The Ecleftic: An exercise in diversification
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After an abscence of nearly three years,
Wyclef Jean once again storms the music scene with the release of
his new album "The Ecleftic" this August 23. Tackling various
rhythms, Wyclef produces gem after gem showcasing his great talent
of eclectic hip-hop. In the first song of the album: "Where Fugees
at?" Wyclef uses his trademark rap/hip-hop to explain how hard it
has been to get a record deal since the break up of the Fugees.
Surprise to some of you! But yes unfortunately, the Super Group
Fuggees has split.
He also uses the track to send a message
to Lauryn Hill and Pras asking them to contact him at the "booga
basement" where he is supposedly located working on record deals.
Wyclef tries to explain in the song that he would like to see the
Fugees reunited just like old times. The lyrics of "The
Ecleftic" are very powerful, and the style of the tracks is
as diverse as possible. Many of the songs combine different musical
genres and that is what gives to them their uniqueness, what sets
Wyclef's blend of hip hop apart from the regular.
The album is also a cry for change,
a description of the criminal acts that have been taking place around
the world. It focuses especially on police brutality, where the
artist describes common situations where many blacks have been thrown
to jail. In the "Thug Angel" track, Wyclef refers to racial
profiling as a black man in a "beema" being pursued by the police
leaving him but two choices, since he was not perfectly "clean"
of all crimes. The driver was either to speed up and become one
of "America's most wanted" or slow down and wind up in jail for
any tiny offense he may have committed. The
artist painted the situation on a Saturday and sresses that if the
driver were to go to jail, since it was a holiday weekend, he would
not get out until Tuesday. The situation presented in the track
also points out a failure in the judicial system as a man may have
to spend more than 48 hours in jail before appearing before a judge
and be formally charged.
The album also features a track named
after the young man who fell victim to 41 police bullets in the
Bronx: "Diallo". This may be one of the most moving songs
that Wyclef has ever produced as he describes the murder, as he
believes it has taken place. The song starts with the voice of Youssou
N'Dour imitating Diallo and a possible monologue he may have been
having as he was entering his home, looking for his keys as he noticed
the lights of the van. His first thought was that he was going to
be robbed and so took his wallet out as to just give the money away
and maybe save his life. As he realized he was being approached
by New York's finest, the poor innocent sighed " Oh! It's the police,
let me show them my ID so they know I am good people", and those
were his last words before the shooting took place. The album is
very descriptive and straightforward especially in the Diallo track
where the police are referred to as Vampires. In the track, Wyclef
says that he is not looking for peace but equal rights and justice.
The style, the lyrics and vocals of
this album are as tight as ever. This album also marks a return
to the basics for Wyclef since his Carnival album. Rhythm and melody
are tight on every tune. Wyclef Jean again shows that he is more
tha just a rapper , he is an accomplished musician. This album is
a technical masterpiece while offering some catchy tunes.
It is bound to become a best seller. If the Academy takes notice,
Watch out for The Ecleftic at the Grammys.
Listen to samples from "The
Ecleftic" and grap your copy on Amazon.com.
Where
Fugees at?
Thug
Angels (Featuring Small World)
Other CDs by Wyclef and the Fugees:
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