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Wyclef Jean
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Lead
Fugees
rapper and sometime guitarist
Wyclef Jean
was the first member of his group to embark on a solo career, and he proved even more ambitious and eclectic on his own. As
the Fugees
hung in limbo,
Wyclef
also became hip-hop's unofficial multicultural conscience; a seemingly omnipresent activist, he assembled or participated in numerous high-profile charity benefit shows for a variety of causes, including aid for his native Haiti. The utopian one-world sensibility that fueled
Wyclef
's political consciousness also
informed his recordings, which fused hip-hop with as many different styles of music as he could get his hands on (though, given his Caribbean roots, reggae was a particular favorite). In addition to his niche as hip-hop's foremost global citizen,
Clef
was also a noted producer and remixer who worked with an impressive array of pop, R&B, and hip-hop talent, including
Whitney Houston
,
Santana
, and
Destiny's Child
, among many others.
The son of a minister,
Nelust Wyclef Jean
was born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, on October 17, 1972. When he was nine, his family moved to the Marlborough projects in Brooklyn, NY; by his teenage years,
Jean
had moved to New Jersey, taken up the guitar, and begun studying jazz through his high school's music department. In 1987, he also joined a rap group with his cousin
Prakazrel Michel
(aka
Pras
) and
Michel
's high-school classmate
Lauryn Hill
. Initially calling themselves
the Tranzlator Crew
, they evolved into
the Fugees
, a name taken from slang for Haitian refugees. The trio signed with Ruffhouse Records in 1993 and released their debut album,
Blunted on Reality
, the following year; it attracted little notice, thanks to an inappropriate hardcore stance that the group wore like an ill-fitting suit. But
the Fugees
hit their stride on the follow-up,
The Score
, ignoring popular trends and crafting an eclectic, bohemian masterpiece that sounded like nothing else on the hip-hop landscape in 1996. Thanks to hit singles like
"Fu-Gee-La"
and
"Killing Me Softly,"
The Score
became a chart-topping phenomenon; in fact, with sales of over six million copies, it still ranks as one of the biggest-selling rap albums of all time.
Wyclef Jean
was the first
Fugee
to declare plans for a solo project, setting to work soon after the group completed its supporting tours. Released in the summer of 1997,
The Carnival
(full title:
Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars
) was even more musically ambitious than
The Score
. Its roster of guests included not only the remainder of
the Fugees
, but also
Jean
's siblings (who performed together in the duo
Melky Sedeck
), Cuban legend
Celia Cruz
, New Orleans funk mainstays
the Neville Brothers
, and
Bob Marley
's female backing vocalists
the I Threes
. The breadth of his ambition was further in evidence on the album's two hit singles;
"We Trying to Stay Alive"
recast
the Bee Gees
' signature disco tune as a ghetto empowerment anthem, and the Grammy-nominated
"Gone Till November"
was recorded with part of
the New York Philharmonic Orchestra
. Those two songs helped push
The Carnival
into a Top 20, triple-platinum showing, and most reviews were naturally quite positive.
In the wake of
The Carnival
,
Wyclef
stepped up his outside work for other artists; over the next few years, he collaborated as a producer, songwriter, and/or remixer with a typically diverse list of artists:
Destiny's Child
(
"No No No"
),
Sublime
,
Simply Red
,
Whitney Houston
(the title track of her
My Love Is Your Love
album), dancehall reggae star
Bounty Killer
,
Cypress Hill
,
Michael Jackson
,
Eric Benet
,
Mya
,
Santana
(
"Maria Maria"
),
Tevin Campbell
,
the Black Eyed Peas
,
Kimberly Scott
,
Sinéad O'Connor
,
Mick Jagger
, and
Canibus
.
Clef
also served as
Canibus
' manager for a short time in 1998; prior to their split, a report surfaced that
Wyclef
had pulled a gun on Blaze editor Jesse Washington over a negative
Canibus
review the magazine was slated to run (
Wyclef
vehemently denied the accusation, and no charges were filed).
By the time
Wyclef
began work on his second solo album, rumors were flying about tension between individual
Fugees
, and despite their denials, the fact that no follow-up to
The Score
was in sight seemed to lend credence to all the speculation. Although
Wyclef
had previously announced he would put off his sophomore effort until after the next
Fugees
album, he was well into the project by early 2000, giving an early release the antipolice brutality track
"Diallo"
(with guest vocals from Senegalese superstar
Youssou N'Dour
) via the Internet. The full album, titled
The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book
, was released toward the end of the summer and entered the charts at number nine. Besides
N'Dour
, guests this time around included
Mary J. Blige
(on the Grammy-nominated duet
"911"
),
Earth, Wind & Fire
,
Kenny Rogers
, and even wrestling star
the Rock
(
"It Doesn't Matter"
);
Clef
also threw in a left-field cover of
Pink Floyd
's
"Wish You Were Here."
This time around, some critics suggested that
Wyclef
's sprawling ambitions were growing messy, but the record went platinum nonetheless. Shortly after its release, he also started up his own record label, Yclef.
With no
Fugees
reunion in sight,
Wyclef
began preparing his third solo album,
Masquerade
, in 2001; he also appeared in the Jamaican gangster flick Shottas, and, sadly, suffered the death of his father in a home accident.
Masquerade
was released in the summer of 2002, and in addition to the usual worldbeat fusions, it found
Wyclef
reworking songs by
Bob Dylan
and
Frankie Valli
, and featured guest shots from
Tom Jones
and Israeli violinist
Miri Ben-Ari
.
Masquerade
entered the charts at number six, proving that
Wyclef
's freewheeling approach still held quite a bit of appeal. One year later, he returned with
The Preacher's Son
, and also released an album of traditional Haitian Creole music,
Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101
. His debut solo album got its sequel in 2007 when
Carnival, Vol. 2: Memoirs of an Immigrant
hit the shelves. The album had a diverse and lengthy guest list, with
Akon
,
Mary J. Blige
,
Norah Jones
,
Shakira
,
Paul Simon
, and
Sizzla
being just some of the names involved. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
More
Official Profile
Wyclef Jean
With a formidable new album, "The Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant," on the way, the H...
Songs: 3, Videos: 4, Playlists: 0, Blog Posts: 8, Polls: 0, Battles: 0
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911 f. Mary J. Blige
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Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)
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Gone Till November
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22,695 plays
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Perfect Gentleman
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Fan Comments
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Sexii Kool Trish
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Oct 17th, 7:49pm
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! =]
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Cass Diaz
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Oct 17th, 3:46pm
HAPPY BORN DAY....CASS
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Sammy
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Oct 17th, 2:03am
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
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♦♣Aaliyah xxx♠♥
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Oct 17th, 1:01am Last edited Oct 17th, 1:01am.
Happy Birthday....
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ANUCHA MAS O' DI
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Oct 16th, 8:58pm
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SKYLINE RADIO
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Sep 22nd, 4:07pm
Fast Car for realz... this is a great concept, I'm in Calgary, Canada just enjoyin the vibes of this one..
www.youtube.com/skyline403ent..
blessings always
P.H.E.B.U.S. people hate everyday but united stand.
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Joe Boyd
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Sep 14th, 11:53pm
New artist NNEKA, has a similar sound to Wyclef, check out her single Heartbeat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55iKcw6sbPU
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myty
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)
Aug 10th, 4:28pm
Can I Call You Angel?
The snow fell, leaving a halo of white upon your head,
and that's when I said,
"Can I call you Angel?"
You looked at me with surprise,
but I could see it in your eyes,
and I knew.
As you sang silent night,
your beautiful voice put me at ease,
and I asked please,
"Can I call you Angel?"
A smile came to your face with serenity and grace,
but you said not a word.
In my darkest hours you held my hand,
never leaving my side, and I said, while I cried,
"Can I call you Angel? "
You then began to wipe the tears away
and erase all the gray in my life.
You led me down a path of gold,
telling me of the creator above,
and again I asked with a greater love,
"Can I call you Angel?"
You never answered my plea,
so I fell to my knee in prayer.
As I opened my eyes, I could see you before me;
Your wings spread and a golden halo upon your head
and one last time I said,
"Josslyn, can I call you Angel?"
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myty
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)
Jul 31st, 2:24pm
God Sent Me An Angel
I was walking along a country road one calm and cloudy day
Feeling down about the problems that had seemed to come my way
My pain was very great and my tears I could not hide
And was calling God to help me as I was hurting deep inside
I then thought about what I've believed and how I've rarely called
For sometimes I have wondered if God were there at all
As I lifted up my head and looked down that road a spell
I spotted someone coming - from the distance hard to tell
As he got a little closer I could then see all the signs
Of someone who'd been down that road quite a number of times
His clothes were old and dusty and his shoes were pretty worn
But there seemed a glow about him - at least I could have sworn
His face appeared real friendly as he peered up in the sky
He said, the weather is pretty calm today, hope the rain will pass us by
He first talked about the weather, but there seemed to be much more
That we both had in common, except for what we wore
He started talking about his life and the places he had been
And he spoke as if he knew me, like we were next-of-kin
From the problems that he had, to the happy times he found
Our likeness was uncanny and was becoming more profound
We had so much in common - I couldn't believe how much alike,
That I decided to tag along, we continued on our hike
He said he's from all over and his name was just like mine,
And hoped one day that we would meet as he had a real short time
I was feeling sort of baffled, as we went on with our walk
But he had held my interest, so I listened as he talked
He said, I know you're hurting - as your life has been so hard
But it seems today that you found God, where once you'd disregard
From the point that I was calling and was asking for God's hand,
Is the point where he had first appeared, as this was in God’s plan
He said to take more time for prayer - that I could bend God's ear
That He is always listening, and He is always near
God knows about my struggles but better times will be ahead,
As long as I keep believing and will no longer be mislead.
We then turned onto a sidewalk and now very close to home,
And it was then it struck me that I was suddenly now alone.
This stopped me in my tracks and I began to call his name
And it was then I understood, why to me that day he came.
I then realized God had heard me, as my Angel He then sent
To relieve me of my worries, and all my discontent.
Today I pray more often and feel blessed with my God's Love
As He was there and listening - and sent an Angel from above
happy weekend
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Sh*A*ne Philip
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Jul 15th, 7:34pm
THX fo da invite, u da best
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Albums (7)
Carnival, Vol. 2: Memoirs of an Immigrant
(14 songs)
Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101
(3 songs)
The Preacher's Son
(12 songs)
Greatest Hits
(11 songs)
view all
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