The next Wyclef Jean album will be called “Carnival 2″ and it’s nearly complete, the rapper revealed exclusively to andPOP while in Toronto this month.

“Carnival,” released in 1997, was Wyclef’s debut solo album, which earned him a Best Rap Album Grammy nomination. Ever since then, he has mentioned that he was working on a follow-up, but it appears its release may finally be upon us.

“‘Carnival 2′ is going to be crazy,” Wyclef told andPOP. “It’s going to be the wildest piece of material that you’ve heard from Wyclef since the ‘Carnival’ as a whole piece of music.”

Jean said a big focus has been on writing and musical arrangement.

“I’m like the hip-hop Amadeus,” he said. “Like Dershawin, I’m going to write a lot of crazy arrangements.”

Jerry Wonder, Clef’s longtime producer, couldn’t hold back his excitement for “Carnival 2.”

“Wait ’till you get the 2,” he said. “It’s sort of the same concept as ‘Carnival’ but it’s like the 2020 version.”

Wonder revealed that some of the guests from the first album will be back, perhaps even Lauryn Hill.

Speaking of Hill, what is going on with the Fugees reunion? When Wyclef, Lauryn and Pras hit the studio, they released one single, and another track was leaked, but nothing else has been released since.

Speaking briefly about the Fugees, Jean’s tone didn’t sound too optimistic.

“Tell them hurry up. I’m moving. They gotta get with it,” he said.

“We tryin,’” added Wonder. “It’s probably going to happen but everybody’s busy.”






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