b. Nelust Wyclef Jean, 17 October 1972, Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. Despite the Fugees becoming the biggest rap crossover success of the 90s thanks to the multi-platinum worldwide success of The Score, lead rapper Wyclef Jean still found time to release a solo album in 1997. Long regarded as the production mastermind behind the Fugees’ intoxicating blend of rap, soul and Haitian music, Wyclef Jean is also active as a remixer and producer to the R&B and dance music communities, enjoying particular success with the US number 1 single ‘No No No’ by Destiny’s Child. Guests on his debut solo effort included Lauryn Hill and Pras (his fellow Fugees), the Neville Brothers, the I-Threes, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Cuban superstar Celia Cruz. Tracks such as ‘Sang Fezi’ and ‘Jaspora’ exploited his own musical ancestry while adding modern production methods to produce an intoxicating and seamlessly rhythmic collection. The album was promoted by the release of ‘We Trying To Stay Alive’, a more contemporary-sounding effort that sampled the refrain from the Bee Gees’ ‘Stayin’ Alive’, and ‘Gone Till November’, a UK Top 5 single in May 1998. Wyclef enjoyed further UK success in November with a remix of Queen’s ‘Another One Bites The Dust’.
Wyclef’s production and songwriting credits during this period included work for Canibus, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Santana, Simply Red, and Sinéad O’Connor. In October 1999, he teamed up with U2’s Bono to record ‘New Day’, the official song for the Net Aid charity concert. His second solo album, The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II A Book, was a sprawling mess only partially redeemed by stand-out tracks such as ‘911’, ‘It Doesn’t Matter’, and the UK hit ‘Perfect Gentleman’. The record was another transatlantic success, nevertheless, and in its wake the singer launched his own record label, Clef Records. He attempted to toughen up his image on 2002’s sporadically entertaining Masquerade, although he still found room for guest artists Tom Jones and Israeli violinist Miri Ben-Ari. The following year Wyclef signed a new recording contract with J Records, making his debut for the label in November with The Preacher’s Son. He rejoined Hill and Pras in the Fugees in 2005.
