Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean in 2009, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Nel Ust Wyclef Jean

Place of Birth: Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti

Date of Birth: October 17, 1969

Ethnicity: Haitian

Wyclef Jean is a Haitian rapper, musician, actor, and politician. He was a member of hip hop trio The Fugees, with Lauryn Hill and Wyclef’s cousin Pras. He was appointed Ambassador-at-Large of the Republic of Haiti in 2007. He is also known as Wyclef, Toussaint St. Jean, Nel, and Clef.

Wyclef was born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, and moved to New York City, U.S., with his family at the age of nine. He is the son of Yolanda and Reverend Gesner Jean. He is a cousin of diplomat, journalist, political activist, and author Raymond Joseph, who was Haitian Ambassador to the U.S., from 2005 to 2010. Wyclef established the Yéle Haiti Foundation in 2005. After the January 12, 2010 Haiti earthquake, he was recognized for assisting the impoverished nation.

Wyclef is married to designer Marie Claudinette. They have a daughter, who is adopted.

Wyclef has said:

My dad always told me, ‘Don’t forget, you’re a descendant of Toussaint L’Ouverture’… So, this was how I was brought up, with a very fearless attitude.

Toussaint L’Ouverture was a prominent Haitian Revolution leader.

In his song, “Baba,” released in 2019, he states, “And I just took my [23andMe] DNA test Don Dada/One hundred percent Nigerian Baba/When you gonna learn-uh/Can’t frame a earner/Came with the noose, I freed myself like Nat Turner.”