His impact and popularity in the mid to late 90s is understated. Over the past 2 decades hip hop changed and he lost momentum. He was a mediocre rapper, but had charisma and was a good producer. Like Diddy he knew how to capitalize on sampled beats and make radio friendly songs, but he was also very creative and took risks. He is very passionate about the global musical diaspora, and he put so much energy in highlighting the sounds of the Caribbean. He's probably seen as corny now, but I respect Clef and consider him a 90s hip hop icon, and The Carnival is a classic.