Celebrity lifestyle something we all love hearing about more so information about tis subject is never enough. In today’s text we are going to learn more about a famous American rapper, singer and producer called Wyclef Jean.

His name is very popular around the globe, not just in the USA, and he is even more known as the member of a famous group the Fugees. So, if you want to learn more about Wyclef Jean and his life, this is the perfect chance to do that.

Early years

Nelust Wyclef Jean (born October 17th 1972 in Croix-des-Bouquets located in Haiti) is a Haitian-American rapper and producer known for being a part of the famous rap group called The Fugees.

With nine years old, Wyclef moved to New York (to Brooklyn), and in New Jersey it was when he started playing the music and studying at an institute exclusively for black people. Jean together with his friend Michel Prakazrel and his classmate Lauryn Hill, formed a group called Tranzlator Crew in 1987. The group later changed its name into The Fugees. During these times, he worked as a taxi driver.

The Fugees signed for Ruffhouse Records and recorded their first album called Blunted on Reality, which was not very successful. Instead, his next album, The Score, would sell 17 million copies worldwide and launch this trio of talented artists to stardom. After the resounding success, Jean would begin his solo career in 1997 with Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival.

The collaborations of the album included Pars and Lauryn Hill, in addition to his brothers, I Threes, Neville Brothers and Celia Cruz. The singles of greater recognition were “Gone Till November” and “We Trying to Stay Alive” (adapted from the song of The Bee Gees).

Career development

Jean has worked with artists such as Celia Cruz, Santana, Cypress Hill, Tevin Campbell, Bounty Killer, Whitney Houston, Destiny’s Child, and Shakira (in their recent single Hips Do not Lie).

The third album of Wyclef was Masquerade, of 2002, obtaining a considerable success. The fourth is The Preacher’s Son, which Jean considers a sequel of their first album, The Carnival.

In 2003, Wyclef produced the first single of Chinese rapper Jin, entitled Learn Chinese, and in 2004 he recorded the theme Dance Like This with Claudette Ortiz for the soundtrack of the movie Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.

In 2004, he released his fifth album, entitled Sak Pasé Presents: Creole 101 (Welcome to Haiti) (released in the United States by Koch Records). A work where he returns to his Caribbean origins, so much so that many of his songs are sung in Haitian Creole. “Fortunate Son” was included in the soundtrack of The Manchurian Candidate.

Jean has also produced and composed for the OST of “The Agronomist”, Jonathan Demme’s documentary, which tells the stories of the legendary journalist Jean Dominique, an active man from his native Haiti. Following the trend, he also ventured to compose the songs for another documentary, “Ghosts of Cite Soleil”, in which Wyclef appears and a young leader of a Haitian band, and where the rapper begs him to leave that lifestyle and procure follow his steps in music.

In 2005, his song “Million Voices” from the soundtrack of the movie Hotel Rwanda was nominated for the Golden Globes.

Jean has been very active in supporting his native country and has created his own foundation, Yele Haiti, to provide humanitarian aid and assistance to Haiti, which is currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Yelé is an apolitical organization with the intention of rebuilding the country.

In 2006, he participated with Shakira in the new single “Hips Do not Lie” in English and Spanish. In 2007 he collaborated with the Italian Eros Ramazzotti in the reissue of the song “La Aurora” belonging to the album “E2”.

His third album was “Masquerade” (2002), quite successful. The fourth album was “The Preacher’s Son, where he himself considers that this is the continuation of his album” The Carnival “.

A year later (2003), he produced the single “Learn Chinese” by Chinese rapper Jin and in 2004 recorded “Dance Like This” with Claudette Ortiz for the soundtrack of the movie “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights”.

By 2004 they would return to the music industry with their fifth album, which he titled “Sak Pasé Presents: Creole 1010 (Welcome to Haiti)”, which was released by Koch Records in the United States. This work is accompanied by subjects with quite receptive as “Fanm Kreyol” and “Fortunate Son”.

In 2005, he is nominated for the Golden Globes with his song “Million Voices” from the soundtrack of the movie Hotel Rwanda.

In 2006 he collaborated with Shakira on the single “Hips Do not Lie” in English and Spanish. A year later he helps the Italian Eros Ramazzotti in the post-production of the song “La Aurora”, from his album “E2”. In addition, he collaborated with Melissa Jiménez in a song in homage to the Mexican singer Selena.

In 2009 he recorded “Spanish Fly” with Ludacris and Aventura for the album “The Last”. For 2010, he makes a new version of the theme “We Are the World” by Michael Jackson after the earthquake in Haiti in January of that year. In this version, as a soloist.

Wyclef’s net worth is estimated at around 50$ million which is a staggering amount. Most of his money comes from his music, songs and production work, but he also invests and has made clever business moves in the past. All of this brought him to the place he is right now, and we will certainly see more of this talented singer and rapper in the future. Until then, we will enjoy his hits from the golden era of rap and hip hop.

Personal life

Wyclef Jeanelle Jean, better known as Wyclef Jean, is a musician, rapper, actor, producer and politician, born on October 17, 1969 in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. From the age of nine he began to take his first steps playing guitar and studying at an institute. For 1987 his friend Pakazrel Michel (Pras) and his friend Lauryn Hill created a group that they called “Tranzlator Crew”, before “The Fugees”. For that moment, he worked as a taxi driver.

Later The Fugees recorded their first album with which they debuted titled “Blunted on Reality”, after having signed with Ruffhouse Records. This disc did not have as much boom or relevance on the part of its followers.

Unlike their second record production, which they named “The Score” and which had more than 17 million copies worldwide and also, it would serve to make them known much more within their genre

By 1997, Jean would take a solo path with “Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars” or also known as “The Carnival.” Between its more outstanding subjects in this disc were “We Trying to Stay Alive” and “Gone Til November” recorded next to the Philharmonic Orchestra of New York.

Throughout his career, Jean has worked alongside other artists such as Shakira, Celia Cruz, Whitney Houston, Flo Rida, Queen, Pitbull, Nicki Minaj and even the famous bachata group Aventura.

In addition to being a singer, he leads a political career in the company of his wife and daughter. He ran as a candidate for Haiti’s presidential election in 2010, which was rejected by August of the same year.

During his long years as an artist, he has always held up his native country, as well as to create his own foundation called Yéle Haiti, to promote humanitarian aid and assistance in Haiti, considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Wyclef is happily married to Marie Claudinette and the couple has one adopted daughter called Angelina Claudinelle Jean.

Quick summary

Full name: Nel Ust Wyclef Jean

Date of birth: October, 17th 1969

Birthplace: Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti

Age: 50

Profession: Singer, Rapper, Producer

Height: 1.80 m

Weight: 85

Net Worth: $50 million