Wyclef Jean
Encyclopedia
Wyclef Jean is a Haiti
an musician
, record producer
, and politician
. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States
with his family and has spent much of his life in the country. He first received fame as a member of the acclaimed New Jersey
hip hop group the Fugees.
On August 5, 2010, Jean filed for candidacy in the 2010 Haitian presidential election
, although the Electoral Commission subsequently ruled him ineligible to stand as he had not met the requirement to have been resident in Haiti for five years.
pastor, Wyclef moved with his family to Brooklyn, New York, when he was nine before moving again to northern New Jersey. Jean has cited reggae
artist Bigga Haitian
as one of his early influences. Jean graduated from Vailsburg High School
in Newark, briefly attended Eastern Nazarene College
in Massachusetts
, and finished one semester at Five Towns College
in New York
. Jean has been a resident of Saddle River
and South Orange
, New Jersey. In 2009, Jean enrolled in the Berklee College of Music
.
), a three-member group that included Lauryn Hill
and Prakazrel "Pras
" Michel. Jean is Pras's cousin and a fellow Haitian immigrant. The Fugees signed to Ruffhouse Records
, which released the group's debut album, Blunted on Reality
. It sold fairly well, peaking at #49 on the U.S. Hot 100 and selling over 2 million copies worldwide. The follow-up album – The Score
– sold over 18 million copies worldwide, eventually becoming a multi-platinum, Grammy-winning album.
Jean announced plans to begin a solo career with 1997's Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars
(generally called The Carnival). The album's guests included Lauryn Hill and Pras
along with Jean's siblings' group Melky Sedeck
; the I Threes
(back-up vocals for Bob Marley
); The Neville Brothers
and Celia Cruz
. The album was a hit, as were two singles: "We Trying to Stay Alive
" (adapted from The Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive
") and "Gone Till November
" (recorded with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra).
was recorded with guests including Youssou N'Dour
; Earth, Wind & Fire
; Kenny Rogers
; The Rock; and Mary J. Blige
. With Blige he released "911
" as a single. He was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Act at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards
.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Jean participated in the benefit concert America: A Tribute to Heroes
contributing a cover of the Bob Marley
song "Redemption Song
".
Jean's third album, Masquerade
, was released in 2002. His fourth album, The Preacher's Son
, was released in November 2003 as the follow-up to his first solo album, The Carnival.
In 2004, he released his fifth album, entitled Sak Pasé Presents: Welcome to Haïti (Creole 101)
(released in the United States by Koch Records
). Most of its songs are in his native language of Haitian Creole
like "Fanm Kreyol" with the French Caribbean
Admiral T
. He also figured on the album Mozaik Kreyol of this one in the song "Secret Lover". Then he covered Creedence Clearwater Revival
's song "Fortunate Son" for the soundtrack of the 2004 film remake of The Manchurian Candidate
and wrote the song "Million Voices
" for the film Hotel Rwanda
.
Jean also produced and wrote songs for the soundtrack to Jonathan Demme
's 2003 documentary The Agronomist
, about the Haitian activist and radio personality Jean Dominique
. With Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, Jean also composed the score of the documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil, He also helped produce the film and he appears briefly onscreen speaking by telephone in 2004 to a "chimere" gang-leader and aspiring rapper, Winston "2Pac" Jean.
During a period between 2004 and 2006 and fueled by a reunion performance in Dave Chappelle
's "Block Party", it appeared that the Fugees were on track to record a new album, however Fugees member Pras
claims to Billboard "To put it nicely, it's dead." He says the root of this animosity is the third member of the group, Lauryn Hill, and was quoted in Billboard as saying; "Me and Clef, we on the same page, but Lauryn Hill
is in her zone, and I'm fed up with that shit. Here she is, blessed with a gift, with the opportunity to rock and give and she's running on some bulls**t? I'm a fan of Lauryn's but I can't respect that."
In 2006, Jean was featured in Shakira's smash hit Hips Don't Lie
. The song went on to become the highest selling single of the 21st century, in addition to reaching number one in over fifty-five countries. Jean and Shakira went on to perform the song at the 2006 Grammys and the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.
Jean released an album in September 2007 that he recorded in Atlanta, Georgia
, with the help of T.I.
, who also collaborated with Jean on the songs "You Know What it is" and "My Swag" on T.I.'s 2007 album, T.I. vs. T.I.P. Recently, Wyclef released a new song called "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)
" featuring Lil' Wayne, Niia
and Akon
, which references the song "C.R.E.A.M." by the Wu-Tang Clan
. The album also features a single, "Fast Car", whose video was made with the assistance of video game Burnout Paradise. During this period, he was featured in a mix version of the Cartel
song "Wasted" that was released with their self-titled album. In November 2008, an upbeat single 'Let Me Touch Your Button' featuring will.i.am (of The Black Eyed Peas) was released in the UK in conjunction with Wyclef's invovlement with UK MOTOROKRSTAR (which sees Motorola UK on the search to discover British talent).
In 2009, he featured in a song called "Spanish Fly" with Ludacris
and Bachata group Aventura in Aventura's upcoming album "The Last
" which came out in June.
On June 17, 2009, Wyclef announced via Twitter
that his new album will be called wyclefjean
and is to be released sometime in February 2010. The first single off of wyclefjean is to be titled "Seventeen" and will feature Lil' Wayne.
In November 2009, a track titled "Suicide Love" featuring rapper Eve leaked online prior to the release of his EP.
Wyclef Jean's EP named From the Hut, to the Projects, to the Mansion was released on November 10, 2009. It includes 17 tracks, featuring Cyndi Lauper
, Timbaland
, Eve, and Lil' Kim
. In this album, Wyclef uses the alias Toussaint St. Jean, his alter ego, when he raps.
Jean's self-entitled studio album is due to be released in 2011. "Hold On," the lead single from the project, will feature Dancehall artist Mavado.
His uncle – political activist, journalist and diplomat Raymond Alcide Joseph – has been the Haitian ambassador to the United States since 2005, and came to prominence as a spokesman for his country after the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake
. Together with Wyclef, he issued an appeal for international aid.
On March 19, 2011, Jean claimed that he was shot in the palm of his right hand in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The police reported otherwise saying that Wyclef was not wounded by a bullet but was cut by glass. Police Chief Vanel Lacroix said "we met with the doctor who saw him and he confirmed Wyclef was cut by glass."http://www.bet.com/news/music/2011/03/22/police-in-haiti-say-wyclef-was-not-shot.html
, provided scholarships to 3,600 children in Gonaïves, Haiti, after the devastation by Hurricane Jeanne
. In its second year of operation, it is almost doubling the amount of the scholarships and spreading them throughout Haiti, providing tuition in 5 regions. The foundation aims to provide 6,800 scholarships to children in Port-au-Prince, Gonaïves, Les Cayes
, Port-de-Paix
, and Cap-Haïtien
.
After the earthquake
on January 12, 2010 in Haiti
, Jean called on others to donate to his foundation's Yéle Haiti Earthquake Fund, imploring "We must act now."
Jean has been active in his support of his native country and created the foundation Yéle Haiti to provide humanitarian aid and assistance to Haiti. He describes Yéle as a non-political organization intended to empower the people of Haiti and the Haitian diaspora
to rebuild their nation, saying, "The objective of Yéle Haiti is to restore pride and a reason to hope, and for the whole country to regain the deep spirit and strength that is part of our heritage".. Yéle Haiti was created in October 2004 with Wyclef's cousin Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis. Projects were launched in January 2005. Angelina Jolie
and Brad Pitt
were present for the first anniversary of the launch in 2006.
In January 2007, Jean became a roving ambassador for Haiti, to help improve its image abroad.
May 20, 2008 – Yéle Haiti partnered with WFP (World Food Programme) of the United Nations to launch www.togetherforhaiti.org
September, 2008 – Wyclef in conjunction with Yéle Haiti Charity delivered food to Hurricane Ike
victims in Haiti. Matt Damon
provided assistance in the food lines serving food.
Oct 23, 2008 – Wyclef Jean performed on stage with Carlos Santana
in San Francisco on behalf of Yéle Haiti, OneXOne, and WaterPartners
International to raise funds for clean water, education, health, environment, and community development in the USA and in the developing world.
In 2009, Wyclef Jean and The Timberland Company
joined forces to help raise environmental awareness in Haiti. This duo "will be a multi-platform effort incorporating Timberland products, digital and social media, service events, music, and concerts that will promote environmental awareness." The campaign will push to support and educate the country as well as helping to improve health care and the environment, and the community. Wyclef Jean also plans to spread information about the joint efforts through social media outlets such as "Twitter, YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, imeem, and Social Vibe." He also aims to use social networking websites to help raise money to build the Yéle Center.
In January 2010, along with his uncle Raymond Joseph
, Haitian ambassador to the US, Wyclef issued an appeal for international aid following the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake
.
Today, Yele's mission, headed by CEO Derek Johnson, is to provide aid and assistance to the communities in Haiti in greatest need, where severe poverty, widespread unemployment, rampant malnutrition and crippling illiteracy are most pervasive. In doing so, we strive to balance emergency relief with support for long term sustainable initiatives that together are giving both hope and practical assistance to the people of Haiti. Yele's programs focus on emergency relief, employment, youth development and education, and tree planting and agriculture.
In a November 27, 2011 New York Post article entitled "Questions Dog Wyclef's Haiti Fund", the Post asserted that less than one third of the over $16 million raised after the Haiti earthquake in January 2010 has been spent effectively for the victims of the catastrophe. The Post does not allege any dishonest embezzlement of funds on Wyclef's part, but rather asserts that there was gross mismanagement and negligence with regards to the distribution of the funds the charity raised. Required Federal tax returns were not filed, and $1 million was given to a Florida firm that does not seem to exist. Wyclef and most of the board left the charity in the summer of 2010. It is now under new management. As Wyclef stated, "It's a clean slate now."
's Wolf Blitzer
that he was running, though Blitzer had questions about Jean's actual citizenship and passport. In an article written by Exclaim! Magazine it was mentioned that Jean will be stepping down as the chairman of Yéle Haiti. On August 5, Jean formally filed papers as a candidate for the 2010 Haitian presidential election
, following media speculation that he would make his announcement that evening on Larry King Live
. Wyclef would have run as a candidate for the Viv Ansanm (Live Together) political party. On the topic of his candidacy, Jean has stated, "I am being drafted to serve my country."
Besides opposition from Sean Penn
in regards to Jean's Haitian presidential plans, Arcade Fire's Win Butler
stated in a radio interview:
On August 20, 2010, his bid for candidacy was rejected by Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council
. He was turned down because he did not meet the residency requirement of having lived in Haiti for five years before the November 28 election. Afterwards, Wyclef stated:
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with his family and has spent much of his life in the country. He first received fame as a member of the acclaimed New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
hip hop group the Fugees.
On August 5, 2010, Jean filed for candidacy in the 2010 Haitian presidential election
Haitian general election, 2010
The Haitian general election, originally scheduled in Haiti for 28 February 2010, was postponed to 28 November. Ten senators and all 99 deputies were to be elected....
, although the Electoral Commission subsequently ruled him ineligible to stand as he had not met the requirement to have been resident in Haiti for five years.
Early life
Although his birth date was widely given as October 17, 1972, papers filed for his run as a candidate for the presidency of Haiti, disclosed that he was, in fact, born in 1969. Born in Haiti, the son of a NazareneChurch of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
pastor, Wyclef moved with his family to Brooklyn, New York, when he was nine before moving again to northern New Jersey. Jean has cited reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
artist Bigga Haitian
Bigga Haitian
Charles Andre Dorismond , better known by his stage name Bigga Haitian, is a Haitian-American entertainer who rose to fame in the 1990s. He is known as "the first Haitian singer to break into the Jamaican reggae scene", tearing down national and cultural walls and paving the way for the next...
as one of his early influences. Jean graduated from Vailsburg High School
Newark Public Schools
Newark Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves the entire city of Newark, New Jersey. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide....
in Newark, briefly attended Eastern Nazarene College
Eastern Nazarene College
The Eastern Nazarene College is a private, coeducational college of the liberal arts and sciences in Quincy, Massachusetts near Boston, in the New England region of the United States. Known for its strong religious affiliation, distinctive liberal arts core curriculum, and excellence in science...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and finished one semester at Five Towns College
Five Towns College
Five Towns College is a for-profit institution of higher learning located in Dix Hills, Long Island, New York . Founded as a business school in 1972 by Stanley G. Cohen, Ed.D...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Jean has been a resident of Saddle River
Saddle River, New Jersey
Saddle River is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 3,152. Saddle River has the second-highest per-capita income in the state...
and South Orange
South Orange, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,964 people, 5,522 households, and 3,766 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,945.3 people per square mile . There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of 1,987.5 per square mile...
, New Jersey. In 2009, Jean enrolled in the Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
.
Fugees era
Jean's musical breakthrough was as part of The Refugee Camp (The FugeesThe Fugees
Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
), a three-member group that included Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
and Prakazrel "Pras
Pras
Prakazrel Samuel Michel, known as Pras, is a Grammy Award-winning Haitian-American rapper, actor, film producer, and member of the hip hop trio The Fugees.-Early life:...
" Michel. Jean is Pras's cousin and a fellow Haitian immigrant. The Fugees signed to Ruffhouse Records
Ruffhouse Records
Ruffhouse Records is a record label founded in 1989 by Chris Schwartz and Joe Nicolo as a joint venture with Columbia Records. In 1999, Schwartz and Nicolo stopped the label. Schwartz and Kevon Glickman continued with RuffNation Records; Chris Schwartz has worked in the music and film industry for...
, which released the group's debut album, Blunted on Reality
Blunted on Reality
Blunted on Reality is the debut album released by hip hop group The Fugees. The album was written and recorded by the group in 1992, however, following a long dispute with their record company, the album was not released until February 1, 1994. Most versions of the album contain seventeen tracks,...
. It sold fairly well, peaking at #49 on the U.S. Hot 100 and selling over 2 million copies worldwide. The follow-up album – The Score
The Score (album)
The Score is the second and final studio album by the hip hop trio Fugees, released worldwide February 13, 1996 on Columbia Records. The album features a wide range of samples and instrumentation, with many aspects of alternative hip hop that would come to dominate the hip hop music scene in the...
– sold over 18 million copies worldwide, eventually becoming a multi-platinum, Grammy-winning album.
Jean announced plans to begin a solo career with 1997's Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars
The Carnival
"The Carnival" is the debut album released by hip hop writer Wyclef Jean. Released on June 24, 1997, Jean also served as the album's executive producer. The album encompasses many musical genres, including hip hop, reggae, folk, disco, soul, Son Cubano and Haitian music...
(generally called The Carnival). The album's guests included Lauryn Hill and Pras
Pras
Prakazrel Samuel Michel, known as Pras, is a Grammy Award-winning Haitian-American rapper, actor, film producer, and member of the hip hop trio The Fugees.-Early life:...
along with Jean's siblings' group Melky Sedeck
Melky Sedeck
Melky Sedeck is a Haitian-American R&B hip hop sibling duo. The name of the group is drawn from the names of singer Blandinna Melky Jean and her multi-instrumentalist brother Farel Sedeck Guerschom Jean. The name of the group is an allusion to Melchizedek, a figure from Christian and Jewish...
; the I Threes
I Threes
The I Threes were a Jamaican reggae singing group made up of three women, that was formed in 1974 to support Bob Marley & The Wailers after Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer — the original Wailer backing vocalists — left the band....
(back-up vocals for Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
); The Neville Brothers
The Neville Brothers
The Neville Brothers, an American R&B and soul group, was formed in 1977 in New Orleans, Louisiana.-History:The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art , Charles , Aaron , and Cyril The Neville Brothers, an American R&B and soul group, was formed in 1977 in...
and Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer, and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums...
. The album was a hit, as were two singles: "We Trying to Stay Alive
We Trying to Stay Alive
"We Trying to Stay Alive" is the first single released from Wyclef Jean's debut solo album, The Carnival. The song samples the 1977 Bee Gees hit "Stayin' Alive", and features raps by Method Man and Andre 3000. It entered the UK Singles Chart at #13, its highest chart position, and went on to spend...
" (adapted from The Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive
Stayin' Alive
"Stayin' Alive" is a song by the pop group Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack. The song was written by the Bee Gees and produced by the Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. It was released on 13 December 1977, as the second single from the Saturday Night Fever...
") and "Gone Till November
Gone till November
"Gone till November" is the third single released from Wyclef Jean's debut solo album, The Carnival. It entered the UK Singles Chart at #3, its highest chart position, and went on to spend nine weeks on the chart. The song was also successful in the US, where it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" (recorded with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra).
Solo career
Released in 2000, Jean's second solo album The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a BookThe Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book
The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book is the second studio album released by Haitian singer Wyclef Jean. It was certified platinum in the UK in 2001...
was recorded with guests including Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer, percussionist and occasional actor. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, in Senegal and much of Africa, "perhaps the most famous singer alive." He helped develop a style of popular music in Senegal, known in the Serer language as mbalax, a type of music...
; Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
; Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
; The Rock; and Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
. With Blige he released "911
911 (Wyclef Jean song)
"911" is a duet between rap singer Wyclef Jean and soul music singer Mary J. Blige. It was released in the summer of 2000 off Wyclef's second disc, The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book and was later included on Blige's compilation Reflections ...
" as a single. He was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Act at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Jean participated in the benefit concert America: A Tribute to Heroes
America: A Tribute to Heroes
America: A Tribute to Heroes was a benefit concert created by the heads of the four broadcast networks. Joel Gallen was selected by them to produce and run the show Joel Gallen. Actor George Clooney wrangled the celebrities to performed and to man the telephone bank . The marketing and public...
contributing a cover of the Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
song "Redemption Song
Redemption Song
The song urges listeners to "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery," because "None but ourselves can free our minds". These lines were taken from a speech given by Marcus Garvey in Nova Scotia during October 1937 and published in his Black Man magazine:...
".
Jean's third album, Masquerade
Masquerade (Wyclef Jean album)
Masquerade is the third studio album released by Haitian singer Wyclef Jean. The album was released on July 18, 2002. The album was one of the first albums released by Columbia records that is unable to play on a PC or Mac. The album features the singles "Two Wrongs", "Pussycat" and "Knockin' On...
, was released in 2002. His fourth album, The Preacher's Son
The Preacher's Son (album)
The Preacher's Son is the fourth studio album released by rapper Wyclef Jean. The album was released on November 4, 2003. The album is produced by Jean and Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, and mixes the use of instruments with the use of samples. It contains many guest appearances, such as Patti LaBelle,...
, was released in November 2003 as the follow-up to his first solo album, The Carnival.
In 2004, he released his fifth album, entitled Sak Pasé Presents: Welcome to Haïti (Creole 101)
Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101
Welcome To Haiti: Creole 101 is the fifth studio album released by Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean. The album was released on October 5, 2004. The album is a contrast to Jean's previous albums, as many of the track are Caribbean-influenced and sung in different languages. President was the only single...
(released in the United States by Koch Records
Koch Records
E1 Music , the primary subsidiary of E1 Entertainment LP, is the largest independent record label in the United States. It is also distributed by the Universal Music Group in Europe under the name E1 Universal...
). Most of its songs are in his native language of Haitian Creole
French-based creole languages
A French Creole, or French-based Creole language, is a creole language based on the French language, more specifically on a 17th century koiné French extant in Paris, the French Atlantic harbors, and the nascent French colonies...
like "Fanm Kreyol" with the French Caribbean
French Caribbean
The term French Caribbean varies in meaning with its usage and frame of reference. This ambiguity makes it very different from the term French West Indies, which refers to the specific, formal French possessions in the Caribbean region...
Admiral T
Admiral T
Admiral T, whose real name is Christy Campbell, is a French singer of reggae-dancehall music. Besides Francky Vincent, he is one of most popular and successful Guadeloupean singers.He is also a designer and the creator of WOK LINE.-Biography:...
. He also figured on the album Mozaik Kreyol of this one in the song "Secret Lover". Then he covered Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
's song "Fortunate Son" for the soundtrack of the 2004 film remake of The Manchurian Candidate
The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)
The Manchurian Candidate is a 2004 American thriller film based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Richard Condon, and a reimagining of the previous 1962 film....
and wrote the song "Million Voices
Million Voices
Million Voices is a song by Haitian-American musician Wyclef Jean from the soundtrack of the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda.- Themes :Wyclef Jean, born in Haiti, like many of the people in his home country as well as other Caribbean countries including many Latin American countries, are descendants of...
" for the film Hotel Rwanda
Hotel Rwanda
Hotel Rwanda is a 2004 American drama film directed by Terry George. It was adapted from a screenplay written by both George and Keir Pearson. Based on real life events which took place in Rwanda during the spring of 1994, the film stars Don Cheadle as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina, who attempts to...
.
Jean also produced and wrote songs for the soundtrack to Jonathan Demme
Jonathan Demme
Robert Jonathan Demme is an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter. Best known for directing The Silence of the Lambs, which won him the Academy Award for Best Director, he has also directed the acclaimed movies Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married, the Talking Heads concert movie Stop...
's 2003 documentary The Agronomist
The Agronomist
The Agronomist is a 2003 American documentary directed by Jonathan Demme, and starring Jean Dominique. The documentary follows the life of Dominique, who ran Haiti's first independent radio station, Radio Haiti-Inter, during multiple repressive regimes....
, about the Haitian activist and radio personality Jean Dominique
Jean Dominique
Jean Léopold Dominique was a noted Haïtian journalist who spoke out against successive dictatorships. He was one of the first people in Haïti to broadcast in Kreyòl, the language spoken by most of the populace...
. With Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, Jean also composed the score of the documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil, He also helped produce the film and he appears briefly onscreen speaking by telephone in 2004 to a "chimere" gang-leader and aspiring rapper, Winston "2Pac" Jean.
Dave Chappelle
David Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film Robin Hood: Men in Tights in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films The Nutty Professor, Con Air, and Blue Streak. His...
's "Block Party", it appeared that the Fugees were on track to record a new album, however Fugees member Pras
Pras
Prakazrel Samuel Michel, known as Pras, is a Grammy Award-winning Haitian-American rapper, actor, film producer, and member of the hip hop trio The Fugees.-Early life:...
claims to Billboard "To put it nicely, it's dead." He says the root of this animosity is the third member of the group, Lauryn Hill, and was quoted in Billboard as saying; "Me and Clef, we on the same page, but Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
is in her zone, and I'm fed up with that shit. Here she is, blessed with a gift, with the opportunity to rock and give and she's running on some bulls**t? I'm a fan of Lauryn's but I can't respect that."
In 2006, Jean was featured in Shakira's smash hit Hips Don't Lie
Hips Don't Lie
"Hips Don't Lie" is a Latin pop song based in a salsa and cumbia performed by Colombian singer Shakira and Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released in 2006 as the second single from Shakira's second English album Oral Fixation Vol. 2...
. The song went on to become the highest selling single of the 21st century, in addition to reaching number one in over fifty-five countries. Jean and Shakira went on to perform the song at the 2006 Grammys and the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.
Jean released an album in September 2007 that he recorded in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, with the help of T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
, who also collaborated with Jean on the songs "You Know What it is" and "My Swag" on T.I.'s 2007 album, T.I. vs. T.I.P. Recently, Wyclef released a new song called "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)
Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)
"Sweetest Girl " is the lead single from American rapper Wyclef Jean's sixth studio album, Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant. The song features vocals from Niia and Akon, as well as rapper Lil Wayne...
" featuring Lil' Wayne, Niia
Niia
Niia Bertino , better known simply by her stage name Niia is an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. As a singer, Niia was recognized at a young age by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts as one of the top jazz singers in the United States.She is best known for her feature on...
and Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
, which references the song "C.R.E.A.M." by the Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
. The album also features a single, "Fast Car", whose video was made with the assistance of video game Burnout Paradise. During this period, he was featured in a mix version of the Cartel
Cartel (band)
Cartel is a American pop rock band from Conyers, Georgia that formed in 2003. The band is best known for their single "Honestly", featured on their 2005 debut album Chroma, and for their 2007 appearance on MTV's Band in a Bubble....
song "Wasted" that was released with their self-titled album. In November 2008, an upbeat single 'Let Me Touch Your Button' featuring will.i.am (of The Black Eyed Peas) was released in the UK in conjunction with Wyclef's invovlement with UK MOTOROKRSTAR (which sees Motorola UK on the search to discover British talent).
In 2009, he featured in a song called "Spanish Fly" with Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
and Bachata group Aventura in Aventura's upcoming album "The Last
The Last (album)
John Bush of Allmusic gave the album a somewhat positive review. He called the lead single "Por un Segundo" a "straight bachata, rhythmic and sweet" and noted that the crossovers are put on the latter half of the album. Tijana Ilich of About.com praised the vocals of Anthony "Romeo" Santos and the...
" which came out in June.
On June 17, 2009, Wyclef announced via Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that his new album will be called wyclefjean
Wyclef Jean (album)
If I Were President: My Haitian Experience is a 2010 Political Hip-Hop EP released by Haitian singer/songwriter Wyclef Jean. The EP was released exclusively via iTunes on December 3, 2010.-Background:...
and is to be released sometime in February 2010. The first single off of wyclefjean is to be titled "Seventeen" and will feature Lil' Wayne.
In November 2009, a track titled "Suicide Love" featuring rapper Eve leaked online prior to the release of his EP.
Wyclef Jean's EP named From the Hut, to the Projects, to the Mansion was released on November 10, 2009. It includes 17 tracks, featuring Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, Eve, and Lil' Kim
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
. In this album, Wyclef uses the alias Toussaint St. Jean, his alter ego, when he raps.
Jean's self-entitled studio album is due to be released in 2011. "Hold On," the lead single from the project, will feature Dancehall artist Mavado.
Personal life
In 1994, he married Fusha designer Marie Claudinette. In 2005, they adopted their daughter, Angelina Claudinelle Jean. The couple renewed their vows in August 2009.His uncle – political activist, journalist and diplomat Raymond Alcide Joseph – has been the Haitian ambassador to the United States since 2005, and came to prominence as a spokesman for his country after the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
. Together with Wyclef, he issued an appeal for international aid.
On March 19, 2011, Jean claimed that he was shot in the palm of his right hand in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The police reported otherwise saying that Wyclef was not wounded by a bullet but was cut by glass. Police Chief Vanel Lacroix said "we met with the doctor who saw him and he confirmed Wyclef was cut by glass."http://www.bet.com/news/music/2011/03/22/police-in-haiti-say-wyclef-was-not-shot.html
Yéle Haiti
In 2005, Jean established the Yéle Haiti Foundation. In its first year of operation, the foundation, with funding by ComcelComcel
Comcel may refer to:*Comcel Colombia, a Colombian mobile phone operator*Comcel Haiti, a Haitian mobile phone operator that operates a TDMA network in Haiti...
, provided scholarships to 3,600 children in Gonaïves, Haiti, after the devastation by Hurricane Jeanne
Hurricane Jeanne
Hurricane Jeanne was the deadliest hurricane in the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurricane, and the fifth major hurricane of the season, as well as the third hurricane and fourth named storm of the season to make landfall in Florida...
. In its second year of operation, it is almost doubling the amount of the scholarships and spreading them throughout Haiti, providing tuition in 5 regions. The foundation aims to provide 6,800 scholarships to children in Port-au-Prince, Gonaïves, Les Cayes
Les Cayes
Les Cayes , is a town and seaport in southwestern Haiti, with a population of approximately 45,904 people . Estimates from 2008 place the population at close to 70,000 people...
, Port-de-Paix
Port-de-Paix
Port-de-Paix is a city and the capital of the département of Nord-Ouest in Haïti on the Atlantic coast. It has a population of 250,000 ....
, and Cap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien is a city of about 190,000 people on the north coast of Haiti and capital of the Department of Nord...
.
After the earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
on January 12, 2010 in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Jean called on others to donate to his foundation's Yéle Haiti Earthquake Fund, imploring "We must act now."
Jean has been active in his support of his native country and created the foundation Yéle Haiti to provide humanitarian aid and assistance to Haiti. He describes Yéle as a non-political organization intended to empower the people of Haiti and the Haitian diaspora
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
to rebuild their nation, saying, "The objective of Yéle Haiti is to restore pride and a reason to hope, and for the whole country to regain the deep spirit and strength that is part of our heritage".. Yéle Haiti was created in October 2004 with Wyclef's cousin Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis. Projects were launched in January 2005. Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
and Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
were present for the first anniversary of the launch in 2006.
In January 2007, Jean became a roving ambassador for Haiti, to help improve its image abroad.
May 20, 2008 – Yéle Haiti partnered with WFP (World Food Programme) of the United Nations to launch www.togetherforhaiti.org
September, 2008 – Wyclef in conjunction with Yéle Haiti Charity delivered food to Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
victims in Haiti. Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
provided assistance in the food lines serving food.
Oct 23, 2008 – Wyclef Jean performed on stage with Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
in San Francisco on behalf of Yéle Haiti, OneXOne, and WaterPartners
WaterPartners
WaterPartners International was an American nonprofit developmental aid organization tasked with the specific purpose of providing safe drinking water and sanitation to people in developing countries...
International to raise funds for clean water, education, health, environment, and community development in the USA and in the developing world.
In 2009, Wyclef Jean and The Timberland Company
The Timberland Company
The Timberland Company is an American manufacturer and retailer of outdoors wear with a focus on footwear. Its three key locations are in Stratham, New Hampshire; Danville, Kentucky; and Ontario, California....
joined forces to help raise environmental awareness in Haiti. This duo "will be a multi-platform effort incorporating Timberland products, digital and social media, service events, music, and concerts that will promote environmental awareness." The campaign will push to support and educate the country as well as helping to improve health care and the environment, and the community. Wyclef Jean also plans to spread information about the joint efforts through social media outlets such as "Twitter, YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, imeem, and Social Vibe." He also aims to use social networking websites to help raise money to build the Yéle Center.
In January 2010, along with his uncle Raymond Joseph
Raymond Joseph
Raymond Alcide Joseph is a Haitian diplomat, political activist and journalist. He was the Haitian ambassador to the United States from 2005 to 2010, when he resigned to present himself as a candidate in the 2010 Presidential Election in Haiti...
, Haitian ambassador to the US, Wyclef issued an appeal for international aid following the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
.
Today, Yele's mission, headed by CEO Derek Johnson, is to provide aid and assistance to the communities in Haiti in greatest need, where severe poverty, widespread unemployment, rampant malnutrition and crippling illiteracy are most pervasive. In doing so, we strive to balance emergency relief with support for long term sustainable initiatives that together are giving both hope and practical assistance to the people of Haiti. Yele's programs focus on emergency relief, employment, youth development and education, and tree planting and agriculture.
In a November 27, 2011 New York Post article entitled "Questions Dog Wyclef's Haiti Fund", the Post asserted that less than one third of the over $16 million raised after the Haiti earthquake in January 2010 has been spent effectively for the victims of the catastrophe. The Post does not allege any dishonest embezzlement of funds on Wyclef's part, but rather asserts that there was gross mismanagement and negligence with regards to the distribution of the funds the charity raised. Required Federal tax returns were not filed, and $1 million was given to a Florida firm that does not seem to exist. Wyclef and most of the board left the charity in the summer of 2010. It is now under new management. As Wyclef stated, "It's a clean slate now."
2010 Haitian presidential campaign
On August 5, 2010, Wyclef confirmed the rumors that he was running for office by telling CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Wolf Blitzer
Wolf Blitzer
Wolf Isaac Blitzer is an American journalist who has been a CNN reporter since 1990. Blitzer is currently the host of the newscast The Situation Room and was the host of the Sunday talk show Late Edition until it was discontinued on January 11, 2009...
that he was running, though Blitzer had questions about Jean's actual citizenship and passport. In an article written by Exclaim! Magazine it was mentioned that Jean will be stepping down as the chairman of Yéle Haiti. On August 5, Jean formally filed papers as a candidate for the 2010 Haitian presidential election
Haitian general election, 2010
The Haitian general election, originally scheduled in Haiti for 28 February 2010, was postponed to 28 November. Ten senators and all 99 deputies were to be elected....
, following media speculation that he would make his announcement that evening on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
. Wyclef would have run as a candidate for the Viv Ansanm (Live Together) political party. On the topic of his candidacy, Jean has stated, "I am being drafted to serve my country."
Besides opposition from Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
in regards to Jean's Haitian presidential plans, Arcade Fire's Win Butler
Win Butler
Win Butler is the lead vocalist and songwriter of the Montreal-based indie rock band Arcade Fire. His wife Régine Chassagne and his brother William Butler are both members of the band.-Life and career:...
stated in a radio interview:
- "Technically, [Wyclef Jean] shouldn't be eligible because he hasn't been a resident of Haiti. And I think him not speaking French and not being fluent in Creole would be a really major issue in trying to run a really complex government, like the government in Haiti. It would kind of be like Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
only speaking Austrian GermanAustrian GermanAustrian German , or Austrian Standard German, is the national standard variety of the German language spoken in Austria and in the autonomous Province of South Tyrol...
and being elected president of the United States after New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and LALos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
had burned to the ground... I think he is a great musician and he really passionately cares about Haiti. I really hope he throws his support behind someone who is really competent and really eligible."
On August 20, 2010, his bid for candidacy was rejected by Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council
Provisional Electoral Council
The Provisional Electoral Council is the electoral commission of Haiti.-Current members for 2010:* Jean Enel Desir* Jean T. Pierre Toussaint * Ribel Pierre* Anténor Guerrier* Gaillot Dorsainvil...
. He was turned down because he did not meet the residency requirement of having lived in Haiti for five years before the November 28 election. Afterwards, Wyclef stated:
Appearances in television and film
- On a 2004 episode of Chappelle's Show, he appeared as the musical guest.
- He starred in Virgin MobileVirgin MobileVirgin Mobile is a brand used by many mobile phone service providers across the globe; its headquarters are based in the United Kingdom. Virgin Mobile has local operations in Australia, Canada, France, India, South Africa, Greece, United Kingdom and the United States. It briefly also had operations...
commercials as himself. - In 2005, he appeared in the film One Last Thing.... His character is a cab driver named Emmett Ducasse. It is implied he is an angel due to being in the main character's "Heaven". Wyclef also has an original track that is the closing credits first song. The song is "Heaven's in New York".
- Also in 2005, Wyclef appeared in 4 episodes of the hit NBC prime time television drama "Third Watch" as the recurring character, Marcel Hollis, a gang leader responsible for blowing up the police precinct house in the final episode of the series.
- In December 2007, starred in the four-part MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
exclusive online short-film Americlef - May 20, 2008: At the Gansevoort Hotel, Wyclef Jean in partnership with the WFP and PADF launched "Together for Haiti" to address the hunger crisis in Haiti members of the American and international television and print media were invited to cover the news.
Discography
- 1997: The CarnivalThe Carnival"The Carnival" is the debut album released by hip hop writer Wyclef Jean. Released on June 24, 1997, Jean also served as the album's executive producer. The album encompasses many musical genres, including hip hop, reggae, folk, disco, soul, Son Cubano and Haitian music...
(Columbia) - 2000: The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a BookThe Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a BookThe Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book is the second studio album released by Haitian singer Wyclef Jean. It was certified platinum in the UK in 2001...
(Columbia) - 2002: MasqueradeMasquerade (Wyclef Jean album)Masquerade is the third studio album released by Haitian singer Wyclef Jean. The album was released on July 18, 2002. The album was one of the first albums released by Columbia records that is unable to play on a PC or Mac. The album features the singles "Two Wrongs", "Pussycat" and "Knockin' On...
(Columbia) - 2003: Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Wyclef Jean album)Greatest Hits is the first and only compilation album released by Haitian singer Wyclef Jean. The album was released on October 7, 2003. The album contains material from his first four studio albums...
(Columbia) - 2003: The Preacher's SonThe Preacher's Son (album)The Preacher's Son is the fourth studio album released by rapper Wyclef Jean. The album was released on November 4, 2003. The album is produced by Jean and Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, and mixes the use of instruments with the use of samples. It contains many guest appearances, such as Patti LaBelle,...
(J) - 2004: Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101Welcome To Haiti: Creole 101 is the fifth studio album released by Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean. The album was released on October 5, 2004. The album is a contrast to Jean's previous albums, as many of the track are Caribbean-influenced and sung in different languages. President was the only single...
(Koch) - 2007: Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an ImmigrantCarnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant-References:...
(Columbia) - 2009: From the Hut, To the Projects, To the MansionFrom the Hut, To the Projects, To the MansionFrom the Hut, to the Projects, to the Mansion is the seventh studio album by musician Wyclef Jean. The album was released on November 10, 2009. It is a concept album telling the story of the fictional character Toussaint St Jean, who is based on the 18th century Haitian revolutionary Toussaint...
(Columbia) - 2010: If I Were President: The Haitian Experience (Columbia)
External links
- Official website
- Yéle Haiti Foundation
- Sak Pasé Records (a record label founded by Wyclef)
- Haiti: Working Together at Last by Wyclef Jean, September 23, 2010
- http://www.nypost.com/f/print/news/international/quandered_millions_hBeqPFQ6KfrdETKp0CjKII New York Post article on mismanagement at Yéle Haiti Foundation