Wyclef Neluset Jean
(born October 17, 1972) is a multi-platinum Haitian-American musician, actor, producer and former-member of the hip hop trio The Fugees. Wyclef has sold more than 31 million albums [1] throughout his career, together with his album sales with The Fugees.
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Biography
A native of
Haiti,
[2] Wyclef Jean became a sworn
Rasta at a young age, as he often mentions in various tracks.
The son of a
Nazarene pastor,
[3] Wyclef briefly attended
Eastern Nazarene College, where his younger brother Sam graduated with a degree in history.
[4]
Wyclef moved with his family to
Brooklyn,
New York, when he was nine, before moving again to
northern New Jersey. Jean has been a resident of
Saddle River, New Jersey, and
South Orange, New Jersey.
[5]
Yéle Haiti
In
2005, Jean established the
Yéle Haiti Foundation. In its first year of operation, the foundation, with funding by
Comcel, 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.
Together for Haiti
Created in response to the current food shortages and rioting in Haiti, is a partnership between Yéle Haiti, the
United Nations World Food Programme, and the
Pan American Development Foundation (PADF). Both a fundraising and awareness campaign, its mission is to provide much needed resources for three crucial programs in Haiti:
- Targeted Food Distribution - Expand WFP's existing food assistance program for children under five and pregnant women, continue existing school meal programs through summer vacation, and organize voucher-based food distribution of dry food to the neediest families.
- Immediate Employment Creation - Create Labor-intensive employment opportunities that will support expanding agricultural production, with wages in cash and food.
- Micro-enterprise Grants - Small grants and training for small-scale egg production, vegetable gardens, grain milling, bread production and other related activities.
The partnership was publicly launched on May 20, 2008, at a press event hosted by Wyclef Jean in New York City.
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Musical career
Jean had previously been singing with a friend of his named Paulette Maurice, while in high school.
The Fugees signed to
Ruffhouse Records, which released the group's debut album,
Blunted on Reality
. It sold poorly, but the follow-up album
The Score
sold over 18 million copies worldwide. 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
Hill and
Pras along with Jean's siblings
Melky Sedeck and
Farel Sedeck Guerschom Jean, 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).
The Fugees remained in limbo during this time, with the follow-up to
The Score
being continually postponed as all three members cultivated solo careers.
At the concert
Woodstock 1999, Jean paid homage to 1969
Woodstock performer
Jimi Hendrix by setting fire to his guitar after playing "
The Star-Spangled Banner", and burnt his fingers while doing so.
[6]
Jean's second solo album, released in 2000, was
The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book
. This 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.
[7]
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
,
[8] in which he appears onscreen speaking by telephone in 2004 to a "
chimere
" gang-leader and aspiring rapper, Winston "2Pac" Jean.
[9]
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, saying to Billboard, "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."
Jean released an album in September 2007 that he recorded in
Atlanta, Georgia, with the help of
T.I.. 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
.
Jean's next studio album is expected to be released by the end of 2009. Although originally titled "To Sir, With Love", Wyclef posted on his official blog that this is no longer the name of the album and invited fans to guess the new title. Rumored collaborations include Shakira, Timbaland, and Pharell. On May 9, 2009, a demo entitled "The Border" was leaked onto music blogs. This demo was credited as Wyclef Jean featuring Shakira, although the opposite may actually be true.
In 2009, he featured in a song called "Spanish Fly" with
Ludacris and Bachata group
Aventura in Aventura's upcoming album "
The Last" which will come out in June.
On June 17th, 2009, Wyclef announced via
Twitter that his new album will be called "wyclefjean" to be released sometime in February 2010. The first single off of wyclefjean is to be titled "Seventeen" and will feature
Lil' Wayne.
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Humanitarian efforts
Jean has been active in his support of his native country and created the foundation
Yéle Haiti [10] 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 and humanitarian experts
Sanjay Rawal and Natabara Rollosson. 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.
[11]
May 20, 2008 – Yéle Haiti partnered with WFP (World Food Programme) 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.
June 2009 – Wyclef sang another verison of "Gun Powder" and "No Woman, No Cry" to Support The Killed People of Iran, The Demonstrations, The Shooting of The 27 Year-old Woman Neda and The Struggles there. The Video Can Be Seen on
YouTube
House foreclosure
Wyclef's waterfront mansion that was purchased through his corporation on Pine Tree Drive in Miami Beach, Florida, is now owned by a bank as of November 2008. The property is valued at US$1.4 million.
[12] He took out a US$2-million mortgage to purchase and renovate the property, but fell behind in payments. There are more than $100,000+ in construction and architectural liens associated with the property. The house was reported to be auctioned at the Miami-Dade Courthouse on December 12, 2008. Wyclef Jean's corporation that he and a few friends set up several years ago then owed the bank US$2.4 million.
[13]
In January 2009, Wyclef mentioned, in a walk-by interview, that the problems with their Miami-Dade property were due to a contractor's sitting on the job for two years, and that the court-ordered sale did not take place, and that he plans to sell the property later.
[14] [15] [16]
Television and film
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- Was a musical guest star on Nickelodeon sketch comedy show ''All That" during the 1990s.
- In 1997, toured "Carnival" album on MTV's "Live from the 10 Spot" at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan.
- Performed "Sweetest Girl" on Jimmy Kimmel Live
.
- Performed "President" on the second season of Chappelle's Show
.
- In 2001, he appeared in the made-for-television movie Carmen: A Hip Hopera
alongside Beyonce and Mos Def, as a fortune teller.
- Performed on the 2003 Source Awards with DJ Khaled.
- Appeared for a second time on Chappelle's Show
in a parody of Making the Band
.
- Appeared on the The Apprentice (US Season 4)
in 2005. Did a rap, "Rubble Man", with the winning team, Excel, as their reward for winning task five.
- Also in 2005, he played gang leader Marcel Hollis who leads his group on an assault on the station house in the NBC television drama Third Watch
.
- In 2004, Jean, Pras and Hill reunited as The Fugees for an event filmed and released in 2006 as Dave Chappelle's Block Party
.
- He also starred in Virgin Mobile commercials as himself. [17] In one commercial, a woman approaches him and tricks him into signing a contract which legally binds them in marriage. She drags him back to her trailer-park home where he is mistreated, forced to work and pleasure his wife. Eventually, he runs away and seeks police assistance, but is instead arrested for violating his contract and ultimately winds up in jail.
- Appeared in 2002 Jamaican gangster film Shottas
, released in 2006.
- In 2005, he played the role of a Jamaican drug dealer in the movie Dirty
.
- He narrated the movie Full Clip
, starring Busta Rhymes, Xzibit, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Spliff Star, and others.
- He has appeared and performed on the Source Awards with DJ Khaled, with Wyclef and his band and Khaled doing turntables.
- He appears in the documentary film Ghosts of Cité Soleil
, released in limited theaters on June 27, 2007.
- 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".
- In December 2007, starred in the four-part MTV exclusive online short-film Americlef [18]
- On April 26, 2008 he hosted the MTV Australia Awards
- He appeared on a remix of his own track "Bubblegoose" for Chef Aid: The South Park Album
, where he sings alongside the main characters of the show.
- Created a music video at the University of San Francisco for the song "President" in February 2008.
- 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 www.togetherforhaiti.org http://think.mtv.com/044FDFFFF009898BA00170098F67D/ members of the American and international television and print media were invited to cover the news. UN envoy Jeffrey Sachs introduced Jean. Supermodel Petra Nemcova was on hand to support. A surprise appearance was made by Paul Simon.
- August 25, 2008: Wyclef Jean goes "On The Record" with Greta Van Susteren of FOX News discussing his life and career, political coverage, Obama, McCain, Bush and 9-11.
- January 11, 2009: Wyclef Jean is featured on 60 Minutes
- January 30, 2009: Wyclef Jean is featured on The Musical Brain on CTV.
- TV appearance on "30 Rock."
Discography
- The Carnival
(Columbia, 1997)
- The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book
(Columbia, 2000)
- Masquerade
(Columbia, 2002)
- Greatest Hits
(Columbia, 2003)
- The Preacher's Son
(J, 2003)
- Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101
(Koch, 2004)
- Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant
(Columbia, 2007)
- ''Music Theory (Columbia, 2009) [19]
References
- http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/08/60minutes/main4707723.shtml
- Yéle.org: About us
- ''Rolling Stone'' interview: "Wyclef Jean Q&A: How the Ex-Fugee Got His Groove Back"
- The James R. Cameron Center for History, Law, & Government at Eastern Nazarene College: Our Graduates
- Century, Douglas. "Alpine, N.J., Home of Hip-Hop Royalty", ''The New York Times'', February 11, 2007. Accessed 2008-02-16.
- Rock Stars Who've Caught Fire Onstage!
- BBC News (October 2, 2000): "MTV Europe Music Awards: The nominations"
- ''Ghosts Of Cité Soleil'' - Casting Info (2005)
- ''Film Journal International'' (June 27, 2007): ''Ghosts of Cité Soleil'' (review by Frank Lovece)
- Yele.org
- BBC News (4 January 2007): "Wyclef becomes Haiti 'ambassador'"
- http://www.page2live.com/2008/11/20/foreclosure-hits-music-star-wyclef-jean/
- http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2008/11/wyclef_jeans_foreclosed_mansio.php
- http://www.tmz.com/2009/01/26/wyclef-home-a-loan/
- http://www.miami-dadeclerk.com/civil/docketinfo.asp?pCase_Year=2008&pCase_Seq=3018&pCase_Code=CA&pCa
- http://www.miami-dadeclerk.com/civil/docketinfo.asp?pCase_Year=2008&pCase_Seq=16954&pCase_Code=CA&pC
- Partizan - Commercials - Doug Nichol
- MTV Online
- Wyclef Jean on hairstyles and his next album 'Music Theory'