The Carnival
Encyclopedia
"The Carnival" is the debut album released by hip hop
writer 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.
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
writer Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
. Released on June 24, 1997, Jean also served as the album's executive producer. The album encompasses many musical genres, including hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, Son Cubano and Haitian music
Music of Haiti
The music of Haiti is influenced mostly by Europe, colonial ties, and African migration through slavery. European musical influence derived primarily from the French and by the Spanish-infused influence of Cuba and the bordering Dominican Republic. Styles unique to Haiti include music derived from...
. The album features guest appearances from Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer, and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums...
, The Neville Brothers
The Neville Brothers
The Neville Brothers, an American R&B and soul group, was formed in 1977 in New Orleans, Louisiana.-History:The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art , Charles , Aaron , and Cyril The Neville Brothers, an American R&B and soul group, was formed in 1977 in...
and Jean's bandmates from The Fugees
The Fugees
Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
, Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
and Pras
Pras
Prakazrel Samuel Michel, known as Pras, is a Grammy Award-winning Haitian-American rapper, actor, film producer, and member of the hip hop trio The Fugees.-Early life:...
. The Carnival spawned the singles "Gone Till November
Gone till November
"Gone till November" is the third single released from Wyclef Jean's debut solo album, The Carnival. It entered the UK Singles Chart at #3, its highest chart position, and went on to spend nine weeks on the chart. The song was also successful in the US, where it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100...
", "We Trying to Stay Alive
We Trying to Stay Alive
"We Trying to Stay Alive" is the first single released from Wyclef Jean's debut solo album, The Carnival. The song samples the 1977 Bee Gees hit "Stayin' Alive", and features raps by Method Man and Andre 3000. It entered the UK Singles Chart at #13, its highest chart position, and went on to spend...
", "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
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. In 2005, comedian Chris Rock
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
ranked it 16th on his list of the Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums ever.
Tracklisting
Album
| Year | Single | Chart | Top position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | The Carnival | The Billboard 200 | 16 |
| Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 4 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Top position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "We Trying to Stay Alive We Trying to Stay Alive "We Trying to Stay Alive" is the first single released from Wyclef Jean's debut solo album, The Carnival. The song samples the 1977 Bee Gees hit "Stayin' Alive", and features raps by Method Man and Andre 3000. It entered the UK Singles Chart at #13, its highest chart position, and went on to spend... " |
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 14 |
| Hot Rap Singles | 3 | ||
| The Billboard Hot 100 | 45 | ||
| "Guantanamera" | Latin Pop Airplay | 16 | |
| Latin Tropical/Salsa Airplay | 12 | ||
| 1998 | "Cheated (To All the Girls)" | Hot Rap Singles | 6 |
| "Gone till November Gone till November "Gone till November" is the third single released from Wyclef Jean's debut solo album, The Carnival. It entered the UK Singles Chart at #3, its highest chart position, and went on to spend nine weeks on the chart. The song was also successful in the US, where it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100... " |
Canadian Singles Chart | 4 | |
| Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 1 | ||
| Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 9 | ||
| Hot Rap Singles | 2 | ||
| Rhythmic Top 40 | 19 | ||
| The Billboard Hot 100 | 7 | ||
| UK Singles Chart | 3 | ||
| "To All the Girls" | Canadian Singles Chart | 19 | |
| Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 48 | ||
| The Billboard Hot 100 | 61 |
Personnel
- Wyclef JeanWyclef JeanWyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
- guitar, keyboards - Rita MarleyRita MarleyAlpharita Constantia Anderson , better known as Rita Marley, and sometimes called "Nana Rita", is the widow of reggae legend/musician Bob Marley, and a member of the trio the I Threes, Bob Marley's backup singers.-Biography:...
- background vocals - Judy MowattJudy MowattJudy Mowatt was born in the year 1948 in Gordon Town, St. Andrew Jamaica. She is an internationally acclaimed reggae artist who rose to fame as 1/3 of the trio the I THREE who were the Back-Ground vocalists for Bob Marley.-Biography:...
- background vocals - Marcia GriffithsMarcia GriffithsMarcia Llyneth Griffiths is a successful female singer, also called the "Queen of Reggae". One reviewer described her noting "she is known primarily for her strong, smooth-as-mousse love songs and captivating live performances".Griffiths started her career in 1964...
- background vocals - Sonny Kompanek - Arranger
- Salaam RemiSalaam RemiSalaam Remi Gibbs, better known as Salaam Remi, is a hip hop producer and keyboard player, known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, and his reggae-tinged approach to production...
- Producer, Engineer, Mixing - Warren Riker - Mastering, Mixing
- Rudy - Assistant Engineer
- DJ SkribbleDJ SkribbleDJ Skribble is an Italian-American DJ, producer, remixer, radio personality and actor.In the early 1990s he teamed up with Kamron, ATA, Firstborn, and Tommy Never in Young Black Teenagers, who released two albums before splitting up.In 1996 he worked with Bill Irwin on the musical Hip Hop Wonderland...
- Scratching - Funkmaster FlexFunkmaster FlexAston George Taylor, Jr. better known as Funkmaster Flex is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, musician and producer on New York City's Hot 97 radio station and host of the hit MTV show Funk Flex Full Throttle....
- Scratching - Crazy Sam & Da Verbal Assassins - Performer
- Manuel Lecuona - Mastering
- Rawle Gittens - Mixing Assistant
- Tony Gonzales - Assistant Engineer
- Lauryn HillLauryn HillLauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
- Arranger, Performer, Executive Producer - Jerry DuplessisJerry DuplessisJerry 'Wonder' Duplessis is a Grammy Award nominated Haitian-born musical composer and record producer. His first major success was as producer for The Fugees' 1996 album The Score. He also played the bass guitar with The Fugees, and band member Wyclef Jean is his cousin.-Early Life:Jerry 'Wonda'...
- Guitar, Bass, Producer - Alex Olsson - Mixing Assistant
- John FortéJohn FortéJohn Forté is a Grammy-nominated American recording artist, composer, music producer, educator and activist. He achieved fame while writing, producing and performing with the celebrated hip hop group The Fugees during the 1990’s, and has released four solo albums, including his most recent effort,...
- Performer - Jay Nicholas - Mixing Assistant
- PrasPrasPrakazrel Samuel Michel, known as Pras, is a Grammy Award-winning Haitian-American rapper, actor, film producer, and member of the hip hop trio The Fugees.-Early life:...
- Performer, Executive Producer - Melky SedeckMelky SedeckMelky Sedeck is a Haitian-American R&B hip hop sibling duo. The name of the group is drawn from the names of singer Blandinna Melky Jean and her multi-instrumentalist brother Farel Sedeck Guerschom Jean. The name of the group is an allusion to Melchizedek, a figure from Christian and Jewish...
- Performer - New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Performer
- Tomas Muscionico - Photography
- Mike RoachMike RoachMichael Stephen "Mike" Roach was a professional baseball catcher who played for the Washington Senators in ....
- Mixing Assistant - Storm Jefferson - Mixing Assistant
- Paul Epworth - Assistant Engineer
- Brian Dozoretz - Engineer, Mixing Assistant
- Jocelyne BéroardJocelyne BéroardJocelyne Béroard is a Martinican singer and songwriter born in 1954. She is one of the lead singers of the band Kassav' and as a solo artist helped popularize zouk, a music created by KASSAV. The main members are from Guadeloupe and Martinique.-Biography:...
- Performer - Sweet MickySweet MickyMichel Joseph Martelly , also known by his stage name "Sweet Micky", is a Haitian politician, former musician and businessman, currently the incumbent President of Haiti....
- Performer - The Neville BrothersThe Neville BrothersThe Neville Brothers, an American R&B and soul group, was formed in 1977 in New Orleans, Louisiana.-History:The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art , Charles , Aaron , and Cyril The Neville Brothers, an American R&B and soul group, was formed in 1977 in...
- Performer - Celia CruzCelia CruzCelia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer, and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums...
- Performer