Author Topic: Wyclef Jean Interview (Read 134 times)

D-Nice · « **on:** January 19, 2010, 12:08:00 AM »

http://www.illuminati2g.com/wyclefjeaninterview.htm

I2G had the extreme honor to sit with the multi talented Wyclef Jean for a exclusive interview. To understand where a artist is headed you have to know where they come from and Clef candidly talks about that, first and foremost his start with the Fugees.

"Basically we got started..., we were a high school group. Lauryn was a freshman, I was a senior. I went to a school called Vellsberg, Pras was a junior. Basically when the Fugees started in the 90's, we was not just a rhyming group. Are culture was not just that, it was also break dancing and singing, playing instruments. When we came out, we wanted to come out like the super group in the hood, the group that could do it all."

"When we dropped our first album, Blunted On Reality, which was a album that was talking about the social issues of the world, the views of Haitians, we never knew that we were going to blow up. We got into the game to bring a social message, that is why the actual name Fugees is really refugees but we could not use that name because they had a rock band already with that name. "

One of Clef biggest hits out of his vast catalog of music is 911. When the subject of the song came up, Clef remembers it with fond and proud memories.

"911 was a song that I wrote when I was probably in the brink of thinking do I belong on this earth. I was sort of like that suicide love thing and my therapy was getting my pen out and being as honest as I can. "

What might be a surprise to many is that 911 is not even one of Wyclef's biggest selling singles. "My biggest single are as follows, Hips Don't Lie is equivalent to Michael Jackson's or a Elvis record. Carlos Santana's Maria Maria broke alot of records, Gone Till November broke massive records, If I Was President also. I would say 911 is my ghetto Romeo & Juliet anthem."

2 months ago Wyclef dropped a new project, Toussaint St Jean, From The Hut, To The Projects, To The Mansion. Hosted by DJ Drama, The EP is a alter ego of sorts for Clef, as he talks about the project.

"Well I wanted to go back and do a mixtape and the reason why I consider it a EP as well is because it is all original material. We did not want to do it like a typical mixtape, like when you pick up this EP, Drama is not talking throughout, he is talking in the interludes. The producers on the EP are myself, Jerry Duplessis, a producer by the name of V-12, Delivery Boy."

"The idea was to basically give back on my basic format, before getting back into the swing of things on the next Wyclef Jean album. I felt that it was important to just get back in the mud and get my face dirty so we went and did this tape and the expectations of this tape was to promote it heavily online so people could understand really where I come from."

"People sometimes forget when you become a superstar they also forget the basic elements of who and what makes up that star. If you love records like The Carnival or other ones that I really go in lyrically like the song I did with Big Pun, you will definitely appreciate this tape."

Speaking of the new album, in the Spring of 2010, Clef is aiming to drop his new solo album. Clef gives us a few details on the project.

"I mean really I always tell people don't get up on me when I am dead. I don't want people to do that and then say oh he was the Bob Marley of our time. I want people to check out my music while I am alive. The album is called Wyclef Jean and the reason behind that is the first 7 songs on the album are only going to be myself."

"As far as the features, we have some interesting ones. I did a song with Lil Wayne called 17, I did a song with my man Movado, straight out of Jamaica, we did a song called Hold On that is bubbling right now. I have Estelle on the album and alot of other little surprises that I am working on that I am keeping under wraps. It is going to be a fully rounded, stadium music album. The good thing also production wise on this album is that I did some production, also the Runners did some songs, Delivery Boy, I got in also with Rodney Jerkins, Salaam Remi, Jerry Wonder."

Along with being a rapper, Clef is a singer, songwriter, musician and producer. When asked about his many talents, Clef is not one to shy away from his resume.

"The best way to explain me is that there is a DVD where I performed at Carnegie Hall live. I believe it was a 2 1/2 hour special on me. It breaks down the range of all of my music, from opera, jazz, to classical music, hip hop, everything. When I was 15 in high school, I was a jazz major. The same way that you see Quincy Jones move, that is the way I move. As far as what is my favorite form of music to perform, this is America, the land of opportunity. I love to do EVERYTHING! All of the above (laughs)."

Clef also has a new movement in motion called the Warrior Movement. He discusses its origins and its purpose.

"The Warrior movement, back in the days I had Refugee Camp, and basically when I decided that I was going back to Haiti, first thing I did was bring together truce with some of the gangs. The Ski Mask gang, the Bagdad gang, these are the most infamous gangs that you can imagine. I thought that it was my duty because this is the community I come from."

"But at the same time coming to America, growing up in the projects and seeing alot of the killings, I felt like hip hop was that gang for us that got me out of trouble. So the idea is that we start a new movement and call it the Warriors and no matter what part of another gang you are with, you can be a part of this "gang".

"This gang is to provide a social network where we can bring more opportunities to the youth, whether it is through art, or music or something else positive. So anyone with the movement that tags the word Warriors to it, that lets us know that you are part of the movement. So when we come to your city, we already feel protected. If you are a Warrior DJ, we come to your zone, we don't have to worry about the politics that comes not being a part of the circle. It can be as easy and simple as us conducting this interview. So we started this movement online, and in January I am going around the world and promote it."

This interview was conducted before the tragic events of the earthquake that leveled Haiti a couple weeks ago. Clef gives us a synopsis of his home country and the daily workings of the country (Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims of the earthquake)

"I mean right now Haiti is definitely getting better. I just want people to know that what is going on in Haiti is the same thing that is going on in Philly, parts of the west coast, Detroit, Somalia. You basically have large areas where people are poor, needs jobs and kids are out on the streets. So automatically kids are going to resort to guns and violence."

"I have over 7,000 kids in scholarship programs, and I also have a gang intervention program where we work with kids in gangs and turn them around. Alot of them right now are A students in school. When they come pick me up from the airport, they pick me up in suits. This is the kind of movements that we are doing.We also work alot with soccer. We have over 1,000 kids that we have in soccer programs as well."

"As far as the Haitians view America, for myself, I did not come here until I was 10. America was the land of opportunity to me, and that is why when you turn on the television, you see Haitians taking a boat to get over here. They think that if they can get here, opportunities can be provided."

Hip Hop has gone through many changes over the last couple of years. With the digital age, decline in sales and just overall change in the music, Wyclef speaks his mind on where hip hop is headed and the music he is feeling right now.

"The kind of music that I am into right now is alot of Jazz, Raegee. Hip Hop is only going to keep growing because it is the voice of the youth. As long as you have youth, you will have hip hop. It will be defined by its own generation, when I was coming up we had our own dances and our elders and peers said what the hell kind of dances are those. Same with this generation as well, they have their own dances and rhyme styles. "

"So when alot of people say that is not hip hop, you are getting old. People have to remember when they was coming up, that was the same thing people were saying about us so embrace it, learn it, get the pulse and let's try to take it to the next level."

The topic then shifts to collaborations and Clef discusses a select few that he would like to work with.

"I mean there are always people that I want to work with, but my thing is that I am always looking to work with new talent. I have 2 labels, one is called Carnival House Records and I am looking for multi talented artists. You got to be able to drink water, eat a burger and do a backflip at the same time (laughs). I also have a label called Sa Pa Se Records, which is more of a world beat label where we look for artists in different countries, starting with our own Haiti."

"With Carnival House Records, it is universal and I am going to be doing everything. My DNA will not allow me to do one thing, it don't exist. There are too many opportunities on earth, a man went to the moon so anything is possible. I will still do my musical thing, performing in front of thousands of people, but also on the business end I will be doing my A&R thing as well."

With any interview dealing with Fugees members, the obvious question that surrounds each of them is the reunion of the group in some form, whether it be a song, concert or full length album. There was even a rumor that Clef and Lauryn were set to perform at the same concert together.Wyclef answers the question and puts a nice twist on it as well.

"Nah that is just a rumor. What happened was I got booked to do a show in Austraila and later Lauryn got booked for the same festival. So really it is going to be the first time since Dave Chappelle that we are going to be sharing the same stage and last time we did that was in Malaysia and we did a inprompt set. When we are in one area, you never know what is going to happen. That is why everyone is amping up the vibes."

"I have known Lauryn since we were kids and I think she is a genius. Genius minds think alike and sometimes you can go on the deep end but she is definitely going to come back because there is no where for her to go anymore. She has done all that left stuff so now it is time for her to come back to the right side."

To check out Wyclef and keep up to date with him, hit him up at www.wyclef.com, www.twitter.com/wyclef.