Experts
Wyclef Jean
Musician / Singer / Songwriter
-
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. Read More
July 24, 2009 | In Arts & Culture
-
How has technology changed the music industry?
Record your music in the basement, Jean says. Read More
July 24, 2009 | In Arts & Culture
-
What do you make of all the celebrities recording albums?
Celebrities are entitled to self-expression, too. Read More
July 24, 2009 | In Arts & Culture
-
Would you ever collaborate with Lauryn Hill again?
"Hurry up, Lauryn!" Read More
July 24, 2009 | In Arts & Culture
-
Jean's music is as eclectic as his influences. Read More
July 24, 2009 | In Arts & Culture
-
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. Read More
July 24, 2009 | In History
-
Wyclef Jean Contemplates Pop Music Misogyny
Wyclef Jean talks about why so much music still degrades women. Read More
April 4, 2009 | In Arts & Culture
-
Hip-hop is a culture. Read More
July 24, 2008 | In Arts & Culture
-
Will Rev. Wright hurt Obama in the Pennsylvania primary?
Were Rev. Wright's remarks racist? Read More
April 4, 2008 | In Politics & Policy
-
Do you understand Dave Chapelle's disappearance from show business?
It's a lot of pressure, Wyclef says. Read More
April 4, 2008 | In Arts & Culture
-
Are celebrities' high-rolling lifestyles good for us?
The people with the real money aren't doing any of that stuff, Wyclef says. Read More
April 4, 2008 | In Arts & Culture
-
Celebrities don't have to do charity work. Read More
April 4, 2008 | In Business & Economics
-
Restoring Haiti's self-esteem. Read More
April 4, 2008 | In Business & Economics
-
Wyclef Jean on Politics and Music
Wyclef Jean talks on the power of Will.i.am. Read More
April 4, 2008 | In Arts & Culture
-
Is Obama really the post-racial candidate?
Get off your high horse, Wyclef says. Read More
April 4, 2008 | In Identity
-
What did you think of Obama's speech on race?
A generation of Joshuas. Read More
April 4, 2008 | In Identity
-
Beyond an endorsement. Read More
April 4, 2008 | In Politics & Policy
-
What has been your experience of race in America?
Wyclef believes that the new generation has moved beyond racial prejudice. Read More
April 4, 2008 | In Identity
-
Hip-hop is going global. Read More
April 4, 2008 | In Arts & Culture
-
Does hip-hop reinforce racial stereotypes?
Hip-hop is an expression of local culture, Wyclef says. Read More
April 4, 2008 | In Arts & Culture
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.
