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Wyclef Jean

Musician / Singer / Songwriter

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.

Big Think Interview with Wyclef Jean

Jean, member of the legendary group The Fugees and Hip-Hop producer, talks about his childhood in Haiti, post-race politics, and working again with Lauryn Hill.

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37 min

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What do you make of all the celebrities recording albums?

Celebrities are entitled to self-expression, too.

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1 min

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How has technology changed the music industry?

Record your music in the basement, Jean says.

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3 min

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Would you ever collaborate with Lauryn Hill again?

“Hurry up, Lauryn!”

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Wyclef Jean and His Music

Jean’s music is as eclectic as his influences.

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6 min

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Growing Up in Haiti, Moving to New York

Jean left Haiti at the age of nine only to end up the country’s roving ambassador.

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6 min

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Wyclef Jean Contemplates Pop Music Misogyny

Wyclef Jean talks about why so much music still degrades women.

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2 min

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Is hip-hop poetry?

Hip-hop is a culture.

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1 min

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Do you understand Dave Chapelle’s disappearance from show business?

It’s a lot of pressure, Wyclef says.

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1 min

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Will Rev. Wright hurt Obama in the Pennsylvania primary?

Were Rev. Wright’s remarks racist?

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3 min

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What is the Yéle Foundation?

Restoring Haiti’s self-esteem.

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2 min

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Celebrity Do-Good Culture

Celebrities don’t have to do charity work.

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1 min

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Are celebrities’ high-rolling lifestyles good for us?

The people with the real money aren’t doing any of that stuff, Wyclef says.

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2 min

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Another Obama Endorsement

Beyond an endorsement.

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What did you think of Obama’s speech on race?

A generation of Joshuas.

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4 min

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Is Obama really the post-racial candidate?

Get off your high horse, Wyclef says.

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1 min

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Wyclef Jean on Politics and Music

Wyclef Jean talks on the power of Will.i.am.

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2 min

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Does hip-hop reinforce racial stereotypes?

Hip-hop is an expression of local culture, Wyclef says. If you want to get bling and gangsters out of rap music, you need to change the communities that music comes […]

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2 min

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Where is hip-hop headed?

Hip-hop is going global.

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2 min

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What has been your experience of race in America?

Wyclef believes that the new generation has moved beyond racial prejudice.

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2 min

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