Wyclef Jean returns to the 'Carnival'

NEW YORK, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- American hip-hop and pop auteur Wyclef Jean revisits his past, in a sense, on his latest album.

"Carnival Vol. II ... Memoirs of An Immigrant" echoes Jean's multiplatinum 1997 "Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival ...," his first solo album outside of his group, the Fugees, in its lyrical themes and in its approach as a "world beat, eclectic hip-hop CD." It also features numerous high-profile guests, including Paul Simon, Norah Jones, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Akon, rock singer Serj Tankian and rappers Chamillionaire and Lil Wayne.

"I was just trying to continue the legacy of 'Carnival I,' " Jean said. "I wanted to take all of the things that have influenced me in the past 10 years after 'Carnival' and see if it could knit them through a CD."

The first single from "Carnival Vol. II" is "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)." Jean plans to kick off a concert tour in early 2008.