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.
Warrior's Anthem
Wyclef Jean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo I'm happy to be in the South
To set off my tour in the countryside
But who better to set it off for me than this man right here
[Kenny Rogers:]
Yo this Kenny Rogers chillin on the country side
With men like Wyclef (uh-huh) Jerry Wonder (uh-huh)
And we gon' do something like this for you
You got to know when to hold 'em (YEAH, YEAH!)
Know when to fold 'em (DJ's, DJ's!)
Know when to walk away (HIP-HOP, HIP-HOP!)
Know when to run... (YEAH, YEAH!)
You got to count your dub-plates (GHETTO, GHETTO, GHETTO)
Before you touch the turntables (ALL HOODS!)
Cause if you run out of big tunes
That means your sound is done (Y'ALL READY?)
[Chorus: Kenny Rogers]
You got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em (soundbwoys)
Know when to walk away
Know when to run... (hey, hey, hey, hey...)
You got to count your dub-plates
Before you touch the turntables (DJ's)
Cause if you run out of big tunes
That means your sound is done
[Pharoahe Monch:]
Get the hell up!
'Clef said, get the hell up!
Now throw your hands in the sky (BO! BO! BO! BO!)
Brooklyn in the back shootin craps y'all whassup?
Ladies; lookin hot and pretty
Doin your thing in the club high saditty
WORLDWIDE - the gritty committee pity the fool that
Act {shitty} in the midst of the calm, the witty
(You got to know when to hold 'em...)
Y'all know the name!
Same assassin from before, but the beat just changed a little
(?) who flip flows
That got women in they thongs gettin on but not Sisqo
Select your squad team and your itch
Bey know my flow muy caliente, fuego
No disrespect to soundbwoy, but you better step away from me
Easily defeat measley MC's and tease you
Ease back squeeze two in your wig and breeze through
[Chorus]
[Wyclef Jean:]
C'mon, c'mon
(Get the hell up!)
Soundbwoys ('Clef said, get the hell up!)
(Now throw your hands in the sky) Yo
This combination gon' bust from Brooklyn to Shanghai
Feel the boogie boogie Henny got me tipsy tipsy
Kenny Rogers and Pharoahe Monch? No way, this can't be
48 tracks, country meets rap
Put this on full blast, I'm about to break all formats
My destiny is to lead while y'all follow
This is (Showtime) and I'm (Live at the Apollo)
[Chorus 2: Kenny Rogers & Wyclef]
You got to know when to hold 'em (soundbwoys)
Know when to fold 'em (emcees)
Know when to walk away (yeah, yeah, yeah...)
Know when to run
You got to count your dub-plates
Before you touch the turntables (DJ's)
Cause if you run out of big tunes
That means your sound is done
In Wyclef Jean's song Warrior's Anthem, he starts by expressing his excitement about performing in the South and being in the countryside. He brings in Kenny Rogers to collaborate with him, along with Jerry Wonder, Big Jack, and Big Beast. The song is an interesting mix of country and rap, with different artists bringing their own styles to the track. The chorus talks about knowing when to hold, fold, walk away or run based on the context of the situation. However, they replace the references to gambling with music terminology, emphasizing the importance of having enough tunes to keep the sound going.
Pharoahe Monch steps up for the second verse, spitting his fast and gritty lines while Clef carries on the chorus. The rap verse is about being confident in his skills and winning challenges against lesser opponents. Clef then finishes the song, adding a touch of diversity to the mix with Creole elements in his verse. Both Clef and Kenny sing the chorus together, making it a catchy sing-along hook of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo I'm happy to be in the South
Wyclef is glad to kick off his tour in the countryside
To set off my tour in the countryside
Wyclef is starting off his tour in the countryside
But who better to set it off for me than this man right here
Kenny Rogers is the perfect person to kick off Wyclef's tour with
Yo this Kenny Rogers chillin on the country side
Kenny Rogers is relaxing in the countryside
With men like Wyclef (uh-huh) Jerry Wonder (uh-huh)
Kenny Rogers is with Wyclef and Jerry Wonder
Big Jack (mm-hmm) Big Beast (mm-hmm)
Kenny Rogers is also with Big Jack and Big Beast
And we gon' do something like this for you
Kenny Rogers and the crew are about to put on a show
You got to know when to hold 'em (YEAH, YEAH!)
It's important to know when to stick with what's working
Know when to fold 'em (DJ's, DJ's!)
It's important to recognize when it's time to move on
Know when to walk away (HIP-HOP, HIP-HOP!)
Sometimes, walking away is the best course of action
Know when to run... (YEAH, YEAH!)
In some cases, running away is the best option
You got to count your dub-plates (GHETTO, GHETTO, GHETTO)
It's important to track your music inventory
Before you touch the turntables (ALL HOODS!)
Don't start DJing before you know what you have
Cause if you run out of big tunes
If you don't have any good songs left
That means your sound is done (Y'ALL READY?)
You'll be out of luck
[Chorus: Kenny Rogers]
Chorus begins
Get the hell up!
Pharoahe Monch asks listeners to get up
'Clef said, get the hell up!
Pharoahe Monch echoes Wyclef's sentiment
Now throw your hands in the sky (BO! BO! BO! BO!)
Pharoahe encourages the crowd to raise their hands
Brooklyn in the back shootin craps y'all whassup?
People are playing dice in the background in Brooklyn
Ladies; lookin hot and pretty
Women look beautiful
Doin your thing in the club high saditty
Women are in the club acting self-important
WORLDWIDE - the gritty committee pity the fool that
This is happening all over the world
Act {shitty} in the midst of the calm, the witty
Don't be rude when things are peaceful and calm
(You got to know when to hold 'em...)
Pharoahe Monch references Kenny Rogers' lyrics
Y'all know the name!
People already know Pharoahe Monch's name
Same assassin from before, but the beat just changed a little
Pharoahe Monch is back, but with a different beat
(?) who flip flows
It's not clear who is flipping flows
That got women in they thongs gettin on but not Sisqo
The music is getting the women excited, but not like Sisqo did
Select your squad team and your itch
Choose your team wisely
Bey know my flow muy caliente, fuego
Beyoncé knows Pharoahe Monch's flow is fire
No disrespect to soundbwoy, but you better step away from me
Pharoahe Monch doesn't mean to be rude, but he wants to be left alone
Easily defeat measley MC's and tease you
Pharoahe Monch can easily beat weak MCs and make fun of them
Ease back squeeze two in your wig and breeze through
Pharoahe Monch threatens to shoot two bullets in your head and walk away
[Chorus]
Chorus repeats
[Wyclef Jean:]
Wyclef takes over
C'mon, c'mon
Wyclef is urging someone
(Get the hell up!)
Wyclef is kind of unknown
Soundbwoys ('Clef said, get the hell up!)
Wyclef is shouting out to soundboys
(Now throw your hands in the sky) Yo
Wyclef wants the crowd to put their hands in the air
This combination gon' bust from Brooklyn to Shanghai
This group of people will make a big impact, no matter where they perform
Feel the boogie boogie Henny got me tipsy tipsy
Wyclef is feeling a little drunk
Kenny Rogers and Pharoahe Monch? No way, this can't be
It's hard to believe this trio is performing together
48 tracks, country meets rap
There are 48 tracks of music, which merge country and rap
Put this on full blast, I'm about to break all formats
Turn up the music, because Wyclef is about to break new ground
My destiny is to lead while y'all follow
Wyclef is meant to be a leader
This is (Showtime) and I'm (Live at the Apollo)
This is a big moment for Wyclef
[Chorus 2: Kenny Rogers & Wyclef]
Chorus begins again
Know when to fold 'em (emcees)
Recognize when it's time to move on as an emcee in the music industry
Know when to walk away (yeah, yeah, yeah...)
Sometimes it's best to just walk away
You got to count your dub-plates
It's important to keep track of your music inventory as a DJ
Cause if you run out of big tunes
If you don't have any good songs left to play
That means your sound is done
Your career as a DJ is over
Writer(s): ARDEN ALTINO, JEAN WYCLEF, JERRY DUPLESSIS
Contributed by Xavier I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
kitkat Baby
This song gives me energy
Joseph Ruedy
Clef should have never left. We have been all missing out on his message nice to see he again is making revolutionary music. I know I am a little late but still :)
OGLocHi
Shame that this guy is so underrated.
Gabriel Torres
Thank God Wyclef is back. Carnival 2 was cool, but this feels like his old stuff. I think that kid getting his autograph gave him a huge reality check.
ty30phillip
I am glad to see that Wyclef is back.
Clint Young
Damn, this is banging, this brotha is the man...
Strýco Gontha
Wyclef is absolutely king of this style! mhaaa, peace.
Jonathan Del Rosario
damn good stuff
Michael White
❤️❤️❤️
King Tavi 434
2023 I'm still listening 💯