Wyclef Jean’s new mixtape, Toussaint St. Jean: From the Hut, To the Projects, To the Mansion, opens with an amusing anecdote: Clef is mistaken for will.i.am by an autograph-seeking fan. While the line is intended as a self-aware acknowledgement of his decreased cultural relevance, the comparison also reveals everything that makes Wyclef Jean a unique yet exasperating talent. Where Wyclef’s music is intelligent and thoughtful, half of The Black Eyed Peas catalog is made up of baby talk (Let’s Get Retarded indeed.) Yet where will.i.am trumps Clef is in artistic reinvention. For all of Clef’s diversity, every new album feels warily familiar. There’s the emphasis on autobiographical narrative, the heavy-handed social commentary, and the hopeless mission to rewrite Redemption Song. Nevertheless, like most of Wyclef’s albums, Toussaint St. Jean: From the Hut, To the Projects, To the Mansion features a few great tunes, notably the harrowing You Don’t Wanna Go Outside and the Cyndi Lauper assisted Slumdog Millionaires. As a producer, rapper, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, Wyclef has been the driving creative force behind some transcendent musical moments, from The Score to Shakira’s mega hit Hips Don’t Lie. He’s also the dude who burned his fingers trying to light his guitar on fire at Woodstock ’99, an unintentionally hilarious episode that encapsulated all that was wrong with that festival of horrors. Ten years and five albums later, we find Wyclef seeking to present his music to a new generation of fans. The problem is that he is literally trying to reintroduce himself without any attempt at self-reinvention. The end result is an album that features some strong material, but is unlikely to change anyone’s mind about Wyclef Jean.
Key Tracks: Slumdog Millionaires, You Don’t Wanna Go Outside, Toussaint Vs. Bishop
Moods: Eclectic, Defiant, Thoughtful, Dramatic, Lively, Stylish
Buy: Toussaint St. Jean: From the Hut, To the Projects, To the Mansion
related
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- Officials Deny Wyclef Jean Chance at Haitian Presidency
- Wyclef Will Contest his Rejection by the Haitian Electoral Commission
