Wyclef Jean

As one-third of the Fugees, Wyclef Jean is largely responsible for one of the most important albums in modern-day hip-hop. A universally-acclaimed classic, The Score sold more than 18 million copies worldwide despite its daring alternative direction: a beat-backed acoustic Marley cover ("No Woman, No Cry"), a spot-on rendition of Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song," and two singles that sound like they're ready for war (the spooky and spare "Ready Or Not," the gold-certified "Fu-Gee-La"). On the solo tip, Jean is a proven producer and performer, whether he's rebooting the Bee Gees ("We Trying to Stay Alive"), spicing up Shakira (the salsa/reggaeton fusion of "Hips Don't Life"), or helping Santana win a GRAMMY® ("Maria Maria").

With more than a decade of music behind him, Jean's post-Fugees career shines in our Next Steps as well.

Take a quick listen to the simple but satisfying boom-bap rap of "Nappy Heads." Hard to believe that scrappy Fugees single features the same Wyclef Jean as the solo cuts and guest spots in our Next Steps, right? After all, these tracks jump genres like a loose radio dial, including the breezy and bold reggae of "No More War," the politically charged Caribbean pop of "President," the sun-baked, dubbed-out SoCal punk of "Doin' Time," a backpacker hip-hop spin on Black Eyed Peas ("Rap Song"), and a couple of classic rock covers that really prove how deep Jean's influences run (Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here").

Speaking of digging for songs just below the surface, our Deep Cuts uncover the hidden gems of Jean's ongoing career.

Remixing the King of Pop is one thing (the disco ball-spinning swagger of "2 Bad"), but putting the Rock — an action star and former wrestler — in a speaker-thumping tropical rap tune ("It Doesn't Matter")? Now, that's something only Wyclef Jean could pull off. After all, he's fused hip-hop with pop, rock, R&B, and reggae for more than a decade, from the slow-burn of "Mona Lisa" (featuring the Neville Brothers in top form) to the club-bound electro rap of "Perfect Gentleman." And then there's "Celebrate," a shot-in-the-arm collaboration between Jean, Patti LaBelle, and Cassidy. If that one doesn't make you move your feet and forgot your problems within seconds, nothing will.

Born in Haiti and relocated to Brooklyn at the tender age of nine, Wyclef Jean is one of hip-hop's true everymen: an outspoken activist, jazz-trained guitarist, fearless producer, free-flowing MC, and ambassador of cross-cultural collaborations that sound absolutely seamless. Who else can say they've worked with Paul Simon, Patti LaBelle, Santana, Destiny's Child, Shakira, the New York Philharmonic, Mary J. Blige, Black Eyed Peas . . . and, well, the list goes on and on? On top of all that, Jean was a key part of the Fugees alongside Pras and Lauryn Hill, a trio that's still considered one of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time despite releasing only two albums. It helps that one of them, 1996's The Score, left behind a legacy, making hip-hop safe — and profitable — for alternative rap types like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, the Roots, and Common. Now if only they'd reunite for more than random shows. Until then, we'll be watching Jean's every move behind the boards and at the mic.