Nel Ust Wyclef Jean was born on 17 October 1969 in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, the son of a Nazarene preacher, and remained in Haiti with relatives for nine years before joining his parents, who had emigrated to Brooklyn, New York.
Jean formed a group with his cousin Pras Michel and Lauryn Hill in the late 1980s, which signed to Columbia-affiliated Ruffhouse Records in 1993 and was renamed the Fugees, short for 'refugees', a reference to Haitian immigrants.
The Fugees' 1996 album The Score became a global phenomenon, blending jazz, soul, reggae and hip-hop and winning the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album before the group disbanded, with Jean launching a successful solo career with his debut album The Carnival in 1997.
Deeply connected to his Haitian heritage, Jean incorporated Haitian Creole folk music into his solo work, and in 2001 founded the Yéle Haiti Foundation to provide humanitarian aid, an organisation that became central to international relief efforts following Hurricane Jeanne in 2004 and the catastrophic 2010 Haitian earthquake.
In 2010 Jean announced his candidacy for the Haitian presidency but was ruled ineligible due to residency requirements; he has won three Grammy Awards across his career, sold more than 31 million albums, and published his memoir Purpose: An Immigrant's Story in 2012.
- Co-founded the Fugees, whose album The Score sold millions worldwide
- Won three Grammy Awards across his career
- Sold more than 31 million albums
- Founded the Yéle Haiti Foundation, providing major humanitarian relief after the 2010 earthquake
- Incorporated Haitian Creole music into mainstream hip-hop and R&B
- Cultural roots can enrich a global sound. Jean's incorporation of Haitian Creole folk music into his hip-hop and R&B work gave his solo career a distinctive identity.
- Fame can be redirected toward humanitarian purpose. Jean used his platform to found Yéle Haiti, which became a major channel for disaster relief in his home country.