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.
Stayin Alive
Wyclef Jean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wyclef Jean, John Forte, Prizewell
Nah mean the streets are gettin' a little crazy
Looka, looka, looka, looka, looka
Looka, looka, looka, here looka shorty got back
Should I ask her for a dance
Hold on, there's too many in a wolf pack
Buyin' her fake furs and takin' her to the fever
Quite as his kept that ain't even his Benz
She spends his franklins at the malls with her friends
Material girl livin' in a material world
But it's alright 'cuz it's Saturday night
So mista funkmaster pump the Bee-Gees
And all you college students bring your ouijas'
Check the spellin', R E F U G E E
Get the CD from Sam Goody he, he
You ain't even close wit the rhymes that you wrote
Don't be mad 'cuz you broke
Let me clear my throat, ah huh, ah huh
John Forte grab the mic roots, sway it this way
I more than just a rhymer, you still a small timer
Hopin' that the game treat that ass a little kinda
Every step tango'd, your beat don't concern me
I'm eatin' mangoes in Trinadad wit attorneys
(Oh yea)
My crews slang flow worldwide like a current
Wit da every spot where nobody get insurance
Brotha do the math, you ain't half near exotic
My man's claim true, you forget about it
Pope hoe just a new stance like my influence
Well, recognize you a lie tryin' do it
Got juice told your lady oops, we nuts baby
Smooth and charizmatic, automatic, you gonna save me
God bless the day that my sons survive
We strive to teach the youth baby and stay alive
Refugee camp, nuts baby
John Forte, yo, watch your lady
Yo, watch your lady
Eh ah, special ill rhyme Dirtycash
Yo, if you got more than dollar in your pocket
Right now, put your hands up
Yo yo, you can tell by the way I roll
Shorty, that I'm a ladies man, a business man
Condos down the shore, multi million pension plans
But it ain't in my plan to make move without the fam
I keep it intact, you Clef do the track
John play da mack while I pay the tax
Business as usual, watchin' suspects
Steal my assets, get cut with gillettes
We built this concept, connect like nynex
Drinks at the bar, my American express
Yo, I cook up, cook up
The cop a pull up, pull up
Then I cuff up, cuff up, you who's callin' bluff
Now you shook up, shook up
'Cuz you lock up, lock up
When I love up, love up, you who's callin' bluff
Hey yo, John is chillin'
Dirtycash chillin'
What more can I say we livin'
That's what we got, we got it good
And since you understood, we be
Yeah, live at the carnival, 97 till infinite, ha
Refugee All-Stars
Can't stop the shining, can't stop the shining
Can't stop the shining, can't stop the shining
You wanna stop the shining, you wanna stop the shining
You wanna stop the shining, you wanna stop the shining
Can't stop the shining, can't stop the shining
The lyrics to Wyclef Jean's "Stayin Alive" tell a story of a night out in the club with his fellow refugees. They are rubbing shoulders with a diverse group of people, including "shorty" who catches his eye. However, he's hesitant to ask her to dance because she's being pursued by someone who is not who he claims to be. Dirtycash is trying to impress her with fake possessions and expensive gifts, but Wyclef Jean sees through his façade. He knows she's a "material girl living in a material world," but it's all good because it's Saturday night, and they're there to have a good time. Wyclef encourages everyone to let loose and dance to the Bee Gees while also playing with a Ouija board.
As John Forte grabs the mic, the story shifts to Wyclef's personal reflections on his success as a rapper and businessman. He brags about his wealth, including condos and pension plans, but he's quick to acknowledge that his family is his priority. John Forte follows Wyclef's lead, and the two men contrast their lifestyles with the people who are trying to rip them off. They build on the theme of refraining from falling into a materialistic world and being content with what they have without overindulging.
Overall, "Stayin' Alive" captures the excitement and highs of a night out while emphasizing the importance of prioritizing what matters most in life - family, friends, and not falling for materialistic traps.
Line by Line Meaning
We got the Refugees All-Stars rubba dubbin' in the club
The Refugees All-Stars are performing reggae music in the club
Nah mean the streets are gettin' a little crazy
You know what I'm saying, the streets are becoming more dangerous
Looka, looka, looka, looka, looka
Hey, look over there!
Looka, looka, looka, here looka shorty got back
Hey, check it out, that girl has an attractive figure
Should I ask her for a dance
Should I invite her to dance with me?
Hold on, there's too many in a wolf pack
Wait a minute, there are too many guys trying to hit on her
And besides Dirtycash talkin' to her
Furthermore, Dirtycash is already chatting her up
Buyin' her fake furs and takin' her to the fever
Purchasing her artificial fur clothing and taking her to a nightclub
Quite as his kept that ain't even his Benz
To keep it quiet, that is not even his Mercedes-Benz car
She spends his franklins at the malls with her friends
She spends his money at the malls with her friends
Material girl livin' in a material world
She is a girl who is obsessed with material possessions and lives in a materialistic society
But it's alright 'cuz it's Saturday night
But it's okay because it's Saturday night, a time for having fun
So mista funkmaster pump the Bee-Gees
Mr. Funkmaster, play some Bee Gees music
And all you college students bring your ouijas'
And all you college students, bring your ouija boards
Check the spellin', R E F U G E E
Check the spelling of the word refugee
Get the CD from Sam Goody he, he
Buy the CD from Sam Goody (a music store)
You ain't even close wit the rhymes that you wrote
Your lyrics are not even close to being as good as mine
Don't be mad 'cuz you broke
Don't be angry because you do not have as much money as me
Let me clear my throat, ah huh, ah huh
Let me clear my throat before I continue rapping
John Forte grab the mic roots, sway it this way
John Forte, take the microphone and rap in this direction
I more than just a rhymer, you still a small timer
I am more than just a lyricist, you are still a beginner
Hopin' that the game treat that ass a little kinda
Hoping that the music industry will be kind to you
Every step tango'd, your beat don't concern me
I dance the tango with every step and your music does not impress me
I'm eatin' mangoes in Trinadad wit attorneys
I am enjoying eating mangoes in Trinidad with my lawyers
My crews slang flow worldwide like a current
My group's style of rapping spreads globally like an electric current
Wit da every spot where nobody get insurance
In every place where nobody has insurance
Brotha do the math, you ain't half near exotic
Brother, do the math, you are not even close to being exotic
My man's claim true, you forget about it
My friend's claims are true, don't forget it
Pope hoe just a new stance like my influence
Prostitutes adopt new ways because of my influence
Well, recognize you a lie tryin' do it
You are lying while trying to do it
Got juice told your lady oops, we nuts baby
I am so persuasive that your lady got attracted to me
Smooth and charismatic, automatic, you gonna save me
I am smooth and charismatic, and you will be compelled to save me
God bless the day that my sons survive
Thank God that my children survive
We strive to teach the youth baby and stay alive
We work hard to teach the young generation and to stay alive
Refugee camp, nuts baby
Refugee camp is crazy, baby
John Forte, yo, watch your lady
John Forte, watch your lady
Eh ah, special ill rhyme Dirtycash
Hey, check out this creative verse from Dirtycash
Yo, if you got more than dollar in your pocket
Hey, if you have more than one dollar in your pocket
Right now, put your hands up
Right now, raise your hands up
Yo yo, you can tell by the way I roll
Hey, hey, you can tell by the way I carry myself
Shorty, that I'm a ladies man, a business man
Baby, you can see that I am a man who attracts women and is a businessman
Condos down the shore, multi million pension plans
I own condominiums by the shoreline and have multiple million dollar pension plans
But it ain't in my plan to make move without the fam
However, I do not plan on making any moves without my family
I keep it intact, you Clef do the track
I keep my family together, you, Clef, handle the music
John play da mack while I pay the tax
John is flirting while I pay the taxes
Business as usual, watchin' suspects
Everything is normal, we are keeping our eye on possible criminals
Steal my assets, get cut with gillettes
If someone tries to steal my possessions, they will face drastic consequences
We built this concept, connect like nynex
We created this idea, our connection is as strong as the telephone company Nynex
Drinks at the bar, my American express
Drinks at the bar are on me and I am using my American Express credit card
Yo, I cook up, cook up
Hey, I prepare things
The cop a pull up, pull up
The police will arrive soon
Then I cuff up, cuff up, you who's callin' bluff
Then I will make an arrest and you will no longer be able to deny anything
Now you shook up, shook up
Now you are nervous
'Cuz you lock up, lock up
Because you are in jail
When I love up, love up, you who's callin' bluff
When I show love, you will realize that you were lying
Hey yo, John is chillin'
Hey yo, John is relaxing
Dirtycash chillin'
Dirtycash is relaxing
What more can I say we livin'
What more can I say, we are living our lives
That's what we got, we got it good
We have what we need and we are content
And since you understood, we be
And because you understand, we are
Yeah, live at the carnival, 97 till infinite, ha
Yes, performing live at the carnival, from 1997 until infinity, ha
Refugee All-Stars
The musicians performing are the Refugee All-Stars
Can't stop the shining, can't stop the shining
We cannot be stopped, our talent shines too brightly
You wanna stop the shining, you wanna stop the shining
If you want to stop our talent from shining
Can't stop the shining, can't stop the shining
We cannot be stopped, our talent shines too brightly
Contributed by Miles Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@leandrodivera
Is it just me or did Pras absolutely own the dance floor?
@khaniboy
He nailed it!
@itsmenotyou652
You can tell by the way he moves that he’s a ladies man...
@justblase5270
Hell yea 👍🇹🇹🇺🇸
@Kaycity44
Yes!
@robertworkman1419
F-ing KILLED it!
@cybertek3188
You got to love John Forte's flow on this track. Very underrated!!
@prodigalsongod
"every step tango'd, your beef don't concern me
i'm eating mangoes in trinidad with attorneys"
that's that shit.
@peteyesco
@@prodigalsongod Word up. That line has stuck with me for almost two decades. Dope.
@DWANE80
Facts!!!! He went deep!