their other, underrated work.

Bought this CD for one track (connected)... a little early 90s nostalgia.

Not exactly one of my all time favorites, but a good CD for cleaning the house...

I must say the only reason why I initially bought this album was because of the nostalgia of "Connected" and "Step It Up". After listening to the album though, I was pleased to discover a few gems like "Ground Level", "Playing With Fire" and "Pressure". But unfortunately those are the only songs that really stick out. The rest is just background lounge music. That said, this is still a decent album to listen to - especially on a long drive. I would have given this 2 stars out of 5, but I had to give it an extra star solely on the basis that this it is undeniably quite a creative and original record.

From the OBJECTIVE reviewer...the perfect melting pot of rap and funk. It's impossible to skip over even one track on this CD.

One of the 90's best singers johnny gill greatest hits delivers with tons of love songs. Only missing one or two songs that are up there with the ones that are included. Johnny knows how to make a love song like no one else. If you like the sound of barry white or teddy pendergrass I think you would like johnny.

I think Johnny Gill is in a class all by himself. His music is so soft and mellow. Why is this man still single? He can SANG to me anytime.

johnny gill is the type of singer who not only can sing a song so well, but also puts a kind of style and poigniancy that you can only find in his music. though probably not well recognized, his early hits spanning from the time he joined the group new edition and even up to when he embarked on a solo career,are unforgettable. he has definately proven himself as to be a singing
virtuoso. it sure would be nice to hear from him again

What can I say? He is in a league of his own and unfortunately, he's very underated. He has an extraordinary voice and it's magical and sexy and smooth. My My My would be my absolute ultimate favourite sexy song EVER. It makes me melt each time I hear it. Wow. Rub You The Right Way and Can You Stand The Rain are also excellent. This cd covers basically everything a Johnny Gill fan could want on the one spot. It's beautiful and great bedroom music. My My My.

This is an amazing cd I can't believe this cd contains the duets with Stacy L. I love her and I enjoyed the songs that they had sung together and I can't believe that they had put them on this cd I really do like this cd this is a wonderful cd for any Johnny Gill fan but it is missing songs like Block Party and Baby It's You w/ Stacy Latttisaw he and her were actually an item a long time ago but this is a very nice cd to have if you like Johnny Gill so therefore I would definitely reccommend anyone to buy this cd!!!

i have bought at least three copies of this album since it came out and this is one of my favorite cds the sad thing is that cds sales are just going down for her and i don't understand why when she has talent i love this whole album and it's worth your time and money if you don't already have my favorite songs on this album is: 1.foolish 2.leaving 3.rescue 4.movies 5.unfoolish

I'm a big fan of Ashanti and I think that her first album is her best!! Everybody likes to diss on Ashanti but personally I think she's better than all the female r&b singers out there besides keyshia cole, mariah carey, and mary j blige!!
Here's my top 5 favorite songs from this album:
1) Leaving (always on time pt II) *best song on the album*
2) Over
3) Baby
4) Unfoolish
5) Foolish

this album is ok with some nice songs on it like my favorites like
baby
foolish
those are the best song on the album its worth buying

Ashanti was one of the freshest faces in the R&B world way back when this album dropped. It was highly anticipated and in all actuality it did not disappoint. Her self titled debut is for the most part a solid effort. My only real critique is that it should have been shorter. She has too many tracks, which sadly leads to filler, tracks that, if eliminated, could have elevated the overall appeal of the album. This is the only reason this album receives four and not five stars. I love this album, and quite frankly this is the finest effort on the part of Ashanti. Her follow up albums lacked the spark and seductively that her debut had, and so I debated giving this album five stars anyways, but those few songs that shouldn't be here made that an impossibility. I'm still waiting for Ashanti to come back with an album that blows this one away, that proves her hype was well deserved. She has the pipes, she has the look and she has the star appeal, now she just has to use all of it to her advantage and truly create a worthy successor to her debut.

Ashanti received a lot of praise before this album dropped, lending her vocal talents to high profile stars like Fat Joe and Ja Rule, helping boost their record sales and making songs like `What's Luv' the Billboard hits they ended up being. Her first solo single `Foolish' further went to prove that this girl had what it took to be a superstar. Her voice was silky smooth and caressed the eardrums with delicate strokes. For the most part this debut builds on that foundation beautifully.

Let's take out the bad first. The first `filler' track in my humble opinion is `Leaving', a pointless spin off of the Ja Rule/Ashanti hit `Always on Time'. It's not bad, but it's not good and so it's purpose on the album is solely to get people to say "oh, maybe this one will be just as good as the song on the radio" and that is not the case (in fact `Always on Time' isn't even that great of a track to begin with). Then we have `Unfoolish', which in itself is the reason that star needed to be subtracted. The need to have a deceived rapper `remix' you're hit track is a need that needn't be fulfilled. It's corny and ridiculous. Why not have a current rapper do guest vocals? Why bother going into the archives and pull out raps that are not recorded for this song? It's just a pointless track, utterly pointless. `Dreams' is another track that I wish was excluded. It just doesn't fit with the rest of the album, not at all. It's supposed to be a motivational track but it makes me want to hit the `skip' button on the CD player.

Now, let's strip out the Intro and the three skits and we have a near perfect album of a still solid ten tracks.

Now, let's move onto the good. `Foolish' has a very nice beat, and although it was played out horrifically on the radio it is still a solid track. This track is followed by `Happy', a bouncy and infectious little ditty that makes the listener just that, happy. Even with Ja Rule spewing his mess in the first few seconds of the song it's still a very enjoyable track.

`Call' starts what I like to call `the heart of this album'. The next few tracks are what define this debut as one amazing album. The beats are strong and intricate and Ashanti's voice just shines. `Call' starts with what sounds like airport noise and then gets right into the delicate beat and Ashanti's seductive vocals. The song is brilliantly followed by `Scarred' featuring Irv Gotti who brilliantly allows Ashanti to dominate the track, adding nothing more than some background noise. The guitar laden beat is just effortlessly captivating and beautifully embellishes Ashanti's vocal arrangement. This progression of perfection is closed out with `Rescue', personally my favorite track on the album. It's just such a vulnerable track, Ashanti just baring her brazen sexuality and delivering a very seductive and intoxicating track.

Arguably Ashanti's most successful single to date follows; `Baby'. `Baby' is a very commercial and very catchy track. It was never my favorite but I can easily see why it is so beloved. I can get into it. `VooDoo' is even better. I just love the verse structure on this track. Her whispers are just so entrancing. `Movies' is a nice sweet ballad where Ashanti expresses the feelings of just about every girl alive (I assume) wanting to be just like the girls in the movies, finding their Price Charming and being swept off their feet. And then we have another definitive moment on the album, the token breakup song `Over', which surprisingly is effective and very nicely done. Her voice shine's beautifully here.

The album ends with a beautiful acappella `Thank You' which showcases Ashanti's range and talent. I wouldn't have ended it any other way.

In the end I am very impressed with this young lady's debut. It has a few filler tracks but in the end it's a very strong debut and establishes Ashanti as a major talent in the R&B world. I hope that she can top this one day because she definitely has the talent to do so. I have faith that one day she'll blow us all away. Until then at least we have a great foundation for greatness.

how can i put it politely...forget it. i cant be polite after having the misfortune of buying this load of garbage that Ashanti and the Inc folks beset on me. Out of everything on the cd the only two songs that i remotely liked "Foolish" and "Unfoolish" one using BIG's song for a sample and the other was just alright. Out of 17 songs (including a few lame as heck skits) that were better left on the cutting room floor. Having to listen Irv Gotti his way through a song as a featured artist is torturous enough. If i ever wonder why i didnt like Ashanti all i need to do is look at the cd cover and all those horrible songs will come back to me...unfortunately.

This isn't purchase worthy or download worthy either except for the two aforementioned songs. Sorry Ashanti...strike 1 please try again at a later time.

To me this is the best silk album!! its not 1 of those albums where u just like 1 or 2 of the songs and the rest of the songs suck!! Almost every song is good on here!! my five favorites are
1. lets make love
2. satisfied
3 meeting in my bedroom
4. back in my arms
5. sexcellent

I remember this album when I was in the 6th grade. My step-aunt played this album so much I became familiar with it. This album captures the heat and passion that is- just SILK. This album celebrates the return of the group from a 3 year absence of sorts, armed with arsenal of sexy songs sure to launch countless nights of heated passion for all fans over the world. Let the music move the hearts, minds and ultimately bodies for old fans and new. Silk always been setting a high standard for themselves, combining their acute street sensiblility with the intensity and maturation level of pop/R&B veterans. It is that delicate blend of heart and experience that embodies this record. This album has been certified Platinum. Remember, this was 1999.

I mean it. Seriously. This album is good from start to finish. They deliver beautiful beats with sexy silky vocals, which is Silk's trademark. Heck! Even the interludes are good! If you are a Silk fan, you will very much enjoy it. If you are new to Silk and like sexy RnB, give this a listen you won't be disappointed. Look for tracks Tonight, Meeting In My Bedroom, If You, Baby Check Your Friend and I Wonder, which is just to name a few.

I have liked Silk since they made their debut with their smash hit called "Freak Me" circa 1993. They always had an undeniable sexiness within their songs, but were they tasteful? Eh, most of the times. But there are other times where they really border explicitness. "Freak Me" can be considered tasteful, but to some, it is all out raunchy. It depends on how you view the quote, "let me lick you up and down `til you say stop." To me, it's raunchy, but I love it. Such is also the case with a song on this album called "Meeting in My Bedroom." This is a very nice song, but it is very sexually explicit. I really enjoyed this album, though. This album has a very sexual feel because there are many ballads and lots of talk about making love. The men of Silk sound really good when they perform harmony and when they break out into their solos. Little G always seems to steal the show because he delivers songs wonderfully.

"Meeting in My Bedroom" and "If You" were the two tracks which were released to radio and they did really well for they both received a nice amount of airplay. "Meeting in My Bedroom" took a little getting used to, but it is one of Silk's best songs. "If You" is an experimental number, but it worked out very well. The falsetto notes really make this risqué ballad shine, though. The production on "Let's Make Love" mimics the production on "If You" too closely, but it is still worth listening to. There are moments on this album where you will find typical R&B and average material, but there is no filler; some material is just better than other material. "Sexcellent" and "Back in My Arms" are definitely two of this album's best numbers. "Back in My Arms" is about a man who did his woman wrong, but regrets it and wants her back. Little G gives one of his best vocal performances on "Turn U Out", a song about a man showing his woman new sexual techniques.

R&B lovers, add this album to your collection, especially if sexy music gets you and your object of affection in the mood for love. However, those of you who like an album which has diverse subject matter, don't go anywhere near this album because Silk is all about setting a particular mood on this LP.

Mikeisha's Top 5

1. "Meeting in My Bedroom"
2. "If You"
3. "The Return"
4. "Satisfied"
5. "Sexcellent"

I bought this cd back in the day when it first came out. I can't front i thought it was a waste of money. Here it is 2007 and im still bumpin that very same cd now. Even tho i didn't pull it off the shelf till 03, im mad all that time i was sleeping on pure r & b at its best.

The critics on this CD said what they did. This CD is easily one of Montell's best along with More... It has more than a little something for everyone with a guest shot by Master P and Silkk the Shocker for good measure to add a little something else. Each song flows into the next with ease and style. No cursing or anything else needed just solid beats, songs and everything else is working on "Let's Ride"

Favs
"Let's Ride (f/Master P & Silkk the Shocker)
"When You Get Home"
"I Can Do That"
"One Last Chance"
"Anything & Everything"

to name a few off the top of my head. The cd is well worth the purchase price all around though. So if you don't have this one in your collection. Its a good bet to pick it up when you have the opportunity not something to be missed at all.

Let's ride on down to the music store to pick this trak up Master P and Silk Keep it real.. Bout It Bout it....

I love the way this album flows, there's a nice mix of party songs, slow songs, and introspective tracks, my favorite songs on here are "When You Get Home", "I Miss You", "Say Yes", and of course "Let's Ride", this album is almost a decade old but still bumps better than most albums out today, a must have for r&b fans

This one was not overlooked. "Let's Ride" is another one of his albums where u can slide it in the player and let it play. It starts out good and ends spiritually. It has everything for all R&B lovers - hip hop flava, smooth sexy tempos, or just a straight "How can I feel this empty space when suddenly gone" song(Track 6). If u did like any of the other albums, u should definitely - I mean - DEFINITELY buy this album and "More To Tell".

Montell's music is classy and da songs are really good. He works with his own crew and he also invites spectacular special guestz y'all. His cd is really good and he has songs dat will last a long time. Keep Up Da Good Work Montell , cuz your da man aight?

I first heard this CD back in 2000. I haven't heard it since and wanted to purchase it for my CD collection. I'm glad I did.

Ralph Tresvant is undoubtedly one of the most attractive, smooth heartthrobs in the music industry. He has this subtle sexiness about himself that women just can't deny. Further, he also has a very nice singing voice. Hey, he wasn't New Edition's lead singer for nothing! His self-titled debut, although solid, is more of a hit and miss than anything. The best songs on this album are memorable, but his more lackluster tracks really brought the album down. His biggest missteps were his rapping and that a lot of the material on his debut sound dated, with so much of the New Jack sound infused.


The New Jack sound is all over the tracks "Ordinary Guy (Public Figure)", "She's My Love Thang" and "Girl I Can't Control It." "Girl I Can't Control" is one of the weaker songs on Ralph's debut. The lyrics are corny and the production sounds like it was created within five minutes. Vocally, though, he sounds good. "Ordinary Guy (Public Figure)" is a decent song. Ralph needs to leave the rapping to the rappers, but the rap on this song? The lyrics are good. He's letting everyone who doubts him know that he is very intelligent and can do more than just hold a note. "Rated R" is the opening track, however, it's also the weakest track on the album. The production samples James Brown, he is once again rapping and there are these annoying women in the background. He definitely could have opened his album better than he did.

Ralph really had a hit on his hands with "Sensitivity". This song was a hit when it was released and it's no wonder: The lyrics are fantastic, the vocal arrangement is great, and the production is good too. This is overall a superb song. "Alright Now" is another great song. This song was co-written by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Ralph makes a great rendition of this song, and I found myself going back to listen to it several times because it's just that good. "Do What I Gotta Do" emotes a lot of pain and uncertainty. Here, Ralph is deciding whether or not he wants to end a relationship. He brings much personality to his voice in this song. "Do What I Gotta Do" is one of Ralph's all-time best songs.


Overall, this is a solid album. Ralph Tresvant is a truly talented artist and should be recognized for his vocal skills. This album is worth investing in.

Mikeisha's Top 5

1. "Alright Now"
2. "Sensitvity"
3. "Do What I Gotta Do"
4. "I Love You Just For You"
5. "Stone Cold Gentleman

My boys and I used to listen to this back in college, and sixteen years later I still bob my head and sing along when I listen to it. A couple of my favorite tracks are "She's My Love Thang" and "Love Hurts". The only reason I'm only giving it 3 stars instead of 4 or 5 is because the last 2 or 3 tracks sound like filler.

This was a great solo effort by Ralph Tresvant when he stepped outside of his New Edition comfort zone. "do what I gotta do" is my favorite track. Too bad the remix version of this song wasn't included on this CD

Sensitivity is rated 5 stars and is one of the best songs ever made. It is a classic that will not go out of style. The other songs bring the overall rating down to 4 stars.

I'm a big fan of Wyclef and it seems like over the past few years, he's music as started to become a hit or miss for me. Clef's 2003 album, The Preacher's Son was son of his best work in my opinion. However, his 2004 follow-up, Welcome To Haiti Creole 101, which was his first independent release and a tribute album to his home country, was somewhat of a disappointment to me. In 2007, after returning back to Columbia Records, which he'd left in 2002, he released The Carnival II: Memoirs Of An Immigrant. Since I loved Clef's debut album, The Carnival, I was excited about this album, since I assumed that it would be very reminiscent of The Carnival. After purchasing the album, I realized it wasn't another Carnival, but it wasn't awful. His collaborations with Paul Simon on "Fast Car" and Mary J. Blige on "What About The Baby" are without a doubt the highlights of the album. "Heaven's In New York" is also a beautifully written track that I love. However, I feel as though this album is a combination of inspirational tracks and dancehall album fillers. I was expecting not to get so many dancehall club tracks, since the original Carnival album featured none. On a more positive note, my favorite part of this album is all the inspiration and knowledge brought into the number of songs that I do like.

The limited edition of the album features a bonus disc that includes five tracks. With this added on, the album becomes better, since the bonus disc seems as though it's about as good as the whole album is. "Million Voices" and "Emmanuelle" are both beautiful and inspirational songs that will bring you chills. The remix of "Sweetest Girl" features Raekwon and samples the instrumental of The Wu-Tang Clan's "C.R.E.A.M.". It's about the richest treat a true Hip-Hop fan can get.

The songs that I do like on the album are enough for me to keep it on the CD rack, but I just wish that on his next album he'd take it back to the basics, and gives us more Hip-Hop, and less dancehall and club tracks. I'm yearning for a resurrection of that Fugee Hip-Hop and really wish he'd bring it to us.

That duet with Shakira is awful. She's amazing and he's amazing, but whenever they get together they create something way too overly produced and too bubble gum poppy... It sounds terrible... they need to STOP collaborating.

WOW! ONCE AGAIN, WYCLEFF JEAN PUTS ALL THE TRACKS WELL TOGETHER.
THE LYRICS ARE CLEAN AND INFORMATIVE AND THE RYTHM MAKES YOU WANNA MOVE...
I LOVE THE ENTIRE ALBUM! I RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE...

Despite Wyclef Jean still having no problem scoring hit singles, all his albums released after The Carnival have been pretty lackluster. Now he's trying again with Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant.

Scooter McGavin is on point with his review, but I'll say that by looking at the title alone, it appears that Clef himself realizes the quality of said albums, which is why he's possibly reverting back to his old formula. But considering that the original Carnival came out over ten years ago, the problem lies within that formula now sounding dated. But Clef isn't actually going back that far per se: there's no rapping on this album (well, not from him, anyway). The problem is the same problem he usually has: he's trying to mix too many styles at once.

The thing is, every song on this album is so different from the last that it almost makes you wonder if you're listening to a Now That's What I Call Music compilation. This is especially evidenced by the unfocused "Touch Your Button" medley, as well as the Chamillionaire-assisted "Hollywood Meets Bollywood", which is about as accessible as a Panjabi MC song. And when Clef reunites with people that helped him make hits in the past, the results don't carry that same spark. The Shakira-assisted "King & Queen" doesn't go anywhere, and "What About the Baby" (with Mary J. Blige) is just plain weird (it's a tad better than "911", but that's not saying much).

There are only four songs on here that stand out: the first two singles ("Sweetest Girl", even though it really isn't about anything, but hey, what would a hit song be without Akon and Lil' Wayne?; and "Fast Car"), and the two-in-a-row of "Any Other Day" (with Norah Jones) and "Heaven's in New York". Speaking of the latter, though, that's the only song on the whole album that doesn't feature anyone. Carnival II is better than a lot of the albums Wyclef has been releasing lately, but it can't compare to the original Carnival. Maybe he, Lauryn and Pras really should get back together and this time release an entire album instead of just a single.

Anthony Rupert

Not only can I not stop playing this album, but if you get a chance to catch him live, DO IT. He was onstage for over two hours, Akon came out to perform, his sister sang some Sam Cooke, it was the most energetic show I have ever seen. Wyclef has made an album that feels great to listen to. Pick it up!