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.
Thug Like Me
Wyclef Jean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It goes out for the fellas
Creepin' in the lady's home when they man ain't home
Ladies help me say
[Chorus]
If you ain't treatin' your girlfriend right
One day you won't be missed
Someone will replace your kiss
You want to be hardcore
Like the rapper Jadakiss
Or a thug like me will be up in your house
Cookin' breakfast in the morning
I know you heard these words before
But you never heard em quite like this
You gon' find yourself livin' all by yourself
Who woulda ever thought wit a stranger she would share her wealth
Now a stranger like me is lyin' under her sheets
This is a warning red alert emergency
If you can't find your girl that means she's here wit me
She said you had an argument
So I brought her roses
You know what comes next when the door closes
You don't like her smile
So you treat her foul
You only give her attention when I'm on the prowl
And now your guilty conscience got you actin' wild
And now you want to flip mode like you Busta Rhymes
[Chorus]
This is a warning red alert emergency
If you can't find your girl she's at work wit me
Yo we eatin' brunch while you havin' lunch
You don't even call to see what she wants
You don't like her smile so you treat her foul
You only give her attention when I'm on the prowl
And now your guilty conscience got you actin' wild
And now you want to flip like you Busta Rhymes
[Chorus]
This is a warning
It's a radar warning
My dogs I'm talking to you right now
You need to hold her and console her
Never, never, never be afraid to tell her that you love her
[Chorus]
Get on the phone and call your girlfriend right now
You shoulda listened to her
Shoulda listened to her
You shoulda listened to her
Shoulda listened to her
Oh, you should listen to her
Sometimes you should listen to her
Take her out for dinner
Shoulda listened to her
Take her to the movies
Shoulda listened to her
She lookin groovy
Shoulda listened to her
That kinda girl ready
Shoulda listened to her
Yo you should listen to her
Shoulda listened to her
Sometimes just listen to her
Shoulda listened to her
Listen to her
Shoulda listened to her
Sometimes just listen to her
Shoulda listened to her
The lyrics of Wyclef Jean's Thug Like Me serve as a warning to men who fail to treat their girlfriends right. The song discusses how a man's failure to treat his woman properly will lead to someone else replacing him, such as a thug like Wyclef Jean himself. He even mentions how he might be cooking breakfast for the woman in the morning if the guy she's with doesn't treat her right.
The chorus of the song further reinforces the idea that if a man doesn't treat his girlfriend right, he will find himself living alone. The song's use of a radar warning and an emergency call out addresses the issue seriously, almost urging men to listen to their girlfriends and to never be afraid of telling them that they love them.
Overall, Thug Like Me is a call to action for men to treat their girlfriends with more respect and love, warning them that someone else might take their place if they don't.
Line by Line Meaning
This joint right here
I am about to start a song
It goes out for the fellas
This song is directed towards men
Creepin' in the lady's home when they man ain't home
Some men sneak into women's homes when their partners are not around
Ladies help me say
Women should sing along with this chorus
If you ain't treatin' your girlfriend right
If you don't treat your girlfriend well
Trust me when I tell you this
You should believe what I am saying
One day you won't be missed
Your girlfriend will eventually leave you
Someone will replace your kiss
Another man will take your place in her life
You want to be hardcore
You want to be tough or rough
Like the rapper Jadakiss
You want to be as hardcore as Jadakiss
Or a thug like me will be up in your house
If you aren't careful, someone like me (a thug) will be with your girlfriend
Cookin' breakfast in the morning
I will be with your girlfriend and making breakfast for her
I know you heard these words before
You have probably heard similar warnings before
But you never heard em quite like this
You have not heard it delivered quite like this before
You gon' find yourself livin' all by yourself
You will end up alone
Who woulda ever thought wit a stranger she would share her wealth
You never imagined that a stranger would be with your girlfriend, let alone benefit from it
Now a stranger like me is lyin' under her sheets
I am now sleeping with your girlfriend
This is a warning red alert emergency
You need to pay attention to this situation
If you can't find your girl that means she's here wit me
If you can't find your girlfriend, she is probably with me
She said you had an argument
Your girlfriend told me that you had a fight
So I brought her roses
I gave her flowers to make her feel better
You know what comes next when the door closes
You know what happens next when we're alone together
You don't like her smile
You aren't happy with your girlfriend's smile
So you treat her foul
You treat her poorly
You only give her attention when I'm on the prowl
You only seem to care about her when you think I am around
And now your guilty conscience got you actin' wild
You feel bad about how you have treated her and are now acting erratically
And now you want to flip mode like you Busta Rhymes
You want to change your behavior (like Busta Rhymes changing his rap style)
This is a warning
This is a message that you need to heed
It's a radar warning
This is a serious warning
My dogs I'm talking to you right now
I'm speaking directly to the men listening
You need to hold her and console her
You must comfort your girlfriend
Never, never, never be afraid to tell her that you love her
You should tell her you love her without hesitation
Get on the phone and call your girlfriend right now
Contact your girlfriend immediately
You shoulda listened to her
You should have paid attention to her
Oh, you should listen to her
You need to listen to her
Sometimes you should listen to her
Occasionally, you need to take her words to heart
Take her out for dinner
Take her on dates
Take her to the movies
Go to the movies with her
She lookin groovy
She looks good
That kinda girl ready
Your girlfriend is willing and interested
Sometimes just listen to her
At times, you must simply hear her out
Listen to her
Pay attention to her words and needs
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DUPLESSIS, JEAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind