One time. One time. Now Wyclef Jean makes it two times with his second solo album. The rest of the albums this week all wonder if they'll be sampled by the Fulminous Fugee in the future.

Wyclef Jean
The Ecleftic: 2

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Sides II a Book
Ruffhouse/Columbia
On his sprightly skankin' new single, Wyclef Jean lists a variety of luxuries he has accrued during his career as a Fugee and a big solo star, only to be chastised by the WWF's own Rock in "It Doesn't Matter." Here's hoping that the perpetually mutating hip-hop landscape doesn't react similarly to the panoply of mixed-and-matched styles in Jean's second solo album.

Buju Banton
Unchained Spirit
Anti/Epitaph
How far has Banton come since "Boom Bye Bye," that infectious dancehall exhortation to kill homosexuals? Very far, as this debut album for the neo-punk label Epitaph finds the raspy-voiced dancehall warrior balancing righteousness and tolerance.

Bob Carlisle
Nothing but the Truth
Diadem
Remember the creepy "Butterfly Kisses," in which a dad sings the praises of his growing daughter with a nearly erotic subtext? Bob Carlisle had an enormous mainstream hit with "Kisses" in 1997, but has floundered since. Perhaps the lush likes of "Heaven" and "River of Peace" will restore this Christian singer to middle-of-the-road glory. Or perhaps not.

Elastica
The Menace
Atlantic
Justine Frischmann says she called the long-awaited second Elastica album The Menace "because that's what it was like to make." No kidding! Five years is a hell of a long time for a follow-up to such an immediately arresting debut, but in truth, The Menace was actually recorded in a marathon six-week sprint after several passes over several years. Indeed, the record does not seem at all labored, from the spiky "How He Wrote Elastica Man" (recorded with the Fall's Mark E. Smith), the diffident "Nothing Stays the Same," several icy, Kraftwerk-esque soundscapes, and the "Connection"-reminiscent "Mad Dog" and "Generator."

Various Artists
Deep Porn
Hardcorps/Oglio
Famous musicians and normal dudes alike enjoy female porn stars. The difference is that the rock and rap dudes get to spend more, shall we say, quality time with them than your average schlubs. Hence Deep Porn, which finds Kid Rock, DJ Larceny, and George Clinton, ahem, "joining" with the likes of Midori (Jody Watley's sister), Johnnie Black, and Shayla Laveaux.

(hed)pe
broke
Jive
This rappin' and riffin' band released its first efforts before rap/metal became the choice of teenagers all over the land. In (hed)pe's case, what ain't broke need not be fixed, particularly if there's a chance that that same brokenness may result in the bank being broken big-time.

Chris Knox
Beat
Thirsty Ear
New Zealand songwriter Knox has remained the toast of indie-pop partisans since the 1980s. Beat demonstrates his dogged consistency.

Spring Heel Jack
Disappeared
Thirsty Ear
What can account for the prolific output of this British drum and bass institution? (Disappeared is its third album this year alone.) Could it be that that New England ska act Spring Heeled Jack has dropped out of sight, and Spring Heel Jack does not need to spend time distinguishing itself anymore?

Thievery Corporation
The Mirror Conspiracy
Eighteenth Street Lounge/Beggars Banquet)
Washington, D.C.-area "lounge" music alchemists the Thievery Corporation throw in one retro style after another into their cauldron, and what emerges is faultless groovalicious-ness.

Dar Williams
The Green World
Razor & Tie
Folk fans go ga-ga-goo-goo for Williams, a singer/songwriter untouched by every pop-music development since Joan Baez was the hottest new artist in the land. Is it any wonder that Baez has endorsed Williams as her heir apparent?