"Kenny Rogers & Pharoahe Monch Dub Plate" features a guest appearance from Kenny Rogers, contributing a variation of the chorus from his 1978 number-one hit "The Gambler." Track 14 "However You Want It" is a response to Canibus for the remarks he made about him on his album 2000 B.C. (Before Can-I-Bus). Track 18, "Bus Search", is a spoken-word mini drama, in which Jean's tour bus is stopped by two Police officers, one of whom threatens to make them empty the bus' contents unless they play him something by Pink Floyd. The following track is a cover of the latter's "Wish You Were Here", overlaid with Jean rapping about the band.
Nathan Rabin from The A.V. Club wrote that The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book "shows Jean at the top of his game, creating music that equals and often surpasses his groundbreaking work with The Fugees. The past few years have seen brilliant artists stretching the boundaries of what hip-hop can be and do, from Mos Def and Talib Kweli to Dead Prez to Lauryn Hill, but The Ecleftic confirms Jean's nearly unparalleled talent and boundless ambition."[11]Rolling Stone critic Kris Ex found that "with this album, [Jean]'s re-established himself as a musician, producer, writer, arranger and personality who is both of hip-hop and bigger than it. He knows rap fans might doubt his intentions [...] Clef may be a flirt – cavorting with pop music for Grammys and mainstream appeal – but The Ecleftic shows without question where home and his heart are."[9] Michael Paoletta Billboard felt that although not as "cohesive as Jean's Carnival, The Ecleftic spins a compelling tale of a hip-hop superstar who defies convention."[12]
AllMusic editor Diana Potts rated the album three and a half starts out of five. She wrote: "On Ecleftic, Wyclef comes full-fisted with commentary on the police system, urban ills, and stereotypes. Though some are merited, after the first dozen they lose their impact and are swallowed by catchy beats. Overall, another commentary and playfully meticulous production by Wyclef, who has struggled to separate himself from the Fugees. It is clear, with a good retrospective listen, how much Wyclef's production style was a large part of the praised trio. With The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book, Wyclef takes another strong step toward solidifying his own identity."[6] Tom Sinclair from Entertainment Weekly found that on The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book "Wyclef Jean sounds like he’s having too much of a ball refashioning himself as a new jack renaissance man to concern himself with a Fugees reunion. Still, he can’t resist starting a little mischief [...] Right now, though, he’s digging his way out of his own pigeonhole, armed with a guitar and a restless imagination. And it’s a beautiful thing."[13]
Commercial performance
The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 selling 95,400 copies in its first week.[14] The album also peaked at number three on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. On August 31, 2001, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over a million copies in the United States.
In the UK, the album peaked at number five on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for denoting sales of 60,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[15]
Track listing
The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book– Standard edition
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
Length
1.
"Columbia Records" (featuring James Bean, Hiro Tahara, and Varshini Soobiah)
