The Carnival

The Carnival

"The Carnival" is the debut album released by hip hop musician Wyclef Jean. Released on June 24, 1997, Jean also served as the album's executive producer. The album encompasses many musical genres, including hip hop, reggae, folk, disco, soul, Son Cubano and Haitian music. The album features guest appearances from Celia Cruz, The Neville Brothers and Jean's bandmates from The Fugees, Lauryn Hill and Pras. The Carnival spawned the singles "Gone Till November", "We Trying to Stay Alive", "Guantanamera" and "To All the Girls". The album features skits between many of its songs, most of them set in a fictional trial for Wyclef Jean, in which he is accused of being "a player" and a "bad influence". The final three songs on the album are sung in Haitian Creole. The album sold over 5 million copies worldwide, and was RIAA certified 2x Platinum. In 2005, comedian Chris Rock ranked it 16th on his list of the Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums ever.