Historical Figure
Wyclef Jean
b. 1969
Haitian rapper (born 1969)
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Biography
Nelust Wyclef Jean is a Haitian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Haiti, Jean emigrated to the United States as a child. He gained fame as a founding member of the Fugees, a New Jersey–based hip hop trio he formed in 1990 with Lauryn Hill and Pras Michel, serving as the group's lead producer and guitarist. Their second album The Score (1996) became one of the best-selling albums of all time. Following the Fugees' success, Jean launched a solo career with Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival (1997), which featured the Billboard Hot 100-top ten hit "Gone till November".
Timeline
The story of Wyclef Jean, told in moments.
The Fugees released The Score. Wyclef produced most of it. The album sold 22 million copies worldwide. Their cover of "Killing Me Softly" went to number one in multiple countries. Then the group fell apart over personal tensions between him and Lauryn Hill.
Guest-performed on Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie." It topped the Billboard Hot 100 and charts in over 50 countries. He'd co-written Whitney Houston's "My Love Is Your Love" and Santana's "Maria Maria" in the years between.
Filed to run for president of Haiti after the devastating earthquake. His candidacy was rejected because he hadn't lived in Haiti for five consecutive years, as required by the constitution. His charity, Yele Haiti, later faced financial scrutiny and shut down.
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