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.
Hollyhood to Hollywood
Wyclef Jean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Underground hip-hop yo (*foreign singing*)
This one's a gangsta tune, whassup fosha?
I'mma send this one out to all the refugee gangs around the world
Signal, signal, y'all need to chill with the drive-by's
It was the fourth of July I heard the cherry bomb bang
Stay in the house that's the sound of the gangs, clef
By the time we figured out what happened
Don't wear your colors here, that cemetery gear
I got my gun and nine, killing's my appetite
(but that ain't right y'all)
Don't wear your colors here!
That cemetery gear (california, california)
I got my gun and nine from hollywood, to your neck of the hood
True, true, yo hollywood got a lot of kids twisted
Jumpin' in and out of limo's thinkin' is his ass really gifted
The only gift y'all possess is workin' with the triple six's
Y'all disguise yourself with bandanas and diamond necklaces
Mosta y'all can't even go back to the hood where y'all grew up
Actin like y'all drink alcohol and all y'all do is throw up
Talk about when y'all blow up y'all gonna visit the project floors
But the last time they saw y'all was 1984
Now y'all wonder, why they got on hoodies screamin' "freeze"
Get out the navigator, godfather iii in the dvd
They hop in, they take your car for a spin
It's cold outside so all you feel is the wind
There's no cell-y phone, so you can't phone home
Oh lord, here come those criminals maleek & jerome
("yo, who you know here, you got family over here?")
He a rap artist
("I don't care, he got the wrong colors over here, no fear")
Now you look shook like that mobb deep song
I'm surprised, cause on all y'all records you was al capone
And come to find out that you never held a chrome
And you escaped the draft and never bust a shot in vietnam
Now you standin' in the form amongst the children of the corn
Like the son of man stood with a crown made of thorns
The only difference is for you there'll be no resurrection
Cause it's a traffic jam, they got you locked up in a intersection
Don't wear your colors here, that cemetery gear
I got my gun and nine, killing's my appetite
(but that ain't right y'all)
Don't wear your colors here! (colors)
That cemetery gear (chicago, chicago)
I got my gun and nine from hollywood, to your neck of the hood
Yo, hollywood has half-man be hollow to you
How could you have slipped through
While I was detecting the trick that's in you
Pretending you pitbull, when really your candy-ass is poodle
We wouldn't of hit you, hammers have already been
Cocked and cleaned, yo, it was who?
It's click-up, click-up, north cackus, commence to stick up
That's what's within us, cack and lack, clap, buck killers quicker
Stick up the forest misters then head up to chickens with 'em
Adrenaline's givin', when I riff with the fifth to your chin-in
You never knew bout how we play these innings
But you about to play the commission
Waves are spinning, I'm out the glaze I'm sh...ing
The real is missing but the fraud is evident
Ever so clear, but you got the nerd to come around here with pounds of fear
Your colors wrong you must rock edible dons with that huh?
Damn paul, what's that huh?
Let me get that, with the quick snatch
If it's a little man in you then I better put the trick back
And if it's anything killers is fearing, I know my clit stacked for realer
Don't wear your colors here, that cemetery gear
I got my gun and nine, killing's my appetite
(but that ain't right y'all)
Don't wear your colors here! (colors)
That cemetery gear (detroit, detroit)
I got my gun and nine from hollywood, to your neck of the hood
Tell the fbi that I won't be home tonight
Tell the secret service I won't be home tonight
Colors, put away your colors whoa, colors
In Wyclef Jean's song "Hollywood", he starts off by addressing the underground hip-hop community and sends out a message to all the refugee gangs around the world to chill with the drive-by's. He then narrates the scene on the fourth of July where he heard a cherry bomb bang which indicates gunshots. He emphasizes the need for gang members to avoid wearing their colors and cemetery gear as it can escalate violence. He believes that Hollywood is a place where many kids are twisted and are jumping in and out of limos, thinking they are gifted. He criticizes these individuals for just pretending to be gang members by tying bandanas and diamond necklaces to themselves when they do not have the courage to go back to their own hoods.
In the second verse, Wyclef urges the listeners to avoid imitating Hollywood behavior as it can prove dangerous. He talks about how people pretend to be tough and drink alcohol, but in reality, they throw up. He narrates a story where a rapper gets his car stolen, and the thieves ask them to state their family over here, and when they find out that the rapper has the wrong colors, they get threatened. Wyclef urges people to avoid pretending to be what they are not, or else they may end up in a dangerous situation.
The chorus emphasizes Wyclef's message, urging people not to wear their colors and cemetery gear as it can prove dangerous in many neighborhoods.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo, let's get back to the hardcore right now
We need to return to the roots of hip-hop
Underground hip-hop yo (*foreign singing*)
I'm celebrating the underground hip-hop culture
This one's a gangsta tune, whassup fosha?
This song is a tribute to all the refugee gangs in the world
I'mma send this one out to all the refugee gangs around the world
This song is a tribute to all the refugee gangs in the world
Signal, signal, y'all need to chill with the drive-by's
Stop the violence and the drive-by shootings
It was the fourth of July I heard the cherry bomb bang
I was there when the violence erupted
Stay in the house that's the sound of the gangs, clef
The gunshots were so loud, I had to stay inside to stay safe
By the time we figured out what happened
It took us a while to understand what just went down
I was in an ambulance tellin' my cousin keep breathing
I was being taken to the hospital, hoping my cousin would survive
Don't wear your colors here, that cemetery gear
Don't wear gang colors, or you'll get killed
I got my gun and nine, killing's my appetite
I'm armed and dangerous, ready to kill at any moment
(but that ain't right y'all)
But that's not the right way to live
That cemetery gear (california, california)
The way you dress will get you killed, especially in California
I got my gun and nine from hollywood, to your neck of the hood
I'm armed and dangerous, and I can come to your neighborhood
True, true, yo hollywood got a lot of kids twisted
Hollywood has a negative influence on young people
Jumpin' in and out of limo's thinkin' is his ass really gifted
People in Hollywood think they're special just because they're rich and famous
The only gift y'all possess is workin' with the triple six's
The only talent you have is working with the devil
Y'all disguise yourself with bandanas and diamond necklaces
You try to dress up like gangsters, but you're not real
Mosta y'all can't even go back to the hood where y'all grew up
Most of you can't even go back to your own neighborhood
Actin like y'all drink alcohol and all y'all do is throw up
You pretend to be cool, but you're really just a poser
Talk about when y'all blow up y'all gonna visit the project floors
You talk about going back to help your community when you become famous
But the last time they saw y'all was 1984
You haven't been back to your neighborhood in a long time
Now y'all wonder, why they got on hoodies screamin' "freeze"
People in your neighborhood are afraid of you
Get out the navigator, godfather iii in the dvd
You're trying to look tough by driving a fancy car and watching mafia movies
They hop in, they take your car for a spin
They steal your car and joyride it
It's cold outside so all you feel is the wind
You're left outside in the cold, with nothing to do
There's no cell-y phone, so you can't phone home
You can't call for help because you don't have a cell phone
Oh lord, here come those criminals maleek & jerome
You're about to get robbed by two criminals
("yo, who you know here, you got family over here?")
They want to know if you have any connections in the neighborhood
He a rap artist
They recognize you as a famous rapper
("I don't care, he got the wrong colors over here, no fear")
They don't care who you are, you're wearing the wrong colors in their territory
Now you look shook like that mobb deep song
You look scared, like in the Mobb Deep song
I'm surprised, cause on all y'all records you was al capone
You rap about being tough, but you're not really a gangster
And come to find out that you never held a chrome
It turns out you've never even fired a gun
And you escaped the draft and never bust a shot in vietnam
You avoided the military draft, and you've never fought in a war
Now you standin' in the form amongst the children of the corn
You're surrounded by dangerous people who view you as an outsider
Like the son of man stood with a crown made of thorns
You feel like you're being punished unfairly
The only difference is for you there'll be no resurrection
You won't be able to come back from this experience
Cause it's a traffic jam, they got you locked up in a intersection
You're trapped in a dangerous situation and can't escape
(colors)
Gang colors
Yo, hollywood has half-man be hollow to you
Hollywood is empty and shallow
How could you have slipped through
How did you fall for the fake image of Hollywood?
While I was detecting the trick that's in you
I was able to see through the fake image of Hollywood
Pretending you pitbull, when really your candy-ass is poodle
You're trying to look tough, but you're really just a coward
We wouldn't of hit you, hammers have already been
People have already tried to hurt you
Cocked and cleaned, yo, it was who?
Someone had a gun ready to shoot you
It's click-up, click-up, north cackus, commence to stick up
A gang is about to rob you
That's what's within us, cack and lack, clap, buck killers quicker
We're ready to kill without hesitation
Stick up the forest misters then head up to chickens with 'em
We'll rob anyone we can find
Adrenaline's givin', when I riff with the fifth to your chin-in
I'm getting excited just thinking about hurting you
You never knew bout how we play these innings
You have no idea how dangerous we are
But you about to play the commission
You're about to be robbed by a gang
Waves are spinning, I'm out the glaze I'm sh...ing
Things are happening fast and I'm getting nervous
The real is missing but the fraud is evident
The real people who live here are gone, but the fake gangsters are still around
Ever so clear, but you got the nerd to come around here with pounds of fear
It's obvious that you're scared, but you still came here thinking you could handle it
Your colors wrong you must rock edible dons with that huh?
You're wearing the wrong colors for this neighborhood
Damn paul, what's that huh?
Your outfit is attracting unwanted attention
Let me get that, with the quick snatch
Give me that outfit before someone hurts you
If it's a little man in you then I better put the trick back
If you're not strong enough to handle this situation, you should leave
And if it's anything killers is fearing, I know my clit stacked for realer
I'm prepared to do anything to survive this dangerous situation
Tell the fbi that I won't be home tonight
I'm in a dangerous situation, and I won't be able to go home
Tell the secret service I won't be home tonight
I'm in a dangerous situation, and I won't be able to go home
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CARLI, DUPLESSIS, HANCOCK, JEAN, MARAGH, MISSIR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind