WYCLEF JEAN: MASQUERADE

The international superstar, Wyclef Jean, will soon release his third solo album, Masquerade - guess Pras and Lauryn never called. He is known throughout the world and has worked with some of the greatest musicians of our time.

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Yet, he has never forgotten his roots - not only his hip-hop roots, but most importantly his Haitian roots. His recent concert at the University of Maryland, in College Park, proved that he is an entertainer like no other.

It all started when Wyclef Jean and Prazwell Michel joined with Lauryn Hill to form The Fugees in the early 1990's. Their first hit was "nappy heads." It was evident back then that Lauryn had skills, but many overlooked the other two rappers, until their smash hit, The Score. Just like Lauryn, Wyclef blossomed into an international superstar, working with Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Michel Marthelly, Kassav, Destiny's Child, and many others. He created many pop hits with these artists and could have easily left hip-hop behind.

Wyclef, however, has always come back to his roots. He released his first solo classic album, "The Carnival" which was well received both by critics and the public. That album changed hip-hop and the way that people thought of Wyclef as a performer, singer, and song writer. The album included without apologies hard core hip-hop, konpa or songs in kreyol, like jaspora, yele, sang fizi and carnival. His manner and style influenced not only other American musicians but many Haitian stars. His second solo effort, The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book, delivered the same, hard core lyrics and still had songs in kreyol. He worked with Kenny Rogers, Whitney Houston, and Youssou N'Dour on Diallo, a song about the murdered young African man in New York by New York City Police. He also collaborated with Mary J. Blidge on 911.

Through it all, Wyclef proudly waved his Haitian flag in every concert. The Fugees at the height of their success played a concert, broadcast by MTV, direct from Haiti. Wyclef has shown up at concerts and performed with T-Vice, Sweet Micky, and Zin. At the University of Maryland on May 3rd, Wyclef delivered something for everyone. With a crowd made up mainly of white college students, Wyclef played Rock, he played reggae, he played old school rap. He played many of his old songs as well as some hip-hop classics.

All the while, with his Haitian flag on stage.

© echodhaiti.com, 5/2002