As I sit here and listen to John Forte's last recorded album (I downloaded it yesterday) before he was sent up the river, I wonder why do so many artists who aren't really singers doing it -- rappers mainly. On a side note, John Forte's site sits comfortably @ carlysimon.com.

I wondered this as I sat around listening to the new Wyclef record, which I am reviewing for the Source. It's ambitious, bus isn't Clef always trying to be ambitious. You have these emcees who feel their messages can be conveyed better through song, yet they don't have the right things to do it without irritating folks.

And as I said in the review, what Andre of Oukast had and Wyclef doesn't have is the charisma and slick production to make people forget their lack of true vocal chops. And it doesn't help that Wyclef enlisted so many guests to maybe to balance things out. They don't always do.

I feel torn, I have supported most of Wyclef's endeavors, purchasing al his solo albums. But have been more and more underwhelming with each release. The excitement that Carnival brought and eventually satisfied, never happened again.

Don't get me wrong Preacher's Son is not bad and even reveals little glimpses of what Jean is capable of when he isn't lazy. Is the former multi-platinum group, The Fugees, doomed to never released remarkable music again? Time will tell...