Jean moved to Brooklyn, New York when he was nine, then to Northern New Jersey, where he began playing the guitar and studying jazz in his high school. In 1987, Jean, his friend (so close they told people they were cousins growing up) Prakazrel Michel (Pras) and his classmate, Lauryn Hill, formed a group called the Tranzlator Crew before becoming The Fugees. Wyclef worked as a cabdriver.
Recently he has been finding success as a collaborator - with his turn on Shakira's 2006 track 'Hips Don't Lie' hitting number one in many countries around the world.
In August of 2010, Jean announced his intent to seek the presidency of Haiti. This move came after his increasingly-high profile humanitarian work in the wake of the earthquake that devastated that nation.
Gangsta Cause
Wyclef Jean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wyclef, AKA Richie S
You know what I′m sayin on the rice and peas riddim
Y'all thought I ain′t eat rice and peas y'all crazy
Spragga... Elephant Man brought y'all the Jamaican part of it
I′m gone bring y′all the world, part of it
This is another, Natural Bridge production!
So all my warriors and gangstas 'round the world
You should learn your history before you stray
It′s not a game, so If you can't
You will might find yourself playin russian roulette
(Verse 1)
Yo! Shoutout to all my warriors and all of my thugs (Thugs)
Learn your history before you start buss slugs (Slugs)
You might turn around and see your flesh on the rug
Ya hear me ya hear me ya hear me, yo!
Shoutout to all my warriors and all of my thugs (Thugs)
Learn your history before you start buss slugs (Slugs)
You might turn around and see your brains on the rug
Ya hear me ya hear me ya hear me ya hear me
Hitler, was the evil part of that
Mussolini, was the puppet part of that
That′s why they hung him by his toe gave him a heart attack
Joseph Stallion killed millions never thoguht of that
FDR Churchill the peace part of that
Castro, the communist part of that
Arafat and Kadaffi the terrorist part of that
Damn Sadat got shot amongst all of that
Sadam made the poison gas part of that
Apartheid Mandela, fought for that
Malcolm X, Martin Luther gave their life for that
Farrakhan did the million man march for that
(Chorus)
So all my warriors and gangstas 'round the world
You should learn your history before you stray
It′s not a game, so If you can't
You will might find yourself playin russian roulette
(Verse 2)
Yo! To all of my warriors and all of my thugs (Thugs)
Learn your history before you start buss slugs (Slugs)
You might turn around and see your flesh on the rug
Ya hear me ya hear me ya hear me, yo!
To all of my warriors and all of my thugs (Thugs)
Learn your history before you start buss slugs (Slugs)
You might turn around and see your brains on the rug
Ya hear me ya hear me ya hear me ya hear me
Bonnie And Clyde, the bank robber part of that
John Dillinger, the Tommy Gun part of that
Babyface Nelson was murdered they said naw to that
Elliot Ness, the FBI nod to that
Al Capone ran Chitown part of that
Lucky Luciano was the street smarts of that
Gambino crime family mastered that
Break bones, so you would have to blast for that
Cassolino died in the bloodbath of that
John Gotti was the dapper dan part of that
Sammy The Bull, BUCK! informer that
Bumpy Johnson held uptown part of that
Yo! To all of my warriors and all of my thugs (Thugs)
Learn your history before you start buss slugs (Slugs)
You might turn around and see your flesh on the rug
Ya hear me ya hear me ya hear me, yo!
To all of my warriors and all of my thugs (Thugs)
Learn your history before you start buss slugs (Slugs)
You might turn around and see your brains on the rug
Ya hear me ya hear me ya hear me ya hear me
(Chorus)
So all my warriors and gangstas 'round the world
You should learn your history before you stray
It′s not a game, so If you can′t
You will might find yourself playin russian roulette
The lyrics to Wyclef Jean's song "Gangsta Cause" serves as a warning to all the warriors and gangstas around the world to learn their history before they stray down a dangerous path. Wyclef advises them not to be fooled by the allure of violence and to understand the significance of past events before taking any drastic action. He contrasts the evil deeds of infamous figures such as Hitler, Mussolini, and Joseph Stallion with the peace efforts of others like FDR Churchill and Mandela in the struggle for equal rights.
Furthermore, Wyclef highlights the roles of various criminal gangs such as Bonnie and Clyde, Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and John Gotti in the history of organized crime in America. He warns the youth not to get caught up in such activities and to avoid playing Russian roulette with their lives. The lyrics of the song bring to light the importance of understanding history and the impact it has on the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Wyclef, AKA Richie S
Wyclef Jean is also known by the name Richie S
You know what I'm sayin on the rice and peas riddim
The song is set to a rhythm called 'rice and peas riddim'
Y'all thought I ain't eat rice and peas y'all crazy
Do not underestimate Wyclef's Jamaican roots; he loves rice and peas
Spragga... Elephant Man brought y'all the Jamaican part of it
Shoutout to Spragga Benz and Elephant Man for introducing Jamaican music to the world
I'm gone bring y'all the world, part of it
Wyclef wants to give a global perspective and bring different cultures together through his music
This is another, Natural Bridge production!
The song was produced by Natural Bridge
So all my warriors and gangstas 'round the world
Wyclef is addressing his fans who identify as 'warriors' and 'gangstas'
You should learn your history before you stray
It is important to know your history before you go down a dangerous path
It's not a game, so If you can't
The consequences of not knowing your history can be severe
You will might find yourself playin russian roulette
You may end up in a situation where your life is in danger
Shoutout to all my warriors and all of my thugs (Thugs)
Again, Wyclef is addressing his fans who identify as 'warriors' and 'thugs'
Learn your history before you start buss slugs (Slugs)
Before resorting to violence, it is important to understand the historical context behind it
You might turn around and see your flesh on the rug
Violence often leads to gruesome outcomes
Hitler, was the evil part of that
Hitler represented the embodiment of evil
Mussolini, was the puppet part of that
Mussolini was a puppet of Hitler's actions
That's why they hung him by his toe gave him a heart attack
Mussolini was executed in a brutal manner
Joseph Stallion killed millions never thoguht of that
Joseph Stalin was responsible for the deaths of millions of people
FDR Churchill the peace part of that
Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill played a role in promoting peace
Castro, the communist part of that
Fidel Castro was associated with communism
Arafat and Kadaffi the terrorist part of that
Yasser Arafat and Muammar Gaddafi were associated with terrorism
Damn Sadat got shot amongst all of that
Anwar Sadat was unfortunately a victim of political violence
Sadam made the poison gas part of that
Saddam Hussein used poison gas as a weapon
Apartheid Mandela, fought for that
Nelson Mandela fought against apartheid in South Africa
Malcolm X, Martin Luther gave their life for that
Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. sacrificed their lives fighting for civil rights
Farrakhan did the million man march for that
Louis Farrakhan organized the Million Man March to promote African American rights
Bonnie And Clyde, the bank robber part of that
Bonnie and Clyde were notorious bank robbers
John Dillinger, the Tommy Gun part of that
John Dillinger used the Tommy Gun to commit crimes
Babyface Nelson was murdered they said naw to that
Babyface Nelson was killed by law enforcement
Elliot Ness, the FBI nod to that
Elliot Ness was an FBI agent who worked to bring down organized crime
Al Capone ran Chitown part of that
Al Capone was a notorious gangster who controlled Chicago
Lucky Luciano was the street smarts of that
Lucky Luciano was known for his cunning and street smarts
Gambino crime family mastered that
The Gambino crime family was very skilled at criminal activity
Break bones, so you would have to blast for that
If someone broke the rules, they were severely punished
Cassolino died in the bloodbath of that
David Cassolino was killed in a violent incident
John Gotti was the dapper dan part of that
John Gotti was a stylish and sophisticated gangster
Sammy The Bull, BUCK! informer that
Sammy Gravano became an informant against the Gambino crime family
Bumpy Johnson held uptown part of that
Bumpy Johnson had control over the uptown area of Harlem
Writer(s): Victan Paul Edmund, Rohan Fuller, Mark Pinnock, Wyclef Jean
Contributed by Jake F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.