Wyclef Jean

Biography

Nelust Wyclef Jean was born on October 17, 1969, in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. He moved to the United States as a child and grew up in New York. Jean studied music at various places like Vailsburg High School, Five Towns College, and Berklee College of Music, where he became skilled as a multi-instrumentalist and producer.

Jean became internationally known as a founding member of the Fugees, a hip hop trio he formed with Lauryn Hill and Pras. He was the group's lead producer and guitarist, helping create their unique sound that mixed hip hop with reggae, soul, and Caribbean influences. The Fugees' second album, The Score (1996), became one of the best-selling albums ever, making Jean a key figure in 1990s hip hop culture.

After the Fugees' success, Jean began a solo career with Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival in 1997, which included hit singles like "We Trying to Stay Alive" and "Gone till November." His later albums, including The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book (2000) and Masquerade (2002), were commercially successful, with The Ecleftic going platinum. Jean's collaboration with Shakira on "Hips Don't Lie" in 2006 reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, showing he remained an important figure in popular music.

Outside his recording career, Jean has made his mark as a songwriter and producer for others. He produced the remix for Destiny's Child's hit "No, No, No" and co-wrote big hits like "My Love Is Your Love" for Whitney Houston and "Maria Maria" for Santana. He has also worked in film and television, including scoring The Agronomist (2003) and earning a Golden Globe nomination for co-writing "Million Voices" for Hotel Rwanda (2004). Jean has sold over 50 million records worldwide and received many honors, including the Grand Officer of the National Order of Honor and Merit in 2011 and being inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2016.