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| Birth Name(s) : Nelust Wyclef Jean |
Date of Birth: N/A |
| Status:
Single
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Partner:
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| Profession:
Actor |
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Full Wyclef Jean Biography
Nelust Wyclef Jean (IPA: /ˈwaɪklÉ›f ˈÊ'É‘n/) (born Andrew Taylor on October 17, 1972) is a Haitian-American rapper, guitarist, producer, and member of the hip hop trio The Fugees.
In 1994 he married Haitian-American fashion designer Marie Claudinette Perrre Jean. Marie is a former pre-med student at Montclair State University, New Jersey turned fashion designer. Marie, named after Haitian Beauty Queen "Claudinette Fushard ", launched her design collection "Fusha" .
The Fugees signed to Ruffhouse Records, which released the group's debut album, Blunted on Reality. It sold poorly, but follow-up album The Score sold over 17 million copies worldwide. Jean announced plans to begin a solo career with 1997's Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars (generally called The Carnival). The album's guests included Hill and Pras along with Jean's siblings Melky Sedeck, the I Threes (back-up vocals for Bob Marley), The Neville Brothers and Celia Cruz. The album was a hit, as were two singles: "We Trying To Stay Alive" (adapted from The Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive") and "Gone Till November" (recorded with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra).The Ecleftic (2000)
The Fugees remained in limbo during this time, with the follow-up to The Score being continually postponed as all three members cultivated solo careers.
At the concert Woodstock 99, Jean paid homage to 1969 Woodstock performer Jimi Hendrix by setting fire to his guitar after playing "The Star Spangled Banner", and burnt his fingers while doing so.
Jean's third album, Masquerade, was released in 2002 and sold well, though critics frequently panned it. Wyclef's 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, entitled Sak Pasé Presents: Welcome to Haïti (Creole 101) (released in the United States by Koch Records). Most of its songs are in his native language of Haitian Creole. He also covered Creedence Clearwater Revival's song "Fortunate Son" for the soundtrack of the 2004 film remake of The Manchurian Candidate and wrote the song Million Voices for the film Hotel Rwanda.
Jean also produced and wrote songs for the soundtrack to Jonathan Demme's 2003 documentary The Agronomist, about the Haitian activist and radio personality Jean Dominique. With Jerry Duplessis, Jean also composed the score of the documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil, in which he appears onscreen speaking by telephone in 2006 to a "chimere" gang-leader and aspiring rapper, Winston "2Pac" Jean.
During a period between 2004 and 2006 and fueled by a reunion performance in Dave Chappelle's Block Party, it appeared that the Fugees were on track to record a new album, however Fugees member Pras claims to Billboard "To put it nicely, it's dead." He says the root of this animosity is the third member of the group, Lauryn Hill, saying to Billboard, "Me and Clef, we on the same page, but Lauryn 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."
Jean announced he would release an album in September 2007 that he recorded in Atlanta, Georgia with the help of T.I.. Right now, Wyclef released a new song called Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill) featuring Lil' Wayne, Niia, and Akon, which references the song C.R.E.A.M. by the Wu-Tang Clan. He can also be heard on T.I.'s song "You Know What It Is".
Jean worked with artists including Mary J Blige, Akon, Celia Cruz, Gloria Estefan, DJ Quik, Queen, Sarah Connor, Carlos Santana, 2face Idibia, Tevin Campbell, Tom Jones, Cypress Hill, Bounty Killer, DJ Khaled, Whitney Houston, Destiny's Child, Brian Harvey, The Rock, Sublime, Simply Red, Mya, Sinéad O'Connor, Missy Elliott, Bono, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, City High, Wayne Wonder, Buju Banton, T.I., Scarface, T-Vice, Sweet Micky, The Edge, Mick Jagger, Ying Yang Twins, Canibus, The Black Eyed Peas, Eric Benét, Brandy, Subliminal, Pitbull, Timbaland, Magoo, Tarkan, Shakira, Jin, Sunz Of Man, Big Pun, Kenny Rogers, Cartel, Xzibit, Juvenile, The Neville Brothers, Willie Nelson,I&I, Busta Rhymes, Maxi Priest, R. Kelly, Leela James, John Legend, Ziggy Marley, Chamillionaire, M.O.P., Anthony B, Cam'ron, Rammstein, Lil Wayne, Prodigy and Machel Montano, and rapper Tupac Shakur on the Rap Phenomenon II album. He sang background and rapped in the song "Please Man" on Big & Rich's album Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace.
Jean collaborated with Shakira on her single "Hips Don't Lie", which was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
His latest collaboration is with the Billboard-charting Asian pop diva Sun on her latest hit single "China Wine", for which they co-wrote the tune and lyrics. Jean co-stars in the music video with Tony Matterhorn, Elephant Man, Tyson Beckford and Lady Saw.
Jean was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Act at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards. In 2005, he earned a Golden Globe nomination for his track entitled "Million Voices" featured on the soundtrack to the film Hotel Rwanda. |
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