Wyclef Jean | |
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.jpg) Jean in 2025 | |
| Born | Nelust Wyclef Jean (1969-10-17)October 17, 1969 (age 56) Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti |
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| Education | |
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| Years active | 1989–present |
| Organization | Yéle Haiti |
| Works | |
| Political party | Fas a Fas |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives |
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| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Formerly of | |
| Website | www |
Musical artist | |
Nelust Wyclef Jean[2] (/ˈwaɪklɛfˈʒɒn/WY-klefZHON; born October 17, 1969)[2][3] is a Haitian rapper. Born inHaiti, Jean emigrated to theUnited States as a child.[4] He gained fame as a founding member of theFugees, a New Jersey–basedhip hop trio he formed in 1990 withLauryn Hill andPras Michel, serving as the group's lead producer and guitarist. Their second albumThe Score (1996) became one of thebest-selling albums of all time. Following the Fugees' success, Jean launched a solo career withWyclef Jean Presents The Carnival (1997), which featured theBillboard Hot 100-top ten hit "Gone till November".
In 1997, Jean also appeared onDestiny's Child's breakout single "No, No, No". He later co-wrote the 1999 singles "My Love Is Your Love" forWhitney Houston, and "Maria Maria" forSantana. His second solo album,The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book (2000), was supported by the top 40 single "911" (featuringMary J. Blige), and receivedplatinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His third album,Masquerade (2002), peaked within the top ten of theBillboard 200. He guest performed onShakira's 2006 single, "Hips Don't Lie", which peaked atop theBillboard Hot 100. The following year, his single "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" (featuringAkon,Lil Wayne andNiia) peaked within the chart's top 20; it served as lead single for his sixth studio album and final release on a major label,Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant (2007).
Alongside his recording career, Jean hasproduced and co-wrote several hit songs for other artists. He also worked with rock iconsBono andMick Jagger, and co-wrote "Dar um Jeito (We Will Find a Way)", the official2014 FIFA World Cup anthem, alongsideCarlos Santana,Avicii, andAlexandre Pires. Jean contributed to various film and television projects, including scoringThe Agronomist (2003) and appearing on theEmmy-nominated30 Rock episode "Kidney Now!". In 2004, Jean co-wrote and performed "Million Voices" forHotel Rwanda, earning aGolden Globe nomination forBest Original Song.[5]
Beyond music, Jean has been active inHaitian politics and philanthropy. In 2007, he was appointedAmbassador-at-Large of Haiti and later ran for the2010 Haitian presidency,[6][7] but was deemed ineligible due to residency requirements.[3][8] His charity,Yéle Haiti, raised funds for Haitian relief efforts, including the2010 Haitian earthquake, before disbanding amid financial scrutiny.[9] Jean has won threeGrammy Awards, and his production work on Santana'sSupernatural (1999) was later recognized by theGrammy Hall of Fame. He also received theBET Humanitarian Award andNAACP Vanguard Award.[10][11] In 2011, Haitian PresidentMichel Martelly awarded him theNational Order of Honour and Merit. Jean is among the few artists to chart on 16 differentBillboard radio charts.[12]
Named after the biblical scholarJohn Wycliffe,[13] Wyclef Jean was born inCroix-des-Bouquets, Haiti[2] on October 17, 1969.[14] At nine years old, he emigrated with his family toBrooklyn, New York City, and ultimately settled inEast Orange andNewark, New Jersey. Jean began to make music as a child, and as a teen, his mother, having recognized his musical talent, bought him a guitar. He has citedreggae artistBigga Haitian as one of his early influences, as well as neighborhood heroes MC Tiger Paw Raw and producer Lobster v. Crab.[15] He has stated that he played music to earn respect.[16]
Jean graduated from Newark'sVailsburg High School and enrolled for one semester atFive Towns College in New York.[17] In 2009 he enrolled in theBerklee College of Music to pursue his diploma.[18] Jean has been a resident ofSaddle River,South Orange, andNorth Caldwell, New Jersey.[19][20]
Jean and other musicians formed a group in the 1980s under the name Tranzlator Crew. Jean and band memberLauryn Hill 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.[21] After they signed withRuffhouse Records andColumbia Records in 1993, they renamed their group theFugees – an abbreviation of "refugees", and also a sometimes derogatory reference to Haitian immigrants.[22] The group's debut album,Blunted on Reality, was released in 1994. It achieved limited commercial success, peaking at number 62 on the USTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album peaked at number 122 on theUK Albums Chart in 1997, and it was certified gold by theSyndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP).[23][24][25]Blunted on Reality spawned three singles: "Boof Baf", "Nappy Heads" and "Vocab". "Nappy Heads" was the Fugees' first single to be ranked on the USBillboard Hot 100, charting at number 49.[26]
In 1996, the Fugees released their second album, titledThe Score. The album achieved significant commercial success in the U.S., topping theBillboard 200. It was later certified assix-times platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (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.[24][27][28][29]
Four commercially successfulsingles were released fromThe Score; "Fu-Gee-La", the first single from the album, peaked at number 29 on theBillboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by the RIAA and by theBundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI).[26][30] The other three singles – "Killing Me Softly", "Ready or Not" and "No Woman, No Cry" – did not appear on theBillboard Hot 100 as they were not released for commercial sale, making them ineligible to appear on the chart,[31] although they all received sufficient airplay to appear on theHot 100 Airplay andHot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts. "Killing Me Softly", a cover of theRoberta Flack song "Killing Me Softly with His Song", performed strongly in other territories, topping the singles charts in Australia, Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom, among several others.[32]
"Ready or Not" peaked at number one in the UK and at number three in Sweden. "No Woman, No Cry" – a cover of theBob Marley & The Wailers song of the same name – topped the singles chart in New Zealand. The Fugees collaborated with singerBounty Killer on the single "Hip-Hopera" and recorded the single "Rumble in the Jungle" for the soundtrack to the filmWhen We Were Kings in 1997: although they have not released any studio albums sinceThe Score, a compilation album,Greatest Hits, was released in 2003, and spawned the single "Take It Easy".[33]
Jean announced plans to begin a solo career with 1997'sWyclef Jean Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars (generally calledThe Carnival). The album's guests included Fugees membersLauryn Hill andPras, along with Jean's siblings' groupMelky Sedeck;[34] theI Threes (back-up vocals forBob Marley);The Neville Brothers andCelia Cruz. The album was a hit, as were two singles: "We Trying to Stay Alive" (adapted from theBee Gees' "Stayin' Alive") and "Gone till November" (recorded with theNew York Philharmonic Orchestra).
Released in 2000, Jean's second solo albumThe Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book was recorded with guests includingYoussou N'Dour;Earth, Wind & Fire;Kenny Rogers;The Rock; andMary J. Blige. With Blige, he released "911" as a single. He was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Act at the 2000MTV Europe Music Awards.[35][36]
Following the9/11 attacks, Jean participated in the benefit concertAmerica: A Tribute to Heroes, contributing a cover of the Bob Marley song "Redemption Song". 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. byKoch Records). Most of its songs are in his native language ofHaitian Creole like "Fanm Kreyòl" with theFrench CaribbeanAdmiral T. Jean also figured on the albumMozaik Kreyòl of this one in the song "Secret Lover". He then coveredCreedence Clearwater Revival's song "Fortunate Son" for the soundtrack of the filmThe Manchurian Candidate (2004) and wrote the song "Million Voices" for the filmHotel Rwanda (2004).[citation needed]
Jean co-wrote "My Love Is Your Love" forWhitney Houston's album of the same name. He produced and wrote songs for the soundtrack toJonathan Demme's 2003 documentaryThe Agronomist, about the Haitian activist and radio personalityJean Dominique. WithJerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, Jean also composed the score of the documentaryGhosts of Cité Soleil,[37] 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.[38]
During a period between 2004 and 2006, fueled by a reunion performance in the documentaryDave Chappelle's Block Party (2005), it appeared that the Fugees would record a new album. However, Pras claimed toBillboard 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 inBillboard 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."[39]
In 2006, Jean was featured inShakira's smash hit "Hips Don't Lie". The song went on to reach number one in over 55 countries. Jean and Shakira went on to perform the song at the2006 MTV Video Music Awards and the2007 Grammy Awards. He joined Shakira on various dates of her Oral Fixation Tour in the U.S. Also in 2007, Jean scored theAngelina Jolie documentaryA Place in Time.[40]
In August 2007, Jean released a new song called "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" featuringLil Wayne,Niia andAkon, which references the song "C.R.E.A.M." by theWu-Tang Clan. One month later he released an album that he recorded inAtlanta,Georgia, with the help ofT.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" featuringwill.i.am was released in the UK in conjunction with Jean's involvement with UK MOTOROKRSTAR.[41] Jean released a song with Serj Tankian called "Riot".
In 2009, Jean was featured on the song "Spanish Fly" withLudacris and Bachata groupAventura included on Aventura's albumThe Last, released in June. On June 17, 2009, Jean announced viaTwitter that his new album would be calledwyclefjean and was to be released sometime in February 2010.[citation needed] The first single fromwyclefjean was to be titled "Seventeen" and feature Lil Wayne.[42] 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.
In November 2009, a track titled "Suicide Love" featuring rapperEve leaked online prior to the release of hisEP. Wyclef Jean's EP namedFrom the Hut, to the Projects, to the Mansion was released on November 10, 2009. It includes seventeen tracks, featuring Eve,Cyndi Lauper,Timbaland, andLil' Kim.[43] In this album, Wyclef uses the aliasToussaint St. Jean, hisalter ego, when he raps.[44]
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 artistMavado.[43] In May 2014, a Jean video, "April Showers", was banned fromYouTube afterCathy Scott, author ofThe Killing of Tupac Shakur, lodged acopyright infringement complaint claiming an image in the video was similar to an autopsy photo released in her book. YouTube temporally banned the video.[45]TMZ, 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.[46]
Jean worked withAvicii on a single titled "Divine Sorrow" from his upcoming EPJ'Ouvert. He collaborated again with Avicii in 2015 on the song "Can't Catch Me" on the albumStories, which also featured Matisyahu. This marks the third collaboration with Avicii and Jean, following "Dar um Jeito (We Will Find a Way)" and "Divine Sorrow".[47]
Jean appeared as a featured vocalist inThe Knocks' single "Kiss The Sky", which was released in January 2016. This song was part of their debut album, entitled55, released in March 2016. Jean was also featured on theYoung Thug song "Kanye West", from the rapper's mixtapeJeffery, released in August 2016.
Wyclef wrote an autobiography entitledPurpose: An Immigrant's Story with the help of journalistAnthony Bozza, published in September 2012.[48]
On May 17, 2016, Wyclef released his first song in two years, which gave hints to a new album release.[49] A month later on June 17, he released a new song called Hendrix,[50] and later released a short film featuringMichael K. Williams.[51] He then did many interviews teasing that his newJ'ouvert Extended Play would drop in November.[52] Although, this release was pushed back into February. To promote his EP, he did a concert atTerminal 5.[53] On October 14, 2016, Wyclef released an election song called "If I Was President 2016" that would be featured on his J'ouvert EP.[54] On November 1, 2016, he released a song that he had collaborated on withYoung Thug. The song was called "I Swear", which is also featured on his EP.[55] Wyclef had also collaborated on Young Thug'sJeffery Mixtape, and was featured on Thug's song "Kanye West".[56] Young Thug also had a song named "Wyclef Jean" that was named after him because he was such a big influence.[57]
In January 2017, Wyclef announced that hisJ'ouvert EP would be released on February 3, 2017.[58] On February 2, 2017, Wyclef released his new single "Ne Me Quitte Pas",[59] which was featured on hisJ'ouvert Deluxe EP. The EP was released and charted at 117 on theBillboard 200,[60] and 50 on theCanadian Hot Albums.[61] Four more singles were released from the album, "Life Matters", "The Ring", "Holding onto the Edge" and "Little Things".[62] On June 9, Wyclef announced on hisInstagram thatCarnival III: The Fall and Rise of a Refugee would become available to pre-order on June 22, 2017.[63]
In November 2017, Wyclef released his,Wyclef Jean Inspired By[64] mixtape. The mixtape features reworks of some of today's most popular records likeKendrick Lamar's "DNA." The project also offers up social commentary in the track, "Chain Gang FreeMeek Mill", features an original song called, "Camels and Ferraris", and also pays tribute to the lateWhitney Houston on, "Inspired By Whitney".
In December 2017, Wyclef along withNaughty Boy appeared on the final of thefourteenth series ofThe X Factor, guest performing "Dimelo" with contestantsRak-Su. Rak-Su won and the performance was released as the winner's single.[65]
On December 25, 2017, Wyclef announcedThe Carnival Tour via social media.[66] 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.
Jean has supported politicians in Haiti. In 2011 he toldWomen's Wear Daily that he was "a big fan ofSarah Palin", former vice-presidential candidate of theRepublican Party.[67] It was reported erroneously that Jean would be attending the2012 Republican National Convention inTampa.[68][69]
On August 5, 2010, Wyclef confirmed rumors that he was running for president of Haiti during an interview withCNN'sWolf Blitzer. 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.[70] On August 5, Jean formally filed papers as a candidate for the2010 Haitian presidential election.[71][72] Wyclef intended to run as a candidate for theViv Ansanm (Live Together) political party.[72]
On August 20, 2010, his bid for candidacy was rejected byHaiti'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.[8] Jean said, "I respectfully accept the committee's final decision, and I urge my supporters to do the same".[73]
In 2001, Jean establishedYéle Haiti, a charitable organization known legally as the Wyclef Jean Foundation and incorporated inIllinois. Following 2004'sHurricane Jeanne, the organization provided scholarships to 3,600 children inGonaïves, Haiti. It continued to provide scholarships, school funding, meals and other charitable benefits to citizens of Haiti in the following years.
After the2010 Haitian earthquake, Yéle became prominent in raising funds for disaster relief. According to Jean, Yéle raised over $1 million in 24 hours over Twitter.[74] Jean took part in anMTV donation drive and other publicized fundraising,[75] such as theHope for Haiti Nowtelethon, which he organized with actor and producerGeorge Clooney.[76] 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.[77][78][79][80]
By February 2010, questions were reported about the history and management of Yéle.The New York Times reported that the charity had failed to file tax returns for several years. The former executive director,Sanjay Rawal, questioned Yéle's ability to handle large projects and criticized its lack of financial controls.[81]
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 GeneralEric 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.[80]
Jean had a relationship withLauryn Hill.[when?][82] In 1994, he married Marie Claudinette, a designer for Fusha.[83] In 2005, they adopted their daughter, Angelina Claudinette Jean. The couple renewed their vows in August 2009.[84]
One of Jean's cousins isRaymond Alcide Joseph, a political activist, journalist and diplomat.[85][86]
In 2012 Jean published his memoir calledPurpose: An Immigrant's Story.[9] and which takes him through the turmoil of immigration, The book depicts with painful detail,[87] the story of his childhood inHaiti, to his rise to the American music scene. Wyclef describes growing up in Haiti so poor, he actually ate dirt.[88]Purpose is considered one of the top ten reads for Haitian Americans as per theHaitian Times.[89]
| Year | Film | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Shottas | Richie | |
| The Country Bears | Himself | ||
| 2003 | Full Clip | Narrator | |
| 2005 | Be Cool | Wyclef Jean | |
| One Last Thing... | Emmett Ducasse | ||
| Dirty | Baine | ||
| 2006 | Full Clip | Narrator | |
| Rap Sheet: Hip-Hop and the Cops | Himself | [101] | |
| 2007 | Redline | (uncredited) | |
| 2012 | Black November | Timi Gabriel |
| Year | Show | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | MOBO Awards | Presenter withMelanie B | |
| 2001 | Carmen: A Hip Hopera (TV Movie) | Fortune Teller | |
| 2003 | America's Next Top Model | Himself | |
| 2004 | Chappelle's Show | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Third Watch | Marcel Hollis | |
| 2009 | The Electric Company | Himself – He Needs a Kidney Performed by | |
| 2012–2013 | Nashville | Dominic Wells | |
| 2016 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Episode: "Broken Rhymes") | Vincent Love | |
| 2018 | Hell's Kitchen | Himself – Restaurant Patron | |
| UnSung |
source, Golden Globe Awards:[5]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Million Voices" –Hotel Rwanda | Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song | Nominated |
Source, Grammy Award wins:[102]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | The Score | Album of the Year | Nominated |
| Best Rap Album | Won | ||
| "Killing Me Softly" | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | Won | |
| 1998 | "Guantanamera"(featuringCelia Cruz and Jeni Fujita) | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Nominated |
| The Carnival | Best Rap Album | Nominated | |
| 1999 | "Gone till November" | Best Rap Solo Performance | Nominated |
| 2000 | Supernatural(as a producer) | Album of the Year | Won |
| 2001 | "911"(withMary J. Blige) | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | Nominated |
| 2006 | "Million Voices"(shared withJerry Duplessis andAndrea Guerra) | Best Song Written for Visual Media | Nominated |
| 2007 | "Hips Don't Lie"(withShakira) | Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Gone till November" | Best R&B Video | Won |
| Best Direction in a Video | Nominated | ||
| "We Trying to Stay Alive" | Best Choreography in a Video | Nominated | |
| 2020 | "Dear Future Self (Hands Up)"(withFall Out Boy) | Best Rock | Nominated |
In 2011, Haitian PresidentMichel Martelly awarded Jean theNational Order of Honour and Merit at the rank of Grand Officer "for his dedication to the promotion of Haiti around the world."[103] Jean was inducted into theNew Jersey Hall of Fame in 2016.[104] In 2025, theGrammy Hall of Fame inductedSupernatural (1999), recognizing Jean's production on the album.[105]
Before he announced on August 5 that he was running for President of Haiti, Wyclef Jean was still listing his age as only 37 years old. But after declaring himself a presidential candidate, the Haitian hip-hop star also decided to come clean and confirm that he was really 40.
Despite leaving Haiti in 1979, Jean has kept his Haitian citizenship
| Preceded by | MTV Africa Music Awards host 2009 | Succeeded by |
