Interview: Wyclef Jean (11/24/09)

Wyclef Jean, the multi-platinum musician, rapper, singer, song writer, actor, and record producer, released his first mixtape earlier this month.

Teaming up with DJ Drama, he approached the tape, Toussaint St. Jean: From The Hut, To The Projects, To The Mansion, as if it were an album, putting all original music on the project with big name features from artists such as Timbaland, Cyndi Lauper, Eve, and Lil Kim.

Wyclef channeled his alter ego, Toussaint St. Jean, on the mixtape while rhyming about life’s struggles and the streets.  This nickname, partially given to him by T.I., is in reference to Toussaint L’ouverture, who was a leader of the Haitian Revolution.

Having moved to the U.S. from Haiti when he was nine, Wyclef revisited his island home to get inspiration for the mixtape project.  He reminisced about growing up in a small village and saw all the struggles the Haitian people still go through.

HipHopAtLunch.com met up with Wyclef to speak about the inspiration behind his Toussaint St. Jean mixtape, his Yéle Haiti Timberland boot, taking classes at Berklee College of Music, and his views on Twitter.

I bet it’s a crazy feeling being back in a college classroom after so many years!

With over a million Twitter followers, Wyclef’s online “John Lennon Movement” is definitely working!  As mentioned in the interview, his “#Warriors go from virtual to reality,” helping to pack shows, and promote his causes.

Outside of music, Wyclef is known for being a humanitarian and has worked hard to provide the Haitian people with opportunities they may have never had, such as scholarships and educational/athletic facilities.

Two dollars from every purchase of the Yéle Haiti boot goes towards tree planting in the Caribbean country.  Here’s Wyclef autographing the boot, which retails between $90 and $130.

Before getting into his in-store performance, Wyclef gave us a hilarious freestyle that included members of the crowd. My favorite part of that video is the guy who said his name was Alfred Hitchcock, ha!

Wyclef – “You Dont Wanna Go Outside.”

That performance really shows how much energy was in the room!  Check out the official video for “You Don’t Want To Go Outside,” which dropped today via Twitter.

Toussaint St. Jean: From The Hut, To The Projects, To The Mansion, focuses a lot on Wyclef’s personal rise to success, while also providing music for fellow warriors to live by.

As mentioned in the interview, the inspiration behind the opening track, and the mixtape on the whole, were critics who doubted his relevance in today’s hip hop scene.

Wyclef Jean – “Warrior’s Anthem”

“Warrior’s Anthem” starts off with some of the most powerful lines on the tape, immediately setting the mood:

“Some funny stuff man, happened to me,
I signed an autograph for a kid, Clef from The Fugees,
Kid looked at me, said what the hell is a Fugee,
Aint you Will.i.am from the peas,
I’m a fan, but no I aint Will.i.am,
Let me introduce myself to the new generation,
I’m wyclef jean singer, song writer, composer,
In high school I used to be a battle rapper,
Then I got with The Fugees, hi haters,
Fifteen years later, still sold more records than all of ya’ll put together,
That’s just a piece of the biography of Wyclef Jean,
And when I spit call me Tousaint St. Jean.”

The other track that starts the mixtape off in a powerful way is “The Streets Pronounce Me Dead,” which was performed a capella at the end of “Slumdog Millionaire.”  I can’t wait to hear Jadakiss join Wyclef and Cyndi Lauper on a remix to that track!

After performing the hits off his mixtape, Wyclef brought the crowd back with “If I was President” and “911.”

If the upcoming album, Wyclef Jean, contains tracks similar to his previous work, it will be one to keep an eye out for, as it features guest appearances from Lil Wayne and Natasha Bedingfield amoung others!  Here’s the first single, “Hold On,” fearuing Mavado.

Until the album drops, purchase Toussaint St Jean: From The Hut, To The Projects, To The Mansion if you haven’t already, as it’s only $5.00 on Amazon.com!