Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the

Fugees Fugees (; sometimes The Fugees) is an American hip hop group formed in the early 1990s. Deriving its name from a shortening of the word "refugees", the group consists of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill. The group rose to fame with i ...

, alongside

Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...

and

Pras Michel Prakazrel Samuel Michel (; born October 19, 1972) is a Haitian-American rapper, producer, songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the hip hop group Fugees, alongside Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill. After the Fugees, he earned two ...

. They released the albums ''

Blunted on Reality ''Blunted on Reality'' is the debut studio album released by the American hip-hop group Fugees. The album was released in February 1994 through the Ruffhouse Records label. Three singles were released from the album, including ”Boof Baf”, ” ...

'' (1994) and ''The Score'' (1996), the latter becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time. Jean would follow this with the release of his first solo studio album, ''

Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival ''Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival'', also known simply as ''The Carnival'', is the debut studio album released by Haitian hip hop musician Wyclef Jean. The album was released on June 24, 1997, Wyclef Jean also served as the album's executive pro ...

'' (1997), which contains the top ten hit " Gone till November". Jean would continue to have a successful music career as a soloist. He released an additional eight studio albums; including the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

certified album, '' The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book'' (2000), which reached the top ten on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart''.'' He also released the commercially successful singles "

911 911 or 9/11 may refer to: Dates * AD 911 * 911 BC * September 11 ** 9/11, the September 11 attacks of 2001 ** 11 de Septiembre, Chilean coup d'état in 1973 that outed the democratically elected Salvador Allende * November 9 Numbers * 91 ...

" (featuring

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...

), and "

Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill) "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" is the lead single from Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean's sixth studio album, '' Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant''. The R&B and hip hop song features vocals from Niia and Akon, as well as rapper Lil Wayne. Veriz ...

" (featuring

Akon Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (; born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of " Locked Up" (featuring Styles P) ...

Niia Niia Bertino (born July 11, 1988), better known by her stage name Niia, is an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. Early life Niia was born in Needham, Massachusetts, and was trained by her mother in classical piano and began singing an ...

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

)"; was featured on Destiny Child's " No, No, No", as well as the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number one single " Hips Don't Lie" by

Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is ...

; and composed the single "

Maria Maria "Maria Maria" is a song by American rock band Santana featuring the Product G&B, included on Santana's 18th studio album, ''Supernatural'' (1999). The song was written by Wyclef Jean, Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis, Carlos Santana, Karl Perazzo, and R ...

" by

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...

. In August 2010, Jean filed for candidacy in the 2010 Haitian presidential election. However, Haiti's

Provisional Electoral Council The Provisional Electoral Council ( French: ''Conseil Électoral Provisoire'', , CEP; Haitian Creole: ''Konsèy Elektoral Pwovizwa'') was the electoral commission of Haiti. The body had the sole agency responsible for presidential elections and ...

ruled him ineligible to stand for office, as he had not met the constitutional requirement to have been a resident in Haiti for five years prior to the election.Wyclef Jean to appeal against Haiti election ruling
, bbc.co.uk, August 22, 2010.
"Haiti's electoral commission said that Mr Jean was ineligible to stand as the Haitian constitution requires candidates to have lived in the country for five years prior to an election. The 40-year-old singer lives in the US." Jean's highly publicized efforts to raise relief funds after the

2010 Haitian earthquake A catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest department, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's c ...

were channeled through his charitable organization,

Yéle Haiti Yéle Haiti, also known as Yéle and legally known as the Wyclef Jean Foundation, was a charitable organization established in 2001 by the Haitian musician Wyclef Jean, who was born in Haiti and has kept ties there. The charity was incorporated in ...

. The charity, which conducted education and welfare activities in Haiti between 2005 and 2010, effectively closed in 2012. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' reported that much of the money raised by the organization in the ''

Hope for Haiti Now ''Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief'' was a charity telethon held on January 22, 2010 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (January 23, 2010 from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. UTC). The telethon was the most widely distri ...

telethon A telethon (a portmanteau of "television" and "marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or even days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other purportedly worthy cause. Most telethons f ...

was retained by Jean for his own benefit. In 2012, Jean published his memoir ''Purpose: An Immigrant's Story''. Jean performed his single "

Dar um Jeito (We Will Find a Way) "Dar um Jeito (We Will Find a Way)" is the official anthem of the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil performed by Carlos Santana and Wyclef Jean featuring Avicii and Alexandre Pires. The song was executive-produced and co-written by Arnon Wool ...

", at the closing ceremony for the

2014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...

in Brazil. He has won three

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

s, and has received a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

nomination for his musical work. In 2011, President

Michel Martelly Michel Joseph Martelly (; born 12 February 1961) is a Haitian musician and politician who was the President of Haiti from May 2011 until February 2016. He was sanctioned by the Canadian Government for his involvement in human rights violations ...

of Haiti awarded Jean with the

National Order of Honour and Merit The National Order of Honour and Merit (french: Ordre National Honneur et Mérite) is the highest honour of merit awarded by the President of the Haiti, Republic of Haiti. The Order was instituted on 28 May 1926 and is awarded in five grades to ...

to the rank of Grand Officer. Jean has also been inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Early life

Named after the biblical scholar

John Wycliffe John Wycliffe (; also spelled Wyclif, Wickliffe, and other variants; 1328 – 31 December 1384) was an English scholastic philosopher, theologian, biblical translator, reformer, Catholic priest, and a seminary professor at the University of ...

, Wyclef Jean was born in

Croix-des-Bouquets Croix-des-Bouquets (, ; ht, Kwadèbouke or ) is a commune in the Ouest department of Haiti. It is located to the northeast of Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince. Originally located on the shore, it was relocated inland after the 1770 Po ...

, Haiti on October 17, 1969. At nine years old, he immigrated with his family to

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York City, and ultimately settled in

East Orange East Orange is a city in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 69,612. The city was the state's 20th most-populous municipality in 2010, after having been the state's 14th most-po ...

and

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

artist Bigga Haitian as one of his early influences, as well as neighborhood heroes MC Tiger Paw Raw and producer Lobster v. Crab. He has stated that he played music to earn respect.ANAND GIRIDHARADAS, "The Would-Be Prince of Port-au-Prince"
, ''New York Times Magazine'', 15 July 2011; accessed 30 January 2017 Jean graduated from Newark's Vailsburg High School and enrolled for one semester at

Five Towns College Five Towns College is a private college in Dix Hills, New York. The college's degree programs focus on music, media, and the performing arts. History Founded in 1972, Five Towns College holds an Absolute Charter issued by the New York State ...

in New York. In 2009 he enrolled in the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

to pursue his diploma. Jean has been a resident of Saddle River,

South Orange South Orange, officially the Township of South Orange Village, is a suburban township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the village's population was 16,198, reflecting a decline of 766 (4.5%) fro ...

, and North Caldwell, New Jersey.

Music career

Fugees (1988–1997)

Jean and other musicians formed a group in the 1980s under the name Tranzlator Crew. Jean and band member

pursued a romantic relationship beginning in 1992, and ending in 1997, the year of the band's breakup. Jean later revealed that Hill's dishonesty about the parentage of her child, Zion David, caused the rift that split the group up. After they signed with

Ruffhouse Records Ruffhouse Records is an American record label founded in 1989 by Chris Schwartz and Joe Nicolo as a joint venture with Columbia Records. In 1999, Schwartz and Nicolo closed the label, and Schwartz and Kevon Glickman continued with RuffNation ...

and

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

in 1993, they renamed their group as

– an abbreviation of "refugees", and also a sometimes derogatory reference to Haitian immigrants. The group's debut album, ''

,'' was released in 1994. It achieved limited commercial success, peaking at number 62 on the US

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...

chart. The album peaked at number 122 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

in 1997, and it was certified gold by the

Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique The National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing (french: Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique; SNEP) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym ...

(SNEP).Peak chart positions for albums in the United Kingdom: * ''Blunted on Reality'': * ''The Score'' and ''Bootleg Versions'': ''Blunted on Reality'' spawned three singles: "Boof Baf", "

Nappy Heads "Nappy Heads" is a song written and performed by the hip-hop group Fugees. "Nappy Heads" was issued as the second single from the group's debut album ''Blunted on Reality''. The original version of the song was co-produced by Pras and Wyclef Jea ...

" and " Vocab." "Nappy Heads" was the Fugees' first single to be ranked on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, charting at number 49. In 1996, Fugees released their second album, titled '' The Score.'' The album achieved significant commercial success in the U.S., topping the ''Billboard'' 200. It was later certified as six-times platinum by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA). It performed well in several overseas nations, topping the Austrian, Canadian, French, German and Swiss albums charts, while also peaking at number two in Sweden and the United Kingdom. Four commercially successful

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

were released from ''The Score''; "

Fu-Gee-La "Fu-Gee-La" is a song by American hip-hop trio, Fugees, released on December 13, 1995, as the lead single from their second and final album, '' The Score'' (1996). Produced by Salaam Remi, it contains a sample of " If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don' ...

", the first single from the album, peaked at number 29 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was certified gold by the RIAA and by the

Bundesverband Musikindustrie The Bundesverband Musikindustrie (English: Federal Music Industry Association), or simply BVMI, represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 280 labels and music industry related enterprises, which ...

(BVMI). The other three singles – " Killing Me Softly", " Ready or Not" and "

No Woman, No Cry "No Woman, No Cry" is a reggae song by Bob Marley and the Wailers. The song was recorded in 1974 and released on the studio album '' Natty Dread''. The live recording of this song from the 1975 album '' Live!'' was released as a single and is ...

" – did not appear on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as they were not released for commercial sale, making them ineligible to appear on the chart, although they all received sufficient airplay to appear on the

Hot 100 Airplay The Radio Songs chart (previously named Hot 100 Airplay until 2014 and Top 40 Radio Monitor until 1991) is released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and measures the airplay of songs being played on radio stations throughout the United States acro ...

and

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (previously known as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay) is a chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the top R&B and hip hop songs in the United States, based on audience impressions from a panel of radio stations monitored ...

charts. "Killing Me Softly", a cover of the

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the Billboard Magazine, ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", "Feel Like M ...

song "

Killing Me Softly with His Song "Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a song composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel. The lyrics were written in collaboration with Lori Lieberman after she was inspired by a Don McLean performance in late 1971. Denied writing credi ...

", performed strongly in other territories, topping the singles charts in Australia, Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom, among several others. "Ready or Not" peaked at number one in the UK and at number three in Sweden. "No Woman, No Cry" – a cover of the Bob Marley & The Wailers song of the same name – topped the singles chart in New Zealand. Fugees collaborated with singer

Bounty Killer Rodney Basil Price (born 12 June 1972), known as Bounty Killer, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. AllMusic describes him as "one of the most aggressive dancehall stars of the '90s, a street-tough rude boy with an unrepentant flair ...

on the single "Hip-Hopera" and recorded the single "

Rumble in the Jungle George Foreman vs. Muhammad Ali, billed as ''The Rumble in the Jungle'', was a heavyweight championship boxing match on October 30, 1974, at the 20th of May Stadium (now the Stade Tata Raphaël) in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of t ...

" for the soundtrack to the film ''

When We Were Kings ''When We Were Kings'' is a 1996 American documentary film directed by Leon Gast about the " Rumble in the Jungle" heavyweight championship match that was held on October 30, 1974, in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) between worl ...

'' in 1997: although they have not released any studio albums since ''The Score'', a compilation album, ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

'', was released in 2003, and spawned the single "Take It Easy".

1997–2004

Start of solo career

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 Fugees members

and

Pras Prakazrel Samuel Michel (; born October 19, 1972) is a Haitian-American rapper, producer, songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the hip hop group Fugees, alongside Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill. After the Fugees, he earned two ...

, along with Jean's siblings' group

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 (and of the sibli ...

; the

I Threes Bob Marley and the Wailers (previously known as The Wailers, and prior to that The Wailing Rudeboys, The Wailing Wailers and The Teenagers) were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley (Rober ...

(back-up vocals for

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

);

The Neville Brothers The Neville Brothers were an American R&B/soul/funk group, formed in 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana. History The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art (1937–2019), Charles (1938–2018), Aaron (b. 1 ...

and Celia Cruz. The album was a hit, as were two singles: "

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 features raps by John Forté and Pras (of the Fugees) and samples the 1977 Bee Gees hit "Stayin' Alive" and Audio Two's " Top ...

" (adapted from the

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...

' "

Stayin' Alive "Stayin' Alive" is a song written and performed by the Bee Gees from the ''Saturday Night Fever'' motion picture soundtrack. The song was released in 1977 as the second single from the ''Saturday Night Fever'' soundtrack. The band co-produced ...

") and " Gone till November" (recorded with the

New York Philharmonic Orchestra The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

). Released in 2000, Jean's second solo album '' The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book'' was recorded with guests including

Youssou N'Dour Youssou N'Dour (, wo, Yuusu Nduur; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine describe ...

;

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million re ...

;

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...

; The Rock; and

. With Blige he released "

" as a single. He was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Act at the 2000

MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...

. Following the

9/11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerci ...

, Jean participated in the benefit concert '' America: A Tribute to Heroes'', contributing a cover of the Bob Marley song "

Redemption Song "Redemption Song" is a song by Jamaican singer Bob Marley. It is the final track on Bob Marley and the Wailers' twelfth album, ''Uprising'', produced by Chris Blackwell and released by Island Records. The song is considered one of Marley's gre ...

". His 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, '' Sak Pasé Presents: Welcome to Haïti (Creole 101)'' (released in the U.S. by

Koch Records MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had ...

). Most of its songs are in his native language of

Haitian Creole Haitian Creole (; ht, kreyòl ayisyen, links=no, ; french: créole haïtien, links=no, ), commonly referred to as simply ''Creole'', or ''Kreyòl'' in the Creole language, is a French-based creole language spoken by 10–12million people wor ...

like "Fanm Kreyòl" with the

French Caribbean The French West Indies or French Antilles (french: Antilles françaises, ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Antiy fwansez) are the parts of France located in the Antilles islands of the Caribbean: * The two overseas departments of: ** Guadeloupe, ...

Admiral T Admiral T, whose real name is Christy Campbell, is a French singer of reggae- dancehall music. He is one of the most popular and successful Guadeloupean singers. He is also a designer and the creator of the clothing trademark WOK LINE. Biograph ...

. Jean also figured on the album ''Mozaik Kreyòl'' of this one in the song "Secret Lover". He then covered

Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Clearwater Revival, also referred to as Creedence and CCR, was an American rock band formed in El Cerrito, California. The band initially consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty; his brother, ...

's song "

Fortunate Son "Fortunate Son" is a song by the American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival released on their fourth studio album, ''Willy and the Poor Boys'' in November 1969. It was previously released as a single, together with "Down on the Corner", in ...

" for the soundtrack of the film ''

The Manchurian Candidate ''The Manchurian Candidate'' is a novel by Richard Condon, first published in 1959. It is a political thriller about the son of a prominent U.S. political family who is brainwashed into being an unwitting assassin for a Communist conspiracy. Th ...

'' (2004) and wrote the song "Million Voices" for the film ''

Hotel Rwanda ''Hotel Rwanda'' is a 2004 drama film directed by Terry George. It was adapted from a screenplay co-written by George and Keir Pearson, and stars Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo as hotelier Paul Rusesabagina and his wife Tatiana. Based on the ...

'' (2004).

Songwriting and producing

Jean cowrote "

My Love Is Your Love ''My Love Is Your Love'' is the fourth studio album by American singer Whitney Houston, released worldwide on November 17, 1998. It was Houston's first studio album in eight years, following ''I'm Your Baby Tonight'' (1990) although she had part ...

" for

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

's album of the same name. He produced and wrote songs for the soundtrack to Jonathan Demme's 2003 documentary '' The Agronomist'', about the Haitian activist and radio personality

Jean Dominique Jean Léopold Dominique (31 July 1930 – 3 April 2000) was a Haitian journalist and noted activist for human rights and democracy in Haiti. His station, Radio Haiti-Inter, was the first to broadcast news, investigative reporting, and politic ...

. With Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, Jean also composed the score of the documentary ''

Ghosts of Cité Soleil A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

'', He helped produce the film and appears briefly onscreen speaking by telephone in 2004 to a "''chimere''" gang-leader and aspiring rapper, Winston "2Pac" Jean.

"Hips Don't Lie" and ''The Carnival Vol. II'' (2004–2009)

During a period between 2004 and 2006, fueled by a reunion performance in the documentary ''

Dave Chappelle's Block Party ''Dave Chappelle's Block Party'', also known as ''Block Party'', is a 2005 American documentary film hosted and written by comedian Dave Chappelle, and directed by Michel Gondry. The film and its soundtrack are dedicated to the memory of music pr ...

'' (2005), it appeared that Fugees would record a new album. However, Pras claimed to ''Billboard'' magazine, "To put it nicely, it's dead." Pras said the root of this animosity was 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 bullshit? I'm a fan of Lauryn's but I can't respect that." In 2006, Jean was featured in

'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 55 countries. Jean and Shakira went on to perform the song at the

2006 MTV Video Music Awards The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 31, 2006, honoring the best music videos from June 11, 2005, to June 26, 2006. The show was hosted by Jack Black at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The 2006 Video Music Awards marked th ...

and the 2007 Grammy Awards. He joined Shakira on various dates of her Oral Fixation Tour in the U.S. Also in 2007, Jean scored the

Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian and former Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award ...

documentary '' A Place in Time''. In August 2007, Jean released a new song called "

" featuring

and

, which references the song "

C.R.E.A.M. "C.R.E.A.M." (an acronym of "Cash Rules Everything Around Me") is a song by the American hardcore hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released on January 31, 1994 by Loud Records, as the second single from their debut studio album ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 ...

" by the

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...

. One month later he released an album that he recorded in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, with the help of T.I., who also collaborated with Jean on the songs "You Know What it is" and "My Swag" on the latter's 2007 album, '' T.I. vs. T.I.P''. In 2008, an upbeat single "Let Me Touch Your Button" featuring

will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...

was released in the UK in conjunction with Jean's involvement with UK MOTOROKRSTAR. Jean released a song with Serj Tankian called "Riot". In 2009, Jean was featured on the song "Spanish Fly" with

Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...

and Bachata group Aventura included on Aventura's album ''

The Last The Last may refer to: *The Last (band) The Last is an American, Los Angeles-based, early pop/punk band, formed in 1976 by Joe Nolte with high school bandmates Vitus Matare and Dave Harbison. By 1978 the band included three brothers: Joe (guitar ...

'', released in June. On June 17, 2009, Jean announced via

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

that his new album would be called '' wyclefjean'' and was to be released sometime in February 2010. The first single from ''wyclefjean'' was to be titled "Seventeen" and feature Lil Wayne. In August 2009, Jean unveiled his video "Haitian Slumdog Millionaire" featuring Haitian artist Imposs. Making a guest appearance in the video was New York City entrepreneur and philanthropist Ali Naqvi.

"Divine Sorrow" and World Cup Song (2009–2016)

In November 2009, a track titled "Suicide Love" featuring rapper

Eve Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...

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 seventeen tracks, featuring Eve,

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...

, and

Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include: * * * * * better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of he ...

."Wyclef: Leading The Revolution"
by Han O'Connor (Allhiphop) In this album, Wyclef uses the alias Toussaint St. Jean, his

alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differen ...

, when he raps. Jean's self-entitled studio album was due to be released in 2011, but has yet to surface. "Hold On", the lead single from the project, features dancehall artist Mavado. In May 2014, a Jean video, "April Showers", was banned from

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

after Cathy Scott, author of ''

The Killing of Tupac Shakur ''The Killing of Tupac Shakur'' is a biographical, true crime account by American journalist and author Cathy Scott of the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. The book made news upon its September 1997 release, on the first anniversary of Shaku ...

'', lodged a

copyright infringement Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder, s ...

complaint claiming an image in the video was similar to an autopsy photo released in her book. YouTube temporally banned the video.

TMZ TMZ is a tabloid news website owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, originally as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. On September 13, 202 ...

, which broke the story, reported that Scott and the video's director, Hezues R', had settled the matter and agreed that Hezues R' would include a screen credit to the book at the end of the video. Jean worked with

Avicii Tim Bergling (; 8 September 1989 – 20 April 2018), known professionally as Avicii (, ), was a Swedish DJ, remixer and music producer. At the age of 16, Bergling began posting his remixes on electronic music forums, which led to his first rec ...

on a single titled "

Divine Sorrow "Divine Sorrow" is a song by Haitian hip hop recording artist Wyclef Jean from his EP ''J'ouvert''. Credited with the mononym Wyclef on the official cover of the single, it also features Swedish DJ and producer Avicii. The song was released as the ...

" from his upcoming EP ''J'Ouvert''. He collaborated again with Avicii in 2015 on the song "Can't Catch Me" on the album ''Stories'', which also featured Matisyahu. This marks the third collaboration with Avicii and Jean, following "

" and "Divine Sorrow". Jean appeared as a featured vocalist in

The Knocks The Knocks is an American electronic music duo consisting of Ben "B-Roc" Ruttner and James "JPatt" Patterson. They have released 3 full length albums Big Beat Records, Neon Gold">Big Beat Records (American record label)">Big Beat Records, Neon ...

' single "Kiss The Sky", which was released in January 2016. This song was part of their debut album, entitled ''55'', released in March 2016. Jean was also featured on the

Young Thug Jeffery Lamar Williams (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be an influential figure of his generation, with his music impacting the modern sound of hip ...

song "Kanye West", from the rapper's mixtape '' Jeffery'', released in August 2016. Young Thug 2016 August

Wyclef wrote an autobiography entitled ''Purpose: An Immigrant's Story'' with the help of journalist

Anthony Bozza Anthony Bozza is a New York City-based author and journalist who has written extensively for '' Rolling Stone'' and other magazines. He is also the author of bestselling books on Eminem, AC/DC and Artie Lange. Since 2005 he has co-authored numer ...

, published in September 2012.

''Carnival III'' and ''Wyclef Goes Back to School'' (2016–present)

On May 17, 2016, Wyclef released his first song in two years, which gave hints to a new album release. A month later on June 17, he released a new song called Hendrix, and later released a short film featuring

Michael K. Williams Michael Kenneth Williams (November 22, 1966 – September 6, 2021) was an American actor. He rose to fame in 2002 through his critically acclaimed role as Omar Little on the HBO drama series ''The Wire''. He has been described as a "singular pr ...

. He then did many interviews teasing that his new J'ouvert Extended Play would drop in November. Although, this release was pushed back into February. To promote his EP, he did a concert at Terminal 5. On October 14, 2016 Wyclef released an election song called "If I Was President 2016" that would be featured on his J'ouvert EP. On November 1, 2016 he released a song that he had collaborated on with

. The song was called "I Swear," which is also featured on his EP. Wyclef had also collaborated on Young Thug's Jeffery Mixtape, and was featured on Thug's song "Kanye West." Young Thug also had a song named "

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...

" that was named after him because he was such a big influence. In January 2017, Wyclef announced that his ''J'ouvert'' EP would be released on February 3, 2017. On February 2, 2017, Wyclef released his new single "

Ne Me Quitte Pas "Ne me quitte pas" (''"Don't leave me"'') is a 1959 song by Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel. It has been covered in the original French by many artists and has also been translated into and performed in many other languages. A well-known ...

", which was featured on his ''J'ouvert'' Deluxe EP. The EP was released and charted at 117 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and 50 on the Canadian Hot Albums. Four more singles were released from the album, "Life Matters", "The Ring," "Holding onto the Edge" and "Little Things". On June 9, Wyclef announced on his

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

that '' Carnival III: The Fall and Rise of a Refugee'' would become available to pre-order on June 22, 2017. In November 2017, Wyclef released his, ''Wyclef Jean Inspired By'' mixtape. The mixtape features reworks of some of today's most popular records like ''

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...

's'' "DNA." The project also offers up social commentary in the track, "Chain Gang Free ''

Meek Mill Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his music career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group, ...

''," features an original song called, "Camels and Ferraris," and also pays tribute to the late ''

'' on, "Inspired By Whitney." In December 2017, Wyclef along with

Naughty Boy Shahid Khan ( ur, شاهد خان; born 1 January 1981), better known by his stage name Naughty Boy, is a British DJ, record producer, songwriter and musician. In 2012, Khan signed a three–year publishing deal with Sony ATV, as well as a rec ...

appeared on the final of the fourteenth series of ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...

'', guest performing "Dimelo" with contestants

Rak-Su Rak-Su are an English R&B group, formed in Watford. In 2017, they won the fourteenth series of ''The X Factor'', becoming the first male group to do so. The group is made up of Ashley Fongho, Jamaal Shurland, Myles Stephenson, and previously M ...

. Rak-Su won and the performance was released as the winner's single. On December 25, 2017, Wyclef announced The Carnival Tour via social media. The tour had two legs with a total of 56 shows. It started on February 9, 2018 and ended on October 26, 2018. On March 8, 2019, Wyclef released his ninth studio album, ''Wyclef Goes Back to School Volume 1''.

Yéle Haiti

In 2001, Jean established

, a charitable organization known legally as the Wyclef Jean Foundation and incorporated in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. Following 2004's

Hurricane Jeanne Hurricane Jeanne was a Category 3 hurricane that struck the Caribbean and the Eastern United States in September 2004. It was the deadliest hurricane in the Atlantic basin since Mitch in 1998. It was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurrica ...

, the organization provided scholarships to 3,600 children in Gonaïves, Haiti. It continued to provide scholarships, school funding, meals and other charitable benefits to citizens of Haiti in the following years. After the

, Yéle became prominent in raising funds for disaster relief. According to Jean, Yéle raised over $1 million in 24 hours over Twitter. Jean took part in an

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

donation drive and other publicized fundraising, such as the ''

, which he organized with actor and producer

George Clooney George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...

. Yéle donated funds to orphanages, street cleaning crews, hospitals and medical clinics and organized food service to provide hot meals to refugees and victims of the catastrophe. By February 2010, questions were reported about the history and management of Yéle. ''

'' reported that the charity had failed to file tax returns for several years. The former executive director,

Sanjay Rawal Sanjay Rawal (born October 30, 1974) is an Indian-American documentary film director who lives in New York City. His first feature length film ''Food Chains'' premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in its Culinary Cinema Programme in 2014 and had ...

, questioned Yéle's ability to handle large projects and criticized its lack of financial controls. By August 2012, chief executive Derek Q. Johnson was the last remaining officer of the charity. He resigned and announced that Yéle was closed, saying in a statement, "As the foundation's sole remaining employee, my decision implies the closure of the organization as a whole."

New York Attorney General The attorney general of New York is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of New York and head of the Department of Law of the state government. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government o ...

Eric T. Schneiderman investigated Yéle and attempted to reach a settlement over allegations of mismanagement. Schneiderman said that the charity had made improper payments to Jean, members of his family, and personal acquaintances. In 2010, after the earthquake in Haiti, Yéle spent more than $9 million - with half of it going to travel expenses by Jean and his entourage, consultants' fees, and real estate fees. The charity has been the subject of lawsuits in Haiti for unpaid debts.

Politics

Jean has supported politicians in Haiti. In 2011 he told ''

Women's Wear Daily ''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides inf ...

'' that he was "a big fan of

Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 R ...

", former vice-presidential candidate of the Republican Party. It was reported erroneously that Jean would be attending the 2012 Republican National Convention in

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...

2010 Haitian presidential campaign

On August 5, 2010, Wyclef confirmed rumors that he was running for president of Haiti during an interview with

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

Wolf Blitzer Wolf Isaac Blitzer (born March 22, 1948) is an American journalist, television news anchor, and author who has been a CNN reporter since 1990, and who currently serves as one of the principal anchors at the network. He is the host of ''The Situa ...

. The journalist questioned the rapper's citizenship qualifications, asking about his passport. ''Exclaim!'' magazine reported at the time that Jean would retire as chairman of Yéle Haiti. On August 5, Jean formally filed papers as a candidate for the 2010 Haitian presidential election. Wyclef intended to run as a candidate for the Viv Ansanm (Live Together) political party. 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 constitutional residency requirement of having lived in Haiti for five years before the November 28 election. Jean said, "I respectfully accept the committee's final decision, and I urge my supporters to do the same.

Appearances in television and film

* In 2002, Jean played the part of ''Richie Effs'' in the Jamaican crime film ''

Shottas ''Shottas'' is a 2002 Jamaican crime film about two young men who participate in organized crime in Kingston and Miami. It stars Ky-Mani Marley, Spragga Benz, Paul Campbell and Louie Rankin and was written and directed by Cess Silvera. Despite ...

'', about two young men who participate in organized crime in

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...

, and

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

. * On a 2004 episode of ''

Chappelle's Show ''Chappelle's Show'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedians Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show and starring in the majority of its sketches. Chappelle, Brennan, and Michele Armour were ...

'', he appeared as the musical guest and played a remix of his song "President" from the 2004 album ''Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101''. * He starred in

Virgin Mobile Virgin Mobile is a wireless communications brand used by seven independent brand-licensees worldwide. Virgin Mobile branded wireless communications services are available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Kuwait, Saudi Ara ...

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 entitled "Heaven's in New York" that is the closing credits first song. * Also in 2005, Wyclef appeared in four episodes of the hit NBC prime-time television drama ''

Third Watch ''Third Watch'' is an American crime drama television series created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero that aired on NBC from September 26, 1999, to May 6, 2005, with a total of 132 episodes spanning over six seasons. It was produced by ...

'' as 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 MTV 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. * May 14, 2009: Jean appeared in an episode of

30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', takes ...

entitled ''Kidney Now!,'' the final episode of Season 3. *February 19, 2012: '' The Apprentice season 12, Episode 1: "Hero Worship" *He appeared on the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

show ''

The Electric Company ''The Electric Company'' is an American educational children's television series produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW, now known as Sesame Workshop). It was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett. The ...

'' *From 2012 to 2013, he appeared as Dominic "Domino" King, the head of a music label on the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

drama series ''

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

''. * In 2016, Wyclef appeared in an episode of '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' in which played the CEO of a record company *In 2017 December 2, Wyclef Jean joined the X-Factor UK winning male band Rak-su in the finals performing alongside English DJ Naughty Boy on the quartet's smash single 'Dimelo' *On 2017 January 19, Wyclef Jean appeared as a diner on Episode 13 of '' Hell's Kitchen (U.S. season 17)''.

Writing

In 2012 Jean published his memoir called ''Purpose: An Immigrant's Story.'' and which takes him through the turmoil of immigration, The book depicts with painful detail, the story of his childhood in

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

, to his rise to the American music scene. Wyclef describes growing up in Haiti so poor, he actually ate dirt. Purpose is considered one of the top ten reads for Haitian Americans as per the Haitian Times.

Personal life

Jean had a relationship with

. In 1994, he married Marie Claudinette, a designer for Fusha. In 2005, they adopted their daughter, Angelina Claudinelle Jean. The couple renewed their vows in August 2009. One of Jean's cousins is

Raymond Alcide Joseph Raymond Alcide Joseph (born August 31, 1931) is a Haitian diplomat, journalist, political activist and author. He was the Haitian ambassador to the United States from 2005 to 2010, and he resigned to be considered for candidacy in the 2010 Haitian ...

, a political activist, journalist and diplomat.

Discography

* 1997: '' The Carnival'' * 2000: '' The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book'' * 2002: '' Masquerade'' * 2003: ''

'' * 2003: '' The Preacher's Son'' * 2004: '' Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101'' * 2006: ''Ghosts of Cité Soleil (soundtrack)'' * 2007: '' Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant'' * 2009: '' From the Hut, to the Projects, to the Mansion'' * 2010: '' If I Were President: My Haitian Experience'' * 2017: ''

J'ouvert J'ouvert ( ) or Jour ouvert is a traditional festival known as "break day" or the unofficial start of Carnival, which takes place on the Monday before Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christi ...

'' * 2017: '' Carnival III: The Fall and Rise of a Refugee'' * 2019: ''

Wyclef Goes Back to School Volume 1 Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Golden Globe Awards

source, Golden Globe Awards: , - , rowspan, 2004 , rowspan, "Million Voices” -

Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song The Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song is a Golden Globe Award that was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The award is presented to the songwriters of a ...

, , -

Grammy Awards

Source, Grammy Award wins: , - , rowspan="3",

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

, rowspan="2", '' The Score'' , Album of the Year , , - ,

Best Rap Album The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories ...

, , - , '' Killing Me Softly'' ,

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances. The award had several minor name changes: *From 1967 to 1968 the ...

, , - , rowspan="2", 1998 , ''

Guantanamera "Guantanamera" (; Spanish: (the woman) from Guantánamo) is perhaps the best-known Cuban song and that country's most-noted patriotic song, especially when using a poem by the Cuban poet José Martí for the lyrics. The official writing credi ...

'' (featuring Celia Cruz and Jeni Fujita) ,

Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance. The award was discontin ...

, , - , '' The Carnival'' ,

, , - , 1999 , '' Gone till November'' ,

Best Rap Solo Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously, a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance. In 2003, this award was split into separate a ...

, , - ,

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

, ''

Supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

'' (as a producer) , Album of the Year , , - , 2001 , ''

'' (with

) ,

, , - ,

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, ''Million Voices'' (shared with

Jerry Duplessis Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis (born 9 August 1975) is a Haitian music producer, film score composer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. His first major success was as a producer for the Fugees' 1996 album '' The Score''. He also played the bass guitar w ...

and Andrea Guerra) ,

Best Song Written for Visual Media The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media (including its previous names) is the Grammy Awards awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media. Recipients * Each year is linked t ...

, , - , 2007 , '' Hips Don't Lie'' (with

) , Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals , , -

MTV Video Music Awards

, - , rowspan="3", 1998 , rowspan="2", " Gone till November" ,

Best R&B Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B was first awarded in 1993 under the name of Best R&B Video, and it was given every year until 2006, as the following year MTV revamped the VMAs and eliminated all the genre categories. The following year, thou ...

, , - , Best Direction in a Video , , - , "

" , Best Choreography in a Video , , - ,

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

, " Dear Future Self (Hands Up)" , Best Rock , , -

Other honors

In 2011, President

of Haiti awarded Jean with the

to the rank of Grand Officer "as a sign of high consideration national for his dedication to the promotion of Haiti around the world." In 2017, Jean was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

References

External links

*
Yéle Haiti Foundation

Sak Pasé Records
(a record label founded by Wyclef)

by Wyclef Jean, September 23, 2010
New York Post article on mismanagement at Yéle Haiti Foundation

Wyclef talking about Nation19.com / APDTA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jean, Wyclef 1969 births Living people Columbia Records artists Fugees members Grammy Award winners Guitarists from New Jersey Guitarists from New York City Haitian emigrants to the United States Haitian human rights activists Haitian hip hop musicians Haitian rappers Haitian record producers Haitian victims of crime Hip hop singers Music of the African diaspora People from North Caldwell, New Jersey People from Ouest (department) People from Saddle River, New Jersey Pop rappers Rappers from Brooklyn Rappers from Newark, New Jersey Singers from New Jersey 20th-century Haitian musicians 20th-century Haitian male singers