Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Serenades His Teacher, On 'When I Was 17'

23 Sep 2011 16:03:45 EDT

Former Fugees singer recalls trying to get out of summer school on the latest episode, airing Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV.
By Dionne Buxton

Before Wyclef Jean began his quest to conquer hunger in Haiti, he had to get past his first obstacle: Mrs. Serrato.

On this week's episode of "When I Was 17," premiering Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV, Wyclef speaks candidly about the trials he had to overcome to shape him into the multifaceted man he is today. Graduation time had arrived and Wyclef was ready to get fitted for his gown when his high school guidance counselor told him he was wasting his time.

"So I'm going to get sized up, and they're like, 'Well, it's not necessary for you to get sized up, because there's one class you have to finish in summer school,' " he recalled. "I'm like, 'What?' "

He soon found out that he had earned an F in Algebra 2, and in order for him to walk with his classmates, his teacher had to change his grade. So Wyclef — being the out-of-the-box thinker he is — decided an apple wasn't enough to win his teach over: He had to do what he does best to persuade Mrs. Serrato to give him a better grade.

"At 17, there's a certain confidence that you have," Wyclef said. "So I was like, 'If I sing a song for this woman, she's gonna melt and I'm gonna get a D and I'mma pass the course.' "

Wyclef grabbed his guitar and waltzed into his math class with an original song. "I was like, 'I just wrote a song for you and I would just like to share it with you.' "

Did Wyclef's swoon tactic work? Find out when the former Fugees member appears on Saturday's "When I Was 17."

"When I Was 17" — this week featuring Wyclef Jean and "Awkward" star Ashley Rickards — airs Saturday at 11 a.m. ET/PT on MTV.

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Pitbull And Wyclef Get Fit With Zumba

15 Jul 2011 14:36:20 EDT

'You go up there and you're like, 'Man I need to be a part of that,' ' Pit tells MTV News.
By Rob Markman

Pitbull and Wyclef Jean may have their roots in hip-hop, but through the years, both performers have garnered worldwide appeal and conquered multiple musical genres. Recently, both artists linked up with choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez and contributed to his Latin dance-inspired Zumba fitness program.

"You see my stage shows, you see me flying through the air, backflips, doing all kinds of stuff. Zumba for me is natural, because it's exercising and dancing without feeling it," 'Clef told MTV News last week at the Zumba Fitness convention in Orlando, Florida.

Zumba was conceived by the Colombia-born Perez in the 1990s using dance to promote physical health. Combining musical elements like hip-hop, samba, salsa, meringue, mambo and even a bit of belly dancing, Perez's program has grown into one of the hottest fitness crazes in gyms across the world.

The Fugees producer partnered up with Zumba, and now his single "Historia" has been included as an official Zumba track that instructors use to teach their classes fitness through choreography. Pitbull's "Pause," a track from his recently released album Planet Pit, is also part of the Zumba playlist.

"The way Zumba has done it is taken all those things that maybe we've all learned from different countries and put it into a form where it's global now," Pit told MTV News. "Same thing we've done with music, so that's why I think they both ride parallel and they coincide."

During last week's convention, both Pit and 'Clef performed for 7,000 Zumba instructors, who moved in sync with the dancers onstage to specific Zumba choreography. "I'm up there and I'm rocking and 7,000 instructors are doing the exact moves to a song that I composed. I can't even explain to you what that feels like," Wyclef said. "That's incredible."

While a rapper getting down with a fitness program may seem strange to some, Pitbull insists that the Zumba vibe is infectious. "It's not someone looking like, 'Man, what's Pitbull up there doing exercise?' " he said. "Nah, you go up there and you're like, 'Man, I need to be a part of that.' "

Jean agrees, pointing out that Zumba's many cultural elements adds to its strength. "If it's hot in Brazil, it's hot in Afghanistan, it's hot in Jerusalem, it's hot in Flatbush [Brooklyn, New York]. It all should be on that one CD and we all should be able to rock with it," he said. "And that's why I'm into the Zumba movement."

Have you ever tried Zumba? Let us know in the comments!

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Wyclef To Make Feel Good Music On Next Album

12 Jul 2011 18:38:58 EDT

'I'm just taking my time,' the former Fugees frontman tells MTV News.
By Rob Markman

Wyclef Jean refuses to be boxed in. The rapper/producer may have gotten his start with hip-hop trio the Fugees in the mid-1990s, but he has since branched out, working with artists from multiple genres. From Carlos Santana to Shakira to Bono, 'Clef has spread his musical wings and crafted hits in various international markets, so fans can expect his next album to encompass a little bit of everything.

"My music is always like an iPod, like when you put on an iPod. It's just you could never define me or put me in a box," Wyclef told MTV News last week while he was in Orlando, Florida, performing at a Zumba fitness convention.

'Clef's sound has mostly been centered on the dance floor. With the Fugees, he produced "Ready or Not" and "Fu-Gee-La"; with Shakira, he gave fans "Hips Don't Lie"; and with Destiny's Child, it was "No, No, No." Wyclef's 1997 solo debut, The Carnival, featured the Bee Gees-sampling "We Trying to Stay Alive," and for his upcoming ninth solo album, the Preacher's Son wants to continue to keep things upbeat. Wyclef's new single "La Historia" was handpicked by Zumba fitness founder and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez. The Latin-inspired song is used in Zumba classes across the world and will set up his next release.

"The album is going to be called Feel Good Music and I'm just taking my time," 'Clef revealed. "My albums, you have to listen to them from beginning to end. It's going to be like a stage play, but it's definitely gonna feel good."

What do you think Wyclef's next album will sound like? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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Wyclef Jean Is 'Fine' After Being Grazed By Bullet In Haiti

21 Mar 2011 08:39:41 EDT

Rapper says he 'can't even speculate' about whether he was target of gunfire on eve of country's presidential election.
By Gil Kaufman

While visiting his ancestral home of Haiti over the weekend to observe the nation's runoff election for president, former Fugees rapper Wyclef Jean was grazed on the hand by a bullet on Saturday night.

"You can wound a man, but you cannot stop a revolution," Wyclef's sister Melky Jean told MTV News on Sunday. "I pray for a peaceful election day. I pray that democracy is restored in Haiti, and there is an end to the violence and suffering."

On Monday morning (March 21), spokesperson Derek Johnson said Wyclef is out of the hospital and resting comfortably after the incident. "Fortunately, Wyclef is fine, undeterred by the incident and looking forward to his return home to finish his forthcoming album," Johnson said in a statement.

Though police told CNN they could not confirm if Jean's injury was caused by a bullet or shattered glass, the rapper told the network that while traveling through the nation's capital of Port-au-Prince on Saturday night, he stepped out of the car to make a phone call, heard the sound of a gun and then realized he was "grazed."

After treatment at a local hospital for what was described as a superficial wound, Jean was released and would not comment on whether he thought he was specifically targeted in the episode. "I can't even speculate," he said.

The police investigation was reportedly stymied by Jean's refusal to give a statement to officials about what happened, according to a Haitian national police spokesperson.

Jean, 41, had come to the island nation to help boost the presidential campaign of musician Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly, who is locked in a runoff election race with former first lady Mirlande Manigat. Though at one point he was eager to run for the nation's highest office himself, Jean was rebuffed by the election commission over his failure to reside in Haiti for the required five years. He has since thrown his support to the Martelly campaign.

A spokesperson for Martelly, Damien Merlo, referred to Saturday night's shooting in the violence-plagued capital as "nothing," saying of Wyclef, "He's fine and out and about getting out the vote for us." Final results of the runoff will be released on April 16.

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Wyclef Jean's Sister Melky Raises Funds, Awareness For Haiti With New Album

12 Jan 2011 19:45:11 EST

'People always say, 'I'm going to start with the man in the mirror,' but I want us to hold hands and look in the mirror together,' she tells RapFix.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Hillary Crosley

Last year, the world rallied around Haiti after a devastating earthquake upended the tiny country.

This year, to mark the one-year anniversary, celebrities have continued to bring awareness to the aftermath, from George Clooney's pleas for support to Sean Penn relocating to Haiti as a resident.

Included in that group are Wyclef Jean and his sister, Melky. The latter star is set to release her next project, Care for Haiti, an album she's been working on since 2007 that has grown in importance since the earthquake. All of the proceeds from the album are slated to go to Care, a charitable organization that's helped the country for more than 50 years.

Melky Jean managed to pull in some big names for the project and hopes their fame will help bring further help to Haiti, which is still struggling to recover from the natural disaster.

"Back in 2007, not many people knew what was going on in Haiti, but I was able to get some really awesome artists at the time like KRS-One, Talib Kweli, Patti LaBelle, Sean Paul, of course Wyclef, Natasha Bedingfield and Angélique Kidjo to really be part of this amazing project," she told our RapFix blog.

The first single from Care for Haiti, "Better," is a slow, melodic number aimed at restoring the spirit of the country. (An exclusive look at the video for "Better" is available on RapFix.)

"I wrote the song to make everyone feel like they had the power to inspire others," she said. "People always say, 'I'm going to start with the man in the mirror,' but I want us to hold hands and look in the mirror together."

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Wyclef Jean Hospitalized Due To Stress, Fatigue

27 Sep 2010 14:28:10 EDT

Former Haitian presidential hopeful 'suffering the effects of ... global travel, even the endless public eye,' family statement reads.
By Jayson Rodriguez

Wyclef Jean has been hospitalized in New Jersey after suffering stress and fatigue, the former Haitian presidential hopeful confirmed via his Twitter account on Monday (September 27).

The musician, who entered the race in hopes of succeeding the sitting Haitian president only to have his bid rejected by election officials, reportedly has been battling headaches since he last returned from the earthquake-ravaged country. A Haitian music message board first reported the news of 'Clef's hospitalization over the weekend.

Earlier this month, Jean abandoned his appeal of the election board's decision and set forth on a hectic schedule that included trips overseas, meetings with U.N. officials and work on a new album, according to HaitianBeatz.com.

The Jean family released a statement on Monday afternoon also confirming Wyclef's health status; the family said the charismatic former Fugees frontman would be back in the public eye within a week after taking on a "grueling" workload.

"Wyclef Jean has had an extremely grueling three months — truly an exhausting eight months, since the earthquake when he recommitted himself to our homeland and his passion for our people," the statement read. "He is currently suffering the effects of lack of sleep and stress, global travel, even the endless public eye, and has asked that his fans and supporters bear with him for the next several days as he regains his physical health and stamina. Then he will be back out in front of the crusade to rebuild Haiti and his pledge to make it even better for business."

Share your get-well wishes for Wyclef in the comments.

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Wyclef Jean Officially Abandons Haitian Presidential Bid

21 Sep 2010 12:55:29 EDT

Singer will focus on the February release of his next album.
By Gil Kaufman

Wyclef Jean announced on Tuesday (September 21) that he is planning to abandon his bid for the presidency of Haiti and focus on his musical career. The announcement came after Jean had vowed to fight on and appeal a ruling by Haiti's Provincial Electoral Council that denied him a spot in the island nation's upcoming presidential election.

"After weeks of quiet but painstaking reflection with my wife and daughter, I have chosen to end my bid for the presidency of Haiti," Jean said in a statement. "This was not an easy conclusion to reach; but it is one that was thoughtfully made, taking into account many, many competing factors and weighing the course that will best advance the healing of the country and help it find the quickest path to recovery."

Jean was left off the list of viable candidates for the Haitian presidency that the Council released on August 20 because he did not meet the residency requirements. At the time, the former Fugees star promised he would launch a vigorous appeal in his effort to take over the top job in his native homeland, which has struggled to recover from January's devastating earthquake.

'Clef was one of 15 of 34 presidential candidates whose bids were rejected. He initially said he accepted the disqualification in an effort to respect the rule of law in the country, and to ensure that there would be no violence in the wake of the announcement. But his representatives also filed a legal appeal against the Council's ruling, citing what they described as "irregularities" in its operations.

Jean said he will return his focus to his music career and prepare for the February 2011 release of a solo album, the title of which is now If I Were President, the Haitian Experience. The singer has already lamented his failed bid in the song "Prizon for the CEP," in which he attacked the Council and the country's sitting president.

"Some battles are best fought off the field, and that is where we take this now," Jean said in the statement, noting that his appeal was an attempt to shed light on the democratic process and "the functioning of a government that is often ranked as one of the most corrupt on the planet, resulting in a country that is by most measures the poorest in the Western world."

Wyclef stressed that the appeal was not just about his own candidacy — which was questioned by his former Fugees bandmate Pras and actor Sean Penn, who has been living on the island since February while running his own relief organization — but about pointing out the shortcomings of the electoral process to all Haitians.

"Though my run for the presidency was cut short," he said, "in this way, I feel it was not in vain; it's something we can use to improve conditions for my Haitian brothers and sisters."

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Sean Penn Responds to Wyclef Jean's Dis

07 Sep 2010 09:29:40 EDT

Actor denies drug allegations that rapper made while freestyling at a concert on Friday.
By Gil Kaufman

Back in his "Hollywood bad boy" days, Sean Penn might have reacted to a harsh dis with his fists instead of his words. But Penn took the high road over the Labor Day holiday weekend, releasing a measured response to a harsh lyrical attack from former Fugees leader Wyclef Jean as the two continued their public sparring match over 'Clef's failed bid to run for the presidency of Haiti.

"Mr. Jean is clearly unfamiliar with the physical demands put upon volunteers in Haiti," read the statement, which was released by a spokesperson for Penn. "As aid workers there, the notion of depleting the body's immune system thru the use of illicit drugs is ludicrous."

The letter was in part a response to some new lyrics Jean threw down at Hot 97's On Da Reggae Tip concert in New York on Friday. He switched up the verses to his 2004 song "President" in order to take aim at Penn and his former Fugees bandmate Pras, who both questioned Wyclef's fitness to run earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

"I got a message for Sean Penn: Maybe he ain't see me in Haiti because he was too busy sniffing cocaine," Jean sang at the show on Friday, adding, "I got a message for Praswell, even though you don't want to support me, I got love for you, even though you only kicked eight bars in the Fugees."

Penn, who has lived in a tent in Haiti since just after January's earthquake, also used his statement to explain to 'Clef exactly what he's been doing on the ground and why the lyrical roundhouse failed to connect.

"More specifically, J/P Haitian Relief Organization (a.k.a. JPHRO) has a ZERO tolerance policy for any and all illegal drugs," Penn's statement said, referring to the non-governmental organization the actor co-founded to help the island just hours after the quake hit. "As the leader of this organization, Sean Penn has not only set this policy, but adheres to it. That Mr. Jean would make such a false accusation is reckless and saddening, but not surprising."

When Jean spoke about his plans to run for Haiti's head of state on CNN's "Larry King Live" in August, Penn, who was also a guest on the show, expressed concerns about the singer's motivations for seeking political office.

The actor also wrote in a Huffington Post column that despite Jean's public support for the island nation, the MC wasn't around during critical moments after Haiti's devastating January earthquake.

"I was there for those six months after the earthquake and so many of us on the ground wondered where he was when that kind of attention was so necessary and absent, and why he was NOT helping to keep this desperate situation in the news," he wrote. "None among us felt or expressed anger toward it, but rather a universal sadness for his silence, as he is America's most admired cultural link to Haiti."

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Wyclef Jean Slams Sean Penn, Pras

05 Sep 2010 18:54:20 EDT

'Maybe [Penn] ain't see me in Haiti because he was too busy sniffing cocaine,' 'Clef sings in concert.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Wyclef Jean may not be president but he's got some high-profile critics.

When the singer and musician launched a highly-publicized bid for president of Haiti in August he had a lot of support, but also some very vocal detractors — namely actor and fellow activist Sean Penn and Jean's former Fugees bandmate Pras. Both stars publicly questioned 'Clef's political credentials and at a New York City on Friday, Jean lashed out against the critics.

"I got a message for Sean Penn: Maybe he ain't see me in Haiti because he was too busy sniffing cocaine," Jean sang at Hot 97's On The Reggae Tip concert, switching up the lyrics to his 2004 song "President." "I got a message for Praswell, even though you don't want to support me, I got love for you, even though you only kicked 8 bars in the Fugees." A few weeks after announcing his plans for the presidency, Jean was declared ineligible to run by Haitian electoral officials.

Wyclef's lyrics are the latest swipes in a series of public comments between the musician and Penn and Pras. When Jean spoke about his plans to run for Haiti's head of state on CNN, Penn, who was also a guest on the show, expressed his concerns about the singer's motivations for seeking political office.

"Right now, I worry that this is a campaign that is more about a vision of flying around the world, talking to people. It's certainly not one of the youth drafting him. I would be quite sure that this is an influence of corporations here in the United States and private individuals that may well have capitalized on his will to see himself flying around the world," Penn said. The actor also wrote in a Huffington Post column that despite Jean's public support for the island nation, the MC wasn't around during critical moments after Haiti's devastating January earthquake.

Pras questioned 'Clef proposed strategy -- or lack thereof -- for revitalizing the country after the distaster.

"He talks about health care, he talks about education, he talks about infrastructure," Pras told MTV News last month. "But that's in any society. That's right here in America, we need that. But how are you gonna get to that point? There's a short-term goal that needs to be addressed and there's a long-term goal. To be honest with you, the short term is probably more important than the long term. And he didn't even mention the short term."

What do you think about Wyclef Jean's comments about Sean Penn and Pras? Let us know!

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Wyclef Jean Laments Failed Haitian Presidential Bid In Song

26 Aug 2010 17:35:39 EDT

'Prizon Pou K.E.P.A.' goes back and forth between English and Creole.
By Gil Kaufman

Wyclef Jean is protesting his exclusion from the upcoming presidential election in Haiti the only way he knows how: by releasing a song.

The former Fugees leader posted a new track called "Prizon Pou K.E.P.A." (which translates into "Prison for the CEP") on Wednesday, in which he compares the rigorous scrutiny he faced to a child receiving a failing report card. The title is a pointed reference to the Haitian election commission, CEP, which ruled that he was not eligible to run for office in his birth nation.

"I am contesting, I am going to the court, I am contesting/ I don't agree, I am contesting, I am going to the court, I am contesting," Wyclef sings. "Look, they gave Wyclef a report card/ They say Wyclef, you don't speak Creole/ You are the Diaspora's candidate."

Over a subtle, skittering beat and gently picked acoustic guitar, 'Clef, 40, sings about his disappointment in the ruling in the island's native language of Creole.

"Even my own Haitians curse me out on Facebook when they hear I want to be president," he says before calling out former bandmate Pras for the Fugees member's negative reaction to Wyclef's attempts. "Even my friends say to give Wyclef a report card/ Even the Catholic priests are surprised, they told me to leave Tigoav, come to Les Cayes/ All weekend I was celebrating Our Lady [Notre Dame]."

His tone is sedate and conversational for most of the tune, but at just past the two-minute mark, he breaks into a Bob Marley-like wail, during which his vocals take on a pained, urgent quaver.

The decision to pour out his heart in Creole in the nearly four-minute song is a pointed bid to speak directly to the Haitian people, as well as a possible winking rebuke to actor Sean Penn, who wrote a stinging column for the Huffington Post this week questioning 'Clef's motives in his failed presidential bid, as well as his fluency in the island nation's two main languages: French and Creole.

Jean has pointed words for the nation's current president as well, René Préval, chiding him, "Some militants say it's a deal that I made with Préval/ I didn't make a deal with Préval/ It's [the] president who asked to see a candidate/ I could not refuse/ I said that I was going back to La Serre/ When I arrived, he offered me coffee/ He wanted to assure my friendship/ He said: 'You are a good candidate'/ He put me on the phone with [presidential candidate] Jude Celestin/ We had a very good convo/ After that, Préval f---ing gave me a report card."

He blasts the president, saying he voted for him in 2006 and that it was Préval, not the electoral council, that put a roadblock in 'Clef's path to the presidency.

"It's not Wyclef you gave a report card, it's the youth that you gave a report card," he sings. "It's not Wyclef you gave a report card, it's the population that you gave a report card/ It's not Wyclef you gave a report card, it's the guy that sells [Haitian sweets] 'dous makos' that you gave a report card/ It's not Wyclef you gave a report card, it's the countrymen that you gave a report card/ Look, they gave Wyclef a report card."

But he saves his harshest words for the electoral council, bringing some of the brimstone of his minister father by saying the CEP is "headed by Lucifer."

In the end, he says, he's just sad for the youth, who he urges to support his cause and promises not to give up.

"My sweetheart is Haiti, do not break her heart/ Before I got to sleep, I always read a psalm, asking Hosanna to take the people out from under the rubbles/ And send angel Gabriel to protect the women under the tents that they are raping/ Wyclef Jean, truthfully, I will continue on contesting the electoral council/ We have to mobilize/ I won't give up."

[Editor's note: Thanks to Karlito's blog for the Creole translation.]

What do you think of Wyclef's musical response? Let us know in the comments.

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