Wyclef Jean Album: “Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book”

In an age of tightly formatted radio and niche marketing, it is rare to find an artist who crosses all boundaries, and shatters all preconceptions and simply makes music. There's hardly a musical genre that doesn't get thrown into the mix, and there's hardly a song on this album that isn't bangin'. Wyclef is a product of hip-hop, and as such, this record an amazing statement about the power of the music and the culture and how far it was come. Kenny Rogers puttin' it down over a slightly rocked out reworking of the "Simon Says" beat? But it works. Amazingly enough, the best tracks on here are the ones that take the greatest chances, straying furthest away from traditional hip hop. "911" with Mary J. Blige is essentially a pop/rock ballad, that Clef sings like a Calypso folk song. To round out the mix, Mary throws down with a straight soul workout. Clef makes an incredible nod to 70s funk/soul on "Runaway" with Earth Wind and Fire adding just a little more authenticity (not to mention what still might be the tightest horn section in the buisiness). "Diallo" is equal parts blues, folk and calypso and showcases Clef's growth as a songwriter. There's even a remake of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" which Wyclef manages to put his stamp on while maintaining the tone of the original. The cut that took me the longest to appreciate is "Perfect Gentleman". Classical stings backed by an eccelerated techno beat, and lyrics about a stripper? At first it's easy to write the song off as a musical joke of sorts, but after a few listens it starts to sink in. It is a real song, carefully constructed musically, and with lyrical heart. This album is a must for any true music fan.

why can't yall do it like this here? do you see what a little time and skill can do for a man? this here is a reveal-looshin! this a release of finominal pereportions a feast of music and a peace of mind this is songs in key life this is ecleftic . and to think i doubted him thankyou wyclef thankyou tell these emceestake a class and check this book out justin l@quane.

I was really impressed with this album. Its like Wyclef Jean has a complete change through is CD. He changes his whole style through this CD. From the serious 911 to the hilarious Low Income. Wyclef really knows what he's doing here. The first song, Columbia Records, isn't really a song. Its about Wyclef's battle to put out a solo record. Where Fugees At? is an incredibly good song, with a nice background. I really liked the third song, it blended Kenny Rogers country background and the hip-hop of Pharoahe Monche. Thug Angels is another very good song with a crazy "interlude" in the middle. Wyclef's most popular song, It Doesn't Matter(it was popular because of guess who) isn't brilliant but it has a really good beat and it makes you want to dance. 911, another popular song, is good but Wyclef singing next to Mary J. Blige is not a very good comparison. Pullin Me In and Da Cypha, were really the only songs I didn't like. They sounded very repetitive. Runaway was great. With earth, wind, and fire providing the background and the wonderful voice of the Product G&B providing the vocals, this was a great song. LIsten to it all the way through, Wyclef has a neat guitar solo at the end. Here is where the CD changes to mostly jokes. Red Light DIstrict is a skit(guess what about). Perfect Gentlemen is about a girl who strips and I don't even know what Low Income is about. The rest of these songs are not jokes, but they were jumbled and it seemed like Wyclef ran out of things to say. Personally, I think that the CD should've ended after Low Income, but add Something About Mary. BUy this CD, its a good one.

Wyclef and the Refugee Camp hold a cross-genre fan base, being one of the influences of the hip hop world that can truly be said to have very high level of acceptance and support from non-hip-hop heads. Eleftic demonstraits why this is so beautifully. Wyclef comes with a strong album sporting an array of music that is as diverse as it is well crafted. Inspirations from classic rock, regae, soul, R&B, Dance and many other sources are noticable all over the album while successfully maintaing a very hip hop feel throughout the entire thing. This genre balancing act can be tricky but Wyclef does this wonderfully, and possibly even better than on his last solo album. The lyrics and rhymes range from not bad, to pretty good, and the singing is good as well. But the real star here is the music. The beats are diverse and enjoyable and will satisfy almost anyone. Songs like "wish you were here", "Run away", "911", "Doesnt matter", and "pulling me in" all sport styles that are different and have unique flavors to them and "Diallo Diallo" showcases wyclef's social conscious edge to his work.

All things considered some hip hop heads will argue that there isn't enough rap, or that it doesn't suit thier tastes. But Ecleftic can hold a rare title of being "hip hop for people who dont really like hip hop". And for me, and many other hip hop fans, elecftic will represent something different and a little innovative with great production work. Beats catchy enough to make you bob your head and enough soul to make you want to sing along, and plenty of culture - Wyclef proves once again on Ecleftic that hip hop is an artform that can be effectively used as glue to hold together many elements of several different musical genres at the same time, and bring it all together in a melody that's different pieces oddly compliment one another beautifully.

With all of the samples Puffy's thrown into the hip-hop mix, the notion of a hip-hop artist covering a classic Pink Floyd track is hardly the novelty it might have been five or ten years ago. The difference, though, is that rather than "borrowing" the hook from a well-known radio pop hit, Wyclef has delivered a reverent and meaningful cover of a song that much of today's music-buying public probably don't know.

Of course, one need not wait until "Wish you were here," the last track on the disc, to realize that 'Clef is, as advertised, truly eclectic. The Kenny Rogers dub plate, where Clef and KR himself mess around with the classic track "The Gambler," should clue listeners in right away.

Even when he sticks to hip-hop, Wyclef runs the gamut from Dirty South to Gangsta to Smooth R&B to Political Protest and hits a little bit of everything in between, all with considerable skill. And of course, there's plenty of Caribbean spice flavoring the disc as a whole. People assuming that someone with pop-crossover appeal will be bringing some watered-down, weak tracks to the party will be surprised and confused, as this disc is full of solid cuts.

Lyrics? As always: cutting, topical, and hilarious. It's hard to imagine that people can still make a buck working the old "throw your hands in the air/and wave 'em like you just don't care" cliches when 'Clef offers words that are by turns moving and passionate or just so damn funny you have to back the CD up and hear the line again.

While "Ecleftic" will naturally appeal to hip-hop fans first and foremost, its biggest fans should be those who consider their own musical tastes to be eclectic. If your Enya CD is sandwiched between Public Enemy and Led Zeppelin in your CD player, or if your tastes are similarly diverse, this disc should provide many many hours of musical entertainment.

Those people who are unfortunate enough to only appreciate one style of music may still enjoy this, but the real genius of it will be lost on them.