Although Wyclef Jean spent most of his childhood in New Jersey, his heart never left his homeland of Haiti.
Many see him as a hip-hop artist, but Jean has other intentions for his career and country of Haiti. Speculation about him running for Haiti’s president proved to be true, as his brother, Samuel Jean, confirmed that the musician would announce his intentions in a televised interview with Larry King on Thursday. The former Fugees member filed the paperwork for the electoral council last week.
Haiti’s current president, Rene Preval, has been criticized for not being proactive enough in the restoration of the country after the devastating January earthquake that left Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince ravaged and killed over 200,000 people.
Although Jean has not had a heavy hand in the political world, he is the founder of the Yele Haiti, which raised more than $9 million after the Jan. 12 quake. The 37-year-old is also nephew to the current Haitian ambassador to the U.S., Raymond Joseph. Joseph is said to be running for president as well, but is still supportive of his nephew.
