MTV: You've described yourself as a scientist. Why is that?

Wyclef: Basically, Wyclef is a musical scientist. I create a lot of things that you see out there. Like my album "The Carnival," before it came out, mad people were trying to dissect it. "Gone Till November" brings the strings out, then it [becomes] cool to throw strings on hip-hop records. I'm hearing different string parts on this record, on that record, on this record. I'm always inventing different things. "The Ecleftic" is a new invention and The Invention. Luckily people aren't gonna have the time to bite it before it comes out.

MTV: Do you have any special tour plans for the new album?

Wyclef: After I drop "The Ecleftic," I definitely want to do a tour. I want to do a tour that America's never seen before. I want to really do something incredible. But for me to do the tour, I'm gonna need money. I have a plan. I've got the whole thing in my head already, and I ain't gonna let you down.

Like for "Smoking Grooves," I came out with a lion called Simba. That was two years ago. It was a big gigantic lion that freaked everybody out. So for "The Ecleftic" tour, I ain't saying that I'm bringing any wild animals on the stage, but anything can happen.

MTV: Both of your Fugees bandmates, Pras and Lauryn Hill, have done some acting. Is that something you've thought of branching out into?

Wyclef: Everybody wants me to do a movie. They send me mad scripts, you know, but --

MTV: Can you act?

Wyclef: Nah. I can't act at all, not at all. And the scripts that they send me, I don't want to do, 'cause its all the same stuff. Like, they want me to act like I'm acting right now. Every two words, it's "You know what I'm saying?" "Yo, You know what I'm saying? Get out of this crack spot for real, n***a. I will blow you the hell up." No, I ain't laughing. For real.

I ain't trying to be that kind of guy. I want to do real roles. I want to be the first black man to show up on the screen and be like, "To be or not to be, that is the motherf***ing question." I wanna do some Shakespeare up in this mutha. That's what I'm talking about. So, until they send me roles like that, [I won't do it]. I can't be playing any "New Jack City" roles. They just sent me a role last week and wanted me to play a crack addict. I can't be playing no crack addict.

MTV: You have a song on the album, "Where Fugees At?" We have to know, what is the future of the Fugees?

Wyclef: It's funny you ask that. Basically, I've been waiting for the past year and a half to make another Fugees record. But I think we weren't expecting all of our [solo] success. So I'm just here, and I'm online, and I definitely want to do a Fugees record. Despite all the rumors y'all hear, I don't got no problems with the Fugees. I love the Fugees.

The Fugees got me my first break in [music], and I remember all the Fugees, on one tour bus, eating Kentucky Fried Chicken, before they were rock stars. I remember Lauryn Hill's mother picking us up and bringing us to rehearsal. I remember Pras playing the trumpet. He wasn't a good player, but he played the trumpet a little bit, you know.

I'm definitely looking forward to whenever they [are ready]. I'm not the one saying I don't want to do a Fugees album. But whenever the Fugees are ready, they know I'm not hard to find. I'm usually in New York City at the Hit Factory.

MTV: Can you comment on your falling out with your former protege, Canibus? Because the two of you have traded barbs in the press, and you take a shot at him on another new track, "However You Want It."

Wyclef: First of all, I don't even know this guy. First of all, I don't know this person you are talking about. I don't even know his name. All I can tell you is that this guy who's talking about me, he's some guy I've seen once on MTV onstage who painted himself platinum before he sold one record. I mean, that's all I can tell you.

I don't know nothing about this guy. I've never seen him before. All I can tell the public is, whoever that was on MTV who painted himself platinum before he went platinum, he has a lot of problems. So, to the platinum MC, good luck and God bless you.[RealVideo]