{^The Score} was one of those rare {\hip-hop} albums that came out of nowhere and rewrote the rules. In the aftermath of its success, many pundits predicted that {\rap} would move away from {\gangsta} and toward a richer, more varied existence. Given such heady praise, perhaps it was reasonable that {$Wyclef Jean}, the guitarist and male rapper for {$the Fugees}, decided to follow {^The Score} with a solo project. However, {^Presents the Carnival} comes across like {$Jean} presenting his case that he is the true genius in {$the Fugees}. And he's partially right. He has the ambition and drive common to many great artists, but he lacks the skills to fulfill his vision. Of course, the very fact that he has an original vision makes {$Jean} one of the more compelling figures of late-'90s {\hip-hop}. Not content to rely solely on {\hip-hop}, {$Jean} adds all manners of influences to his music. You can hear {\reggae}, {\soul}, {\disco}, Caribbean rhythms, {\worldbeat}, and {\opera} scattered throughout {^The Carnival}, giving the record the riotous atmosphere of its title. Even so, {$Jean} occasionally tries too hard, forcing disparate genres to mix and spending more time on production than songwriting. But even with all its faults, {^The Carnival} delivers great thrills when operating at full strength, demonstrating that {$Jean} is at least half a genius. [{^The Carnival} was also released in a "clean" edition, containing no profanities or vulgarities.] ~ Leo Stanley, All Music Guide