Wyclef Jean Biography

Quick Facts

NAME: Wyclef Jean
OCCUPATION: Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer
BIRTH DATE: c. October 17, 1969
EDUCATION: Vailsburg High School
PLACE OF BIRTH: Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti
Full Name: Nel Ust Wyclef Jean
AKA: Wyclef Jean
AKA: Wyclef

Best Known For

Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician whose band, the Fugees, hit it big in the mid-1990s with The Score.

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Wyclef Jean

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But it was their second album, The Score (1996), which catapulted the Fugees to international success. The Score sold over four million copies in the United States, and more than 15 million worldwide. In particular, the single "Killing Me Softly," a remake of Roberta Flack's 1970s hit, stayed at the top of the R&B singles chart for seven months.

The Fugees continued recording together,

but they also began work on solo projects. Jean released and produced his album, The Carnival, in 1997, which explored the musical gamut, including a mix of Creole, salsa, reggae, Afro-Cuban, R&B, funk, rap and orchestral selections. The platinum-selling solo album received rave reviews from critics and was a smash-hit in Haiti. In 2000, he released his second solo effort, The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book, which featured musical guests such as Kenny Rogers and Mary J. Blige. In 2002, Jean released his next solo effort, Masquerade. This was followed by his Greatest Hits album and The Preacher's Son, both released in 2003. After a series of singles and musical collaborations, Jean announced that he would release an eponymous studio album in 2010.

Personal Life

Jean is married to designer Marie Claudinette. They have one daughter, Angelina Claudinelle Jean, who they adopted in 2005. The family resides in New York City.