Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean founded Yele Haiti to help bring jobs and development to his homeland [Sarah Stacke]

This week on One on One meet the remarkable singer, musician and producer, Wyclef Jean.

This Haitian-born musician grew up on the streets of New York – before taking the world by storm with his eclectic music.

Known for collaborating with the world’s top artists, he has helped hip hop to absorb musicians from a variety of backgrounds and styles.
 
Born in a hut and riding to school on a donkey, he was only nine when his family moved from Haiti to a tough ghetto in Brooklyn, New York.

It was a quick indoctrination into the dangers of the city streets, and Wyclef describes the culture of hip hop as the way he survived. 
 

The musician was appointed roving ambassador for Haiti in 2006 [Sarah Stacke]

He studied jazz in high school, forming a group in 1987 with his cousin, Pras, and his friend Lauryn Hill.

That band, Tranzlator Crew, went on to become the phenominally successful Fugees.
 
By 1997, Wyclef Jean was striking out on a solo career which earned him a Grammy nomination for the single, Gone Till November, and by 2000, he had his own record label, Yclef.

Five years later, he founded an organisation to promote music, sports and media as a way to bring jobs and development to his struggling homeland.
 
In 2006, he was appointed as a roving ambassador for Haiti by its president.

Watch part one of this episode of One on One on YouTube

Watch part two of this episode of One on One on YouTube

This episode of One on One aired on Saturday, March 22, 2008

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