In 1997, Wyclef released himself from his Fugee bonds and dropped his genre-busting, soul-rattling, pop-cum-Creole debut album, The Carnival. Ten years—and several albums—later, the Haitian MC/renaissance man sailed its sequel across the Caribbean’s—and the music industry’s—rough waters. The Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant is, like its predecessor, an explosive cocktail of catchy cosmopolitanism that’s more reflective of Wyclef’s adopted homeland than Homeland Security would like you to remember. Alternative title: Once Upon a Time in America. Besides offering the usual slew of special appearances (and the ability to make even Chamillionaire listenable), this album also serves as a reminder that, despite sometimes-disappointing sales, Clef hasn’t gone anywhere; indeed, he’s never left. With Lyfe Jennings. KEVIN CAPP

Tue., Feb. 12, 8 p.m., 2008