Wyclef Jean

Solo Artist

Photo: Ali Dan-Bouzoua · CC BY-SA 2.0
Active 1989-present
Origin Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti
Albums 8
Tracks 136
Most frequent collaborator Jerry Wonda · 102 tracks
Genres Hip HopReggae FusionPop Rap
Complete Artist
98%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 133 of 136 tracks

Does Wyclef Jean write his own songs?

Almost all of them. He is credited on 130 of his 136 studio tracks and is the only writer on 18. The six with no credit of his are interludes and one guest-led track.

By the Numbers

8
Studio Albums
136
Tracks Credited
98%
Self-Written
37
Years Active
301
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 133 / 136 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 136 tracks: how many Wyclef Jean wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Wyclef Jean has a writing credit98%
13%
85%
2%
Sole author18tracks13%
Co-written115tracks85%
Outside writers3tracks2%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Wyclef Jean's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 136 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)98%
Composer (music)98%
Producer37%
Performer100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Wyclef Jean's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 98%
100%
100%
100%
100%
85%
100%
100%
100%
1997Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival
2000The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book
2002Masquerade
2003The Preacher's Son
2004Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101
2007Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant
2009From the Hut, To the Projects, To the Mansion
2017Carnival III: The Fall and Rise of a Refugee
Early · 100% written
Mid · 95% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
1990s
Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival
98%
2000s
The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book, Masquerade +4 more
100%
2010s
Carnival III: The Fall and Rise of a Refugee

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Wyclef Jean sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Wyclef Jean
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

EXO8%
Xscape17%
Salt-N-Pepa35%
TLC59%
Destiny's Child69%
11279%
Puff Daddy88%
98%Wyclef Jean
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Gone till November
Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival
Written by Wyclef Jean, Jerry Duplessis, Nelust Wyclef Jean
Co-wrote
We Trying to Stay Alive
Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival
Written by Wyclef Jean, John Forté, Pras, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, Nelust Wyclef Jean, Prakazrel Michel
Co-wrote
911
The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book
Written by Wyclef Jean, Jerry Duplessis, Nelust Wyclef Jean
Co-wrote
Two Wrongs
Masquerade
Written by Wyclef Jean, Jerry Duplessis, Nelust Wyclef Jean
Co-wrote
Party to Damascus
The Preacher's Son
Written by Wyclef Jean, Jerry Duplessis, Missy Elliott, Nelust Wyclef Jean, Melissa Elliott
Co-wrote
Industry
The Preacher's Son
Written by Wyclef Jean, Jerry Duplessis, James Dean, Paul Riser, William Witherspoon, Nelust Wyclef Jean
Co-wrote
Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)
Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant
Written by Wyclef Jean, Keith Duplessis, Akon, Method Man, Raekwon, David Porter, Dennis Coles, Lil Wayne, Gary Grice, Isaac Hayes, Jason Hunter, Keith Lancaster, Lamont Hawkes, Robert Diggs, Russel Jones, Nelust Wyclef Jean, Aliaune Thiam, Clifford Smith, Corey Woods, Dewayne Carter
Co-wrote

Discography 8 albums

The discography also lists the mixtapes Wyclef Goes Back to School Volume 1, April Showers and Wyclef Jean Inspired By..., none of which is a studio album. They sit outside this catalogue.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Photo of Wyclef JeanWyclef Jean136 tracks
Photo of Jerry Duplessis102Jerry Wonda, 102 tracks Photo of Jerry Duplessis19Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis, 19 tracks KD14Keith Duplessis, 14 tracks FJ9Farel Jean, 9 tracks ST9Shea Taylor, 9 tracks MN9Madeline Nelson, 9 tracks CS7Clep Sound, 7 tracks S6Sedeck, 6 tracks JH6Jessica Harley, 6 tracks LH5Lauryn Hill, 5 tracks DG5Devon Golder, 5 tracks L"5Lamont "Logic" Coleman, 5 tracks AV5Alberto Vaccarino, 5 tracks WB4Wavie Boi, 4 tracks T3Talent, 3 tracks P3Prolific, 3 tracks BB3Buju Banton, 3 tracks TS3Tyree Simmons, 3 tracks SR2Salaam Remi, 2 tracks MS2Melky Sedeck, 2 tracks HD2Hal David, 2 tracks MW2Maurice White, 2 tracks on Earth, Wind & Fire's page WS2Wil Shannon Briggs, 2 tracks JF2John Forté, 2 tracks P2Pras, 2 tracks on Fugees's page SM2Sweet Mickey, 2 tracks VS2Varshini Soobiah, 2 tracks SW2Small World, 2 tracks MJ2Mary J. Blige, 2 tracks HH2Hope Harris, 2 tracks H2Hope, 2 tracks AG2Andy Grassi, 2 tracks S2Sharissa, 2 tracks ME2Missy Elliott, 2 tracks ME2Melissa Elliott, 2 tracks SH2Sheldon Harris, 2 tracks RM2Roberto Martinez, 2 tracks T2T-Vice, 2 tracks S2Sizzla, 2 tracks MJ2Melissa Jiménez, 2 tracks ML2Mack Loggins, 2 tracks BW2Branden Washington, 2 tracks MS2Marx Solvila, 2 tracks PF2Phillip Fender, 2 tracks JP2James Patterson, 2 tracks LL2Leon Lacey, 2 tracks PS1Pete Seeger, 1 track JO1Julián Orbón, 1 track JF1Joseíto Fernández, 1 track JM1José Martí, 1 track CC1Celia Cruz, 1 track JF1Jeni Fujita, 1 track CS1Crazy Sam, 1 track SG1Salaam Gibbs, 1 track AM1Al McKay, 1 track on Earth, Wind & Fire's page AH1Albert Hammond, 1 track BL1Ben Liebrand, 1 track GO1Guy O'Brien, 1 track BB1Big Bank Hank, 1 track WM1Wonder Mike, 1 track PB1Philip Bailey, 1 track on Earth, Wind & Fire's page SR1Sylvia Robinson, 1 track AM1Albert McKay, 1 track HD1Harold David, 1 track HJ1Henry Jackson, 1 track MW1Michael Wright, 1 track GS1Gordon Sumner, 1 track AP1Alan Price, 1 track TN1The Neville Brothers, 1 track R1R.O.C., 1 track BG1Barry Gibb, 1 track MG1Maurice Gibb, 1 track RG1Robin Gibb, 1 track JS1Joel Servilus, 1 track JD1Jacob Desvarieux, 1 track JB1Jocelyne Béroard, 1 track JB1James Bean, 1 track HT1Hiro Tahara, 1 track TJ1Tony Jamerson, 1 track DS1Don Schlitz, 1 track KR1Kenny Rogers, 1 track PM1Pharoahe Monch, 1 track AA1Andrew Alexander Long, 1 track BD1Bill Danoff, 1 track DC1Desmond Child, 1 track JD1John Denver, 1 track SR1Slick Rick, 1 track RR1Robi Rosa, 1 track TD1Taffy Danoff, 1 track RW1Ricky Walters, 1 track DJ1Dwayne Johnson, 1 track GD1George David Weiss, 1 track LC1Luigi Creatore, 1 track HP1Hugo Peretti, 1 track FM1Free Marie, 1 track CH1Carl Harte, 1 track MA1Marie Antoinette, 1 track SC1Supreme C, 1 track E1Earth, 1 track W&1Wind & Fire, 1 track TP1The Product G&B, 1 track B&1Beast & 718-Crew, 1 track WH1Whitney Houston, 1 track HH1Herbie Hancock, 1 track LM1Léo Missir, 1 track PC1Patricia Carli, 1 track SC1Super Cat, 1 track WM1William Maragh, 1 track YN1Youssou N'Dour, 1 track M1MB², 1 track DG1David Gilmour, 1 track on Pink Floyd's page RW1Roger Waters, 1 track on Pink Floyd's page L1Latimore, 1 track TN1Toshio Nomura, 1 track IH1Itsuro Hattori, 1 track BL1Benjamin Lattimore, 1 track GW1Gio Washington, 1 track JG1Jamal Grinnage, 1 track EM1Eric Murray, 1 track FF1Freddie Foxxx, 1 track JL1Jerry Lordan, 1 track JF1James F. Campbell, 1 track M1M.O.P., 1 track M1Miri, 1 track NS1Neftali Santiago, 1 track BC1Butch Cassidy, 1 track T1Teflon, 1 track DR1Darryl Radcliff, 1 track BB1Burt Bacharach, 1 track TJ1Tom Jones, 1 track CR1Cory Rooney, 1 track CO1Claudette Ortiz, 1 track JH1Jennifer Hamady, 1 track BD1Bob Dylan, 1 track ES1Errol Sistrunk, 1 track HB1Hakim Bey Scott, 1 track DL1Damon Leigh, 1 track EA1Eugene Alfonso, 1 track ER1Ed Roc, 1 track F1FAMS, 1 track G1G.O.D., 1 track D1D.G., 1 track JD1James Dean, 1 track PR1Paul Riser, 1 track WW1William Witherspoon, 1 track C1Cassidy, 1 track BR1Bobby Rush, 1 track JV1James Vanleer, 1 track PL1Patti LaBelle, 1 track BR1Barry Reese, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. Showing the 150 most frequent of 293. KD Keith Duplessis · FJ Farel Jean · ST Shea Taylor · MN Madeline Nelson

Photo credits

Portraits in the web and the rail come from Wikimedia Commons. The artist's own photo carries its credit under the picture.

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Wyclef Jean is credited on 130 of his 136 studio tracks and on 18 of them alone. The name beside his on almost everything is Jerry Duplessis, his cousin, who writes on 78 tracks across all eight albums. It is one of the longest single partnerships in the catalogue and it starts before the Fugees.

Quick Facts

  • Self-writtenCredited on 130 of his 136 studio tracks
  • Written alone18 tracks carry his name and no other
  • Constant partnerJerry Duplessis, credited on 78 tracks across all eight albums
  • Biggest song"Gone till November" reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100
  • CertificationsThe Carnival is 2x platinum and The Ecleftic platinum
  • Other workHe was in the Fugees and has produced and co-written for Bono and Mick Jagger

Creative Fingerprint

A writer on nearly everything, and beside him the same cousin on more than half of it.

The Story

Nelust Wyclef Jean was born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti and moved to Brooklyn as a child. He formed the Fugees with Lauryn Hill and Pras, and when the group stopped after The Score he went solo with The Carnival in 1997. Eight studio albums have followed, alongside production work for other artists and a run for the Haitian presidency.

Frequently Asked Questions Wyclef Jean

Does Wyclef Jean write his own songs?
Almost all of them. He is credited on 130 of his 136 studio tracks and is the only writer on 18. The six with no credit of his are interludes and one guest-led track.
Who wrote "Gone till November"?
Wyclef Jean with Jerry Duplessis. It reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest placing of his solo career.
Who is Jerry Duplessis?
His cousin, who produces as Jerry Wonda and is credited as a writer on 78 of his 136 tracks, on every album he has made.
How many albums has he released?
Eight studio albums: The Carnival (1997), The Ecleftic (2000), Masquerade (2002), The Preacher's Son (2003), Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101 (2004), Carnival Vol. II (2007), From the Hut, To the Projects, To the Mansion (2009) and Carnival III (2017).
Which album sold the most?
The Carnival, certified 2x platinum by the RIAA. The Ecleftic is platinum and nothing after it carries a certification on the cited pages.
Was he in the Fugees?
Yes, with Lauryn Hill and Pras. He went solo after The Score in 1996.
Which album is he most alone on?
The Carnival, where 14 of the 24 tracks carry his name and nobody else's. That share never recurs.
What is Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101?
A 2004 album of reggae, kompa and dancehall rather than hip hop, sung largely in Haitian Creole.
Does he write for other artists?
Yes. The article names Bono and Mick Jagger among the artists he has produced and co-written for, and he co-wrote the official 2014 World Cup song.
Is he still recording?
Carnival III: The Fall and Rise of a Refugee came out in 2017 and is the most recent studio album in this catalogue.

Sources

Wikipedia: Wyclef Jean Wikipedia: Wyclef Jean discography File:WyclefJean.jpg - Wikimedia Commons