Wyclef Jean

Haitian-born Wyclef Jean is a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, musician, producer, humanitarian, and Goodwill Ambassador to Haiti. A founding member of the groundbreaking hip-hop group Fugees and an iconic solo artist, Wyclef has crossed genres, generations and geographic boundaries with his music.

Wyclef's musical journey began in Haiti where he sang in his father's church at the age of three. At the age of ten, he moved to the United States where he formed his first serious musical collaboration, the Tranzlator Crew. By 1994, the Tranzlator Crew transformed into the Fugees and the group enjoyed its first critical acclaim with its debut album, Blunted on Reality.

The Fugees' sophomore album, The Score, became a cultural phenomenon, reaching the #1 slot on Billboard's Top 200. It produced three hit singles including Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly and Ready or Not, and earned the group Grammys for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best Rap Album. The Score went on to become the world's #1 top-selling hip-hop album of all time, selling more than 19 million copies globally.

In 1997, Wyclef made a bold move embarking on a solo career that generated such albums as Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival Featuring Refugee Allstars, earning him a Grammy nomination, his autobiographic The Preacher's Son and Welcome To Haiti: Creole 101, which marked his most radical artistic statement. His latest album, Wyclef Jean, is set to release in August 2010.

Wyclef's talents as a producer and collaborator have led to a myriad of successful projects including a recording with Bono entitled New Day, writing and producing Carlos Santana's Supernatural, which won the Grammy for Album of the Year, Whitney Houston's My Love Is Your Love, and Hips Don't Lie, which earned a Grammy nomination and became the #1 Top 40 airplay record of all time.

Stepping outside of the studio and beyond the microphone, Wyclef is a preeminent activist. In 2008, he participated in the Clinton Global Initiative where he spoke on panel discussions about his native Haiti. He is also the founder of Yéle Haiti, a grassroots movement that provides assistance to the country through community service programs, food distribution, and emergency relief. Meaning "a cry for freedom," the organization also inspires change through programs in education, sports, the arts and the environment. Yéle Haiti has garnered international attention for its efforts, having been featured in USA Today and on CNN, Fox News, The Today Show and 60 Minutes. After the devastating earthquake in January, all programs now focus on the relief and reconstruction of the nation.