Wyclef Jean is a Haitian-American rapper, singer, musician and producer, who has been a major force in the music industry for over two decades. He is also a philanthropist and an activist, who has dedicated his time and resources to help his homeland Haiti and other causes around the world.

He was born on October 17, 1969, in Croix des Bouquets, Haiti. He came from a musical family, but also faced poverty and violence in his country. When he was nine years old, he moved to the United States with his parents and his younger brother. They lived in Brooklyn, New York, and then in Newark, New Jersey. Jean learned English by listening to rap music and watching TV, and soon developed a talent and a passion for hip hop culture.

Jean met Prakazrel “Pras” Michel and Lauryn Hill in high school, and they formed a rap group called Tranzlator Crew, which later changed its name to the Fugees. The Fugees signed with Columbia Records in 1993 and released their first album Blunted on Reality in 1994. The album did not sell well, but the group continued to work on their music. Their second album The Score in 1996 was a huge success, selling over 18 million copies and winning two Grammy Awards. The album featured hit songs such as “Killing Me Softly with His Song”, “Ready or Not” and “Fu-Gee-La”, which mixed hip hop with soul, reggae and other genres. Jean was the main producer, writer, arranger and instrumentalist of the album. He also rapped and sang in English, French and Haitian Creole.

After The Score, the Fugees went on a break to pursue solo careers. Jean released his first solo album Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival Featuring Refugee All Stars in 1997, which was also a critical and commercial success. The album had guest appearances by various artists, including Celia Cruz, The Neville Brothers, John Forté and members of the Fugees. The album had several hit singles, such as “Gone till November”, “We Trying to Stay Alive” and “Guantanamera”. Jean also worked with other artists as a producer and songwriter, such as Destiny’s Child (“No No No”), Whitney Houston (“My Love Is Your Love”) and Carlos Santana (“Maria Maria”).

Jean continued to release solo albums throughout the 2000s and 2010s, such as The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book (2000), Masquerade (2002), The Preacher’s Son (2003), Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant (2007), From the Hut To the Projects To the Mansion (2009), Carnival III: The Fall and Rise of a Refugee (2017) and Wyclef Goes Back To School Volume 1 (2019). He also collaborated with many artists from different genres and backgrounds, such as Mary J. Blige (“911”), Shakira (“Hips Don’t Lie”), Akon (“Sweetest Girl”), Will.i.am (“One Tribe”), Avicii (“Divine Sorrow”) and Young Thug (“I Swear”).

Besides his musical career, Jean has also been involved in various philanthropic and political activities throughout his career. He founded Yéle Haiti in 2005, a non-profit organization that aimed to provide humanitarian aid and development programs to Haiti. He raised millions of dollars for the organization through concerts, donations and campaigns. He also participated in several relief efforts after the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010. He even ran for president of Haiti in 2010, but was disqualified by the electoral council due to residency requirements.

Some of Jean’s other contributions to Haiti include:

– Building schools and providing scholarships to students

– Supporting local artists and musicians

– Promoting environmental awareness and sustainability

– Advocating for human rights and democracy

– Celebrating Haitian culture and history

He has been recognized for his musical achievements and social contributions by various awards and honors. He has won three Grammy Awards out of ten nominations. He has received honorary doctorates from Five Towns College (2004) and Berklee College of Music (2019). He has been appointed as an ambassador-at-large for Haiti by President René Préval (2007) and as a roving ambassador for peace by President Michel Martelly (2012). He has been named as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world (2004) and one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People magazine (1999).

Wyclef Jean is widely regarded as one of the most influential and versatile artists in the history of hip hop and music in general. He has been praised for his musical innovation, cultural diversity, social awareness and global impact. He has inspired and influenced many artists from different genres and generations, such as Drake, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber and J Balvin. He has also been a role model and a voice for the Haitian diaspora and the people of Haiti. He has been described as a musical genius, a cultural icon and a humanitarian hero.