Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant

Review

Common Sense Media says

Smart lyrical mix of rock, rap, and soca soul.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

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.

  • Positive messages0
    Touches on topics such as prostitution, immigration, family separation, urban violence, and war.
  • Violence3
    Some reference to urban violence, drive-by shootings, war, but nothing explicit.
  • Sex3
    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."
  • Language0
    No explicit curse words or vulgar language; occasional reference to prostitution ("pimps," "turning tricks").
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Nothing explicit; one reference to "pass me a cold drink."
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What's the story?

CARNIVAL VOL. II: MEMOIRS OF AN IMMIGRANT is the long-awaited sequel to 1997's The Carnival. Although Wyclef Jean put out other albums in between, he has come full circle with this electrifying mix of eclectic world sounds (rock, reggae, hip-hop, and soca soul) to create a classic. There are some racy lyrics, but they're smart and don't overshadow the intoxicating blend of music and overall intent of the album. In "Fast Car" hip-hop and an acoustic guitar make for a haunting duet with legend Paul Simon ("when that fast car picks you up/you will have no choice/you may hear the tires scream/but you will have no voice/when that fast car picks you up/you will meet that smile and see heaven in the headlights mile after mile").

Is it any good?

 

With the help of other major artists (Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Norah Jones, and Paul Simon), this Haitian-born Grammy winner spins tales of otherwise dicey topics in a non-offensive, but honest way that can encourage a positive dialog between kids and parents.

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What 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?

This review was written by Jessica Dawson
Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
 
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.
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
 
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (8) | Had useful details (8) | Read my mind (12)
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This review was written by Jessica Dawson
Artist:Wyclef Jean
Release date:December 4, 2007
Label:Columbia
Genre:Hip-hop
Parental advisory:No
This review was written by Jessica Dawson
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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