Additional information
Personnel includes: Wyclef Jean (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); Melky Sedeck (vocals, keyboards); Sharissa, Tom Jones, Claudette Ortiz (vocals); Governor, Prolific, M.O.P., Miri, Ja Rah Rah, Bumpy Knuckles (rap vocals); Eric Edwards (spoken vocals); Robert Aaron (saxophone, keyboards); Teflon (keyboards, background vocals); Shea Taylor (keyboards); Cory Rooney (string synthesizer); Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis (bass); Donald Guillaume (drums). Producers include: Wycef Jean, Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis, Melky Sedeck, Teflon, Ed Roc. Recorded at Platinum Sound, The Hit Factory, New York, New York; Record Plant, Los Angles, California; Hans Tonstudios, Berlin, Germany. Continuing to build on a wildly eclectic solo career that's taken him far beyond the success of The Fugees, Wyclef Jean uses his third album MASQUERADE to weave a message of social consciousness laced with hard-edged hip-hop nuances. Utilizing the concept of these tracks emanating from the fictitious pirate radio station HOT 93.1, Jean decries selling crack as a way out of poverty ("Peace God"), pays tribute to his recently deceased father (the reggae-driven "War No More") and life in the projects ("PJs," featuring Governor and Prolific). Wyclef's interest in a broad range of music finds him giving props to Biggie, Tupac, Aaliyah, and victims of 9/11 with Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," turning Frankie Valli's "Oh What A Night" into an updated party jam and loving the ladies alongside Tom Jones on a waltz-like "Pussycat." The Haitian singer-songwriter teams with City High's Claudette Ortiz on the soulful original "Two Wrongs," gets thuggish and ruggish with Butch Cassidy and Sharissa on "Keep It Gangsta" and throws down with Brooklyn's hard-core M.O.P. on the stripped-down title cut. The only MASQUERADE perpetuated with this progressive mix of R&B, rock, and rap is that of Wyclef Jean being an easily pigeonholed pop artist.
Reviews
Rolling Stone (7/11/02, p.110) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Entertaining..." Vibe (7/02, pp.133-4) - 3 discs out of 5 - "...Marks an ostensible return to the streets for Clef....he continues to be the expectation-defying powerhouse he thinks he should be..." Mojo (Publisher) (1/03, p.73) - Ranked #7 in Mojo's "Best Urban Albums of 2002" NME (Magazine) (6/22/02, p.53) - 8 out of 10 - "...MASQUERADE can't help but be his most meditative album yet. It's also his best...Warmth, wit and a timeless blend of songwriting styles are rare, and they're Wyclef's business. A mighty ego-free album that doesn't need to shout to be heard." NME (Magazine) (6/22/02, p.53) - 8 out of 10 - "...MASQUERADE can't help but be his most meditative album yet. It's also his best...Warmth, wit and a timeless blend of songwriting styles are rare, and they're Wyclef's business. A mighty ego-free album that doesn't need to shout to be heard."
