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Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant

(2007, Hip-hop, by Wyclef Jean, Label: Columbia)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 12, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 12.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Smart lyrical mix of rock, rap, and soca soul.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 12–14

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Touches on topics such as prostitution, immigration, family separation, urban violence, and war.
  • Violence:

    Some reference to urban violence, drive-by shootings, war, but nothing explicit.
  • Sex:

    Some sexual content: "sniffing a bone/for the right guy she'd go deeper than a baritone" and references to prostitution: "closed legs don't get fed/go out there and make my bread."
  • Language:

    No explicit curse words or vulgar language; occasional reference to prostitution ("pimps," "turning tricks").
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Nothing explicit; one reference to "pass me a cold drink."
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant

Parents need to know that this album touches on several gown-up subjects such as immigration, urban violence, prostitution, and war, but does so with maturity and intelligence. The lyrics never tread into the obscene or vulgar realm.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about artists breaking out on their own and being successful. Is it better to keep your band's sound, create your own, or blend the two together? How do you market yourself differently? Families can also talk about some of the CD's themes. What could make someone resort to violence or prostitution? What could or should be done to change that?

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in Iowa
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    Amazing album

    This is depressing to me that this site can put this album down at all. Wyclef is an amazing humanitarian and obvious christian who just tries to help people. all bad things you said about him in the review were things he was also condeming. for the sex part, he was saying how sad it was a woman would do that and how hard and cruel pimps are. War and violence are a fact of life so how could he not mention it when talking about big issues witht the world? Pimps and turning tricks are words to describe something. not a swear word at all just waht they are. I am extrememly dissapointed in common sense's review and have lost all credibility for the site. Now i'll go listen to T.I. and Young Jeezy to see if they are as bad as you say they are.

  2. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 4.0

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