Wyclef Jean

Posted on 07.28.2002

Wyclef Jean
Birthday: October 17, 1972
The Fugees

Wyclef Jean Biography:
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian-born rapper, producer and former member of the superstar hip hop trio The Fugees, known now for a series of high-profile hit singles. Born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, Wyclef Jean moved to Brooklyn when he was nine, then to New Jersey, where he began playing the guitar and studying jazz in high school. In 1987, Wyclef Jean, his cousin Prakazrel Michel (Pras) and his classmate, Lauryn Hill, formed a group called the Tranzlator Crew before becoming The Fugees. Wyclef worked as a cabdriver.

The Fugees signed to Ruffhouse Records and released their debut, Blunted on Reality, but the album was panned and sold poorly. Their eclectic follow-up, The Score, however, sold over 17 million copies worldwide and turned the trio into international superstars.

Jean soon announced plans to begin a solo career with 1997’s Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars (more typically called simply The Carnival).
The album’s guests included Hill and Pras along with Wyclef Jean’s siblings, the I Threes (back-up vocals for Bob Marley), Neville Brothers and Celia Cruz. The album was a major hit, as were two singles : "We Trying to Stay Alive" (adapted from The Bee Gees’ "Stayin’ Alive") and "Gone Til November" (recorded with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra).

Wyclef Jean went on to work with artists including Santana, Tevin Campbell, Cypress Hill, Bounty Killer, Whitney Houston, Destiny’s Child, Sublime, Simply Red, Mya, Sinéad O’Connor, Kimberly Scott, Mick Jagger, Canibus, The Black Eyed Peas and Eric Benét.

The Fugees remained in limbo during this time, with the follow-up to The Score being continually postponed as all three members cultivated solo careers. Wyclef Jean’s second solo album was The Ecleftic : 2 Sides II a Book, recorded with guests Youssou N’Dour, Earth, Wind & Fire, Kenny Rogers, The Rock and Mary J. Blige.

The critical reception was mixed, with many calling the album scattershot and too far-ranging to be cohesive. Wyclef Jean’s third album, Masquerade, was released in 2002 and sold well, though critics frequently panned it. His fourth album was The Preacher’s Son, an album that Wyclef Jean considered a continuation of his first album, Carnival.

In 2004, he released his fifth album, entitled Sak Pasé Presents : Welcome to Haiti (Creole 101) (released in the United States by Koch Records). A freewheeling album that is something of a return to his Caribbean roots, most of the songs on the album are in his native language of Haitian Creole or Kreyòl. In 2005, Wyclef Jean earned a Golden Globe nomination for his track entitled "Million Voices" featured on the soundtrack to the film Hotel Rwanda.

Wyclef Jean Discography:

Wyclef Jean Albums:
2004: Wyclef Jean: "Creole 101 (Welcome to Haiti)"
2003: Wyclef Jean "The Preacher’s Son"
2002: Wyclef Jean "Masquerade"
2000: Wyclef Jean "The Ecleftic : 2 Sides II a Book"
1997: Wyclef Jean Presents "The Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars"

Wyclef Jean Singles:

Wyclef Jean: Take Me as I Am (2004)
Wyclef Jean: Party to Damascus (2003)
Wyclef Jean: President (2004)
Wyclef Jean: Party to Damascus (2003)
Wyclef Jean: Industry (2003)
Wyclef Jean: Pussycat (2003)
Wyclef Jean: Two Wrongs (2002)
Wyclef Jean: Perfect Gentleman (2001)
Wyclef Jean: 911 (2001)
Wyclef Jean: It Doesn’t Matter (2000)
Wyclef Jean: Thug Angels (2000)
Wyclef Jean: New Day (1999)
Wyclef Jean/Canibus: Gone Til November (1998)
Wyclef Jean: Cheated (To All the Girls) (1998)
Wyclef Jean: Gunpowder (1998)
Wyclef Jean: We Tryin’ to Stay Alive (1997)

Wyclef Jean wallpapers: