The music world is full of many multi-talent artists. One of the most diverse is Haitian-American singer-songwriter, musician, DJ and producer Wyclef Jean.
Wyclef got his start in the early 1990s while a member of The Fugees along with Grammy-winner Lauryn Hill and Prakazerel “Pras” Michel. The Fugees are best known for their 1996 effort, “The Score,” which sold over 11 million copies, making it one of today’s best selling hip-hop CD’s.
Wyclef and cousin Jerry “Wonder” Duplesis produced the record. Jean has also worked on a diverse number of other acts such as Cypress Hill, Sublime, Bounty Killers, Simply Red and most recently Mick Jagger’s “Goddess in the Doorway.”
In 1997, Wyclef broke away from The Fugee camp and debuted his multi-platinum solo project, “Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival.” This generated many hits such as a rendition of the Bee-Gee disco hit “Staying Alive” as well as “Gone til’ November,” which earned him a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocalist Performance.
After “The Carnival” he went on to produce fellow Fugee Pras’ hit “Ghetto Superstar,” participated in a televised Johnny Cash tribute concert, as well as hosted a two-day fundraiser benefiting the Wyclef Jean Foundation.
Wyclef is also known for his many songwriting credits. He’s contributed to many artists’ albums such as Destiny’s Child, Whitney Houston (Grammy nominated hit “My Love is Your Love”) and Santana’s chart-topping single, “Maria, Maria.”
His latest effort has been the album, “The Ecleftic-Two Sides to a Book.” This album ranges from classic rock, ska, country, rap, to folk and reggae. It includes the first single, “Dirty South,” which has a hip-hop sound, “Diallo,” which discussed the death of Amadou Diallo at the hands of the New York City Police, and the re-make of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” among others. “Ecleftic” features guest vocals of Mary J. Blige, Small World and Supreme C.
Look for Wyclef Jean to be performing on campus this May Weekend among the many acts set to appear. Among other schools Wyclef will perform at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass., Western New England College in Springfield, Mass., Holy Cross College in Worchester, Mass. and Fordham University in Bronx, N.Y.