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.
Whitney Houston Dub Plate
Wyclef Jean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Right now put your hands together
For original, original diva, original dub plate
No one can play this but Refugee's on the number 1 tour
Now listen to Miss Whitney Houston (come with it)
Yo, this is Whitney Houston
Yes massive this is the original vocalist
I'd like to say rest in peace to Dennis Brown
If tomorrow is Judgement Day (lighers in the air)
And I'm standing on the front line (ayo)
Mm, and the Lord asks me what I did with my life
I would say: "Wyclef murdered a sound boy" (yo, huh)
If I wake up in World War III
(If you believe in the most high, hands in the air)
I see the destruction in poverty
(East Coast, West Coast, hey, hey)
And I feel like I wanna go home (south side)
It's okay, as long as Wyclef is with me
(North Side, Jamaican, Caribbean, Haitian, hands in the air, everybody, hey!)
My love is your dub and your dub is my dub (ayo)
It would take an eternity to break us
And the chains of Amistad couldn't hold us (listen to Whitney)
My sound is your sound
'Cause the refugee sound is your sound (woo)
It would take an eternity to break us (come on)
And a million sound boys will die before us
This for the hardcore, before I had the record deal you know what I'm sayin'?
I'ma take y'all back when I was walking down the street
My little girl saying: "Yo Clef, that nigga tryin' to stick with somethin"
Walk over to him and said, "Yo"
The intro to Wyclef Jean's song Whitney Houston Dub Plate features a call to action for the crowd to show their excitement for the original dub plate of Whitney Houston's voice. The singer introduces herself and pays tribute to the late Dennis Brown. The lyrics shift to hypothetical situations where the singer is faced with difficult challenges such as Judgment Day and World War III. Wyclef Jean declares that if questioned about his life, he would say he murdered a sound boy, which refers to killing the competition in a sound clash when two reggae sound systems compete with music against each other. The singers express a desire to return home and highlight the unity created by the refugee sound, which brings together different cultures and backgrounds. The song concludes with Wyclef Jean reminiscing about his early days and confronting an adversary in the street.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo wanna thank y'all for coming out tonight to see me
Wyclef appreciates his fans for attending his show
Right now put your hands together
Crowd is encouraged to clap and cheer for the next performer
For original, original diva, original dub plate
Whitney is being introduced as an original and unique artist
No one can play this but Refugee's on the number 1 tour
Only Wyclef's band can perform this song on their top-rated tour
Now listen to Miss Whitney Houston (come with it)
The audience is urged to listen to Whitney's performance
Yo, this is Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston introduces herself to the crowd
Yes massive this is the original vocalist
Whitney is acknowledged as the true singer of the song
I'd like to say rest in peace to Dennis Brown
Whitney pays homage to the late reggae legend, Dennis Brown
If tomorrow is Judgement Day (lighers in the air)
In the event of the end of the world
And I'm standing on the front line (ayo)
Whitney is placed in a combat situation
Mm, and the Lord asks me what I did with my life
Whitney is asked to account for her actions in life
I would say: "Wyclef murdered a sound boy" (yo, huh)
Whitney would answer with Wyclef's accolades in music
If I wake up in World War III
In a hypothetical scenario of a third world war
(If you believe in the most high, hands in the air)
If you believe in God, raise your hands
I see the destruction in poverty
Whitney sees the aftermath of the war
(East Coast, West Coast, hey, hey)
A nod to the hip-hop rivalry between East Coast and West Coast
And I feel like I wanna go home (south side)
Whitney longs for her hometown on the south side
It's okay, as long as Wyclef is with me
Whitney is comforted by the presence of Wyclef
(North Side, Jamaican, Caribbean, Haitian, hands in the air, everybody, hey!)
A shoutout to various nationalities in the audience
My love is your dub and your dub is my dub (ayo)
Our respective music styles are equivalent
It would take an eternity to break us
Our bond is unbreakable
And the chains of Amistad couldn't hold us (listen to Whitney)
Even the strongest chains couldn't bind us
My sound is your sound
Our music is shared between us
'Cause the refugee sound is your sound (woo)
The kind of music that Refugee makes is popular amongst the audience
And a million sound boys will die before us
Other musicians will falter before Wyclef and crew
This for the hardcore, before I had the record deal you know what I'm sayin'?
Wyclef is about to perform a song from his earlier days without a recording contract
I'ma take y'all back when I was walking down the street
Wyclef sets the stage to narrate a story from his past
My little girl saying: "Yo Clef, that nigga tryin' to stick with somethin"
Wyclef's daughter warns him of a potential danger nearby
Walk over to him and said, "Yo"
Wyclef confronts the suspicious person
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Duplessis, Jean
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind