Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean is a Haitian-American rapper, producer and former member of the hip-hop group The Fugees. Jean was born in Haiti and moved to Brooklyn, New York, with his family at age 9 before settling in New Jersey. He enrolled at Five Towns College in New York after graduating high school and later went on to study music at Berklee College of Music.

Jean began his music career in the early 1990s as a founding member of The Fugees, alongside Lauryn Hill and Pras Michel. The group’s 1996 album, The Score, became a global success, earning two Grammy Awards and featuring hits such as “Killing Me Softly” and “Ready or Not.” The trio remained active until 1997.

Following their disbandment, Jean launched a solo career with his debut album The Carnival (1997). The album featured the Billboard charting track “Gone till November” and was followed up with hit releases like The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book (2000) and Masquerade (2002).

Throughout his career, Jean has produced for and toured with artists such as Shakira, Destiny’s Child and Santana and has collaborated on chart toppers like “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Maria Maria.” In 2010, he made headlines when he announced a brief run for president of Haiti. His bid was later rejected by Haiti’s electoral counsel.

In 2012, Jean published his debut memoir Purpose: An Immigrant’s Story.

In 2021, the rapper joined his former bandmates for a Fugees reunion tour, but the tour was eventually cancelled due to numerous issues, including COVID-19 and health concerns.

Jean married Marie Claudinette in 1994. The couple adopted a daughter, Angelina (born in 2005).