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Lauryn Hill Calls Out Pras For “Baseless Attacks” In Fugees Lawsuit

October 2, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The Fugees may have always had musical harmony, but the group has rarely been harmonious offstage. They are one of the most troubled acts in hip hop, and this reputation continued to gain traction on the first of October. Pras decided to file a lawsuit against band member Lauryn Hill after Fugees tour dates were canceled. According to Variety, Pras is suing Hill over fraud and breach of contract due to the fact that the singer keeps delaying shows. Hill responded hours later, and made it clear that she is going to tolerate these accusations.

Lauryn Hill issued a lengthy response on her Instagram. The singer claimed that Pras has been under duress as of late, and she felt that said duress may be affecting his judgement. From there, Hill goes on a detailed breakdown of the accusations leveled at her. She dismisses Pras’ lawsuit for being filled with “false claims” and “baseless attacks.” She also claims that she gave Pras a sizable advance ahead of their 2023 tour dates, which he has yet to pay back. Lauryn Hill noted that the strength of her name is what led to the tour in the first place. Without her involvement, she posits, a Fugees reunion would not have garnered nearly as many ticket sales.

Lauryn Hill Claims She Gave Pras A $3 Million Advance

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“[Pras’] failure to show appreciation,” the statement read. “For the financial help Ms. Hill has afforded him in his time of need is disappointing.” Lauryn Hill also noted that the tour dates listed in the lawsuit were being planned regardless. They would have occurred with or without Pras’ involvement. To make Hill’s claims even more damning, she revealed that she and fellow member Wyclef Jean deferred their advances to ensure Pras would have financial compensation. Hill made additional allusions to the bad decisions Pras has made since the group originally split.

“I was not in Pras’ life,” Lauryn Hill concluded. “When he decided to make the unfortunate decisions that led to his current legal troubles.” The singer claimed she initially wanted to stay quiet in an effort to avoid drama. Now that a lawsuit has been filed, however, the gloves are off. “[I] am in no way responsible for his decision,” the singer noted. “And its consequences.” Hopefully the Fugees members comes to a peaceful resolution.

[via]

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Were Lauryn Hill And Wyclef Jean Ever Married?

October 2, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Lauryn Hill Wyclef Jean Coachella 2024 (1024x437) — Getty Image

Hip-hop’s legendary trio Fugees are no stranger to internal conflict. However, lately members Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel appeared to on good terms.

Well, that was until Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation Anniversary Tour with Fugees was abruptly cancelled. Now, Pras Michel filed a lawsuit against Miss Hill and in it are several interesting accusations.

Continue below for more details.

Were Lauryn Hill And Wyclef Jean Ever Married?

According to supposed paperwork (viewable here) linked to Pras Michel, the answer is yes. But nothing to substantiate this claim has been found. In the alleged lawsuit documents against Hill, he Pras identified Wyclef as Hill’s “former husband.”

Read the passage from the supposed filing below.

With the walls closing in on Michel by mid-2023, Hill saw an opportunity and swooped in to purportedly ‘save the day’ for Michel, enlisting the unwitting aide of her former husband, Wyclef, to put together a Fugees tour for the second half of 2023 using independent live music concert promoter Mammoth, Inc.

Although Wyclef Jean claimed he dated Miss Hill within his 2012 autobiography, Purpose, he never mentioned being legally married to her.

For 13 years, Lauryn Hill was in a relationship with Rohan Marley, whom she shares five children Zion David, Selah, Joshua Omaru (better known as YG Marley), John Nesta, and Sara. The two reportedly ended things in 2009.

Wyclef, on the other hand, has been married to designer Marie Claudinette since 1994. They share one adoptive daughter, Angelina Claudinelle Jean. During the couple’s appearance on OWN’s Behind Every Man, Marie revealed that she never married another person. But Wyclef never mentioned anything similar.

Wyclef Jean Responds To Donald Trump’s Claim That Haitian Immigrants Are Eating Pets

September 13, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The first (and potentially only) debate between Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris took place on September 10. The debate, being the first for Harris since she replaced president Joe Biden as the Democratic Party’s nominee, was, unsurprisingly, a spectacle. One thing Trump said that stood out to viewers at home was when he claimed that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating residents’ pets. There is no evidence to support that claim. Wyclef Jean, a native of Haiti, was taken aback by Trump’s assertion.

In a statement to TMZ, Wyclef gave his thoughts on the former president’s comments, discussing the opportunities moving to the United States gave him. “I will be forever grateful for my family’s life, for having a fair chance to live what is called the ‘American Dream,’” he said. “One of our greatest assets in America is that we are a country of immigrants. I speak from the heart when I say, Haitian people living in the U.S. are good neighbors and good people. We care about humanity. We care about our neighbors.”

Wyclef Jean Responds To Donald Trump’s Comments On Haitian Immigrants

“On behalf of Haitian Americans, I ask that we stop these racist messages and accusations. Put our hands out in peace and say thanks for being my neighbor,” he continued. “We need to respect one another and vote based on policies and facts, not crazy talk. And we need to shake hands with one another and be thankful we are part of an America for all.”

Trump’s comment was one of many slips in a debate performance that some of the most prominent names in conservative politics panned. He often changed the topic, bringing it back to immigration multiple times even when immigration was not the topic of discussion. He blamed Biden and Nancy Pelosi for the insurrection on January 6, 2021. By the end of the night, he was clearly rattled, a contrast to the more measured approach VP Harris took. Wyclef Jean is the latest celebrity to call for unity between Americans. Wyclef has also been an advocate for his birthplace for his entire career. He even co-produced the 2010 remake of “We Are The World.” Sales from that track went to Haiti after a devastating earthquake. Haiti matters to Wyclef. It is unsurprising that he released such a statement against the racist rhetoric peddled by Trump on Tuesday.

[Via]

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Wyclef Jean Supports Drake Vs Kendrick Lamar Battle: “Anything Goes”

May 8, 2024 by newhiphopnews

You aren’t a viable member of the hip-hop community if you don’t make a statement on the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle. At least, it feels that way. Every notable rapper from the 1980s to the present has weighed in on the conflict and chosen sides. Some have criticized Drake and Lamar for going too far and making the battle personal. Others have championed their dedication and their willingness to push the boundaries. Charlamagne tha God dubbed it the greatest rap battle he’s ever seen. Wyclef Jean is the latest legend to give his two cents, and he mostly agrees with Charlamagne.

Wyclef Jean, who rose to fame in the 1990s, fully supports the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle. He neglected to mention which artist he picks as the current winner, but he had praise for both sides. He was even okay with the fact that Drake and Lamar were hitting below the belt with their disses. Wyclef shared his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter), along with some context. “As someone who came up with Battle Rap being part of our culture in New Jersey and Brooklyn her[e] is my opinion as a Fugee,” he prefaced.

Wyclef Jean Encourages Drake & Dot To Keep Responding

As someone who came up with Battle Rap being part of our culture in New Jersey and Brooklyn her is my opinion as a Fugee pic.twitter.com/unX2FbjVDx

— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) May 6, 2024

From there, the Fugees frontman laid out the ground rules for a rap battle as he sees them. The most important rule? That anything was up for grabs. “Drake Vs Kendrick,” he posited. “In True Form of Battle Rap, anything goes.” Wyclef Jean went as far as to endorse multiple responses if it meant getting the upper hand in a battle. “The key is to be ready with what’s called a Rebuttal,” he posited. “Which means you get to respond back to every Diss track as it comes out. You get to put facts to any lies that you feel your opponent has cast on you…”

Wyclef Jean may be best remembered for his genre fusions, but he does have battle experience. He went at it with LL Cool J on the 1998 song “Retaliation.” The rappers eventually squashed their beef at Big Pun’s funeral two years later. Wyclef also had tension with Fugees bandmates Lauryn Hill and Pras, with the former putting out the Grammy-winning diss “Lost Ones” about him. The group has since made up and even performed together onstage.

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[WATCH] Wyclef Jean: Fugees’ Remake of ‘Killing Me Softly’ Made Original Songwriter $8M

March 6, 2024 by newhiphopnews

In a recent episode of the 85 South Show, Fugees co-founder and solo artist Wyclef Jean discussed the financial impact that The Fugees had on the original songwriter of their hit “Killing Me Softly”, Lori Lieberman. Jean said that their version of the song amassed millions for Lieberman, who wrote and performed the song in 1972. The version that gained the most notoriety at the time was Roberta Flack’s version, which was recorded in 1973.

Wyclef stressed the importance of owning copyrights to songs to ensure financial success while speaking about Lieberman. Lieberman was still known to have a hard time receiving financial compensation and credit for the song’s global success.

The post [WATCH] Wyclef Jean: Fugees’ Remake of ‘Killing Me Softly’ Made Original Songwriter $8M first appeared on The Source.

The post [WATCH] Wyclef Jean: Fugees’ Remake of ‘Killing Me Softly’ Made Original Songwriter $8M appeared first on The Source.

Island Music Conference 2024: A Music Industry Win For Jamaica And Abroad

March 6, 2024 by newhiphopnews

With Reviews ranging from ‘Incredible’ to ‘Informative’, to ‘the best music conference I’ve ever attended’, IMC 2024 is being hailed as successful, impactful and the best of its kind in the region and beyond. The Island Music Conference’s key objectives of being a facilitator, and gathering point to engage with artistes & Global industry practitioners, address pivotal questions that can significantly influence their careers, and ultimately propel Jamaica and the Caribbean’s entertainment sector forward as a cohesive unit, continued to be met in its sophomore staging.

The recently concluded conference, held in Kingston, Jamaica from February 21^st thru 25^th, featured an impressive line-up of influential figures, including WyClef Jean, Kes, StoneBwoy, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Spice, Teejay, Masicka and Jesse Royal.

Sirius Xm’s Alex Tear, Audiomack’s Brian Zisook, Meta’s Brittany Johnson, Youtube’s Tuma Basa, S-Curve’s Steve Greenburg, Warner Records’ Steve Carless, United Masters’ David Melhado, Amazon’s Madeline Nelson, Grammy’s Len Brown and Ranch Entertainment’s Costi were just a few of the prominent music executives and practitioners who unravelled and provided insights into a slew of crucial global music topics, among them, the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the music industry, the nuances of publicity, branding strategies, artiste management, digital music marketing and effective money management.

The five-day event was attended by over a dozen countries to include Guadeloupe, Trinidad, Grenada, Guyana, Dom Rep, SVG, St. Lucia, Costa Rica and Barbados. Zimbabwe and Ghana were represented from the Continent. Canada was represented as well as 13 states of the U.S.

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In addition to the powerhouse convergence of top-tier artistes and key stakeholders, IMC this year looked at “Defining your Style” with Caribbean Lifestyle Doyenne Novia McDonald Whyte, Ayana Riviere, Keneea Linton-George, Carla Gittens, Neko “Bootleg Rocstar” Kelly and Paris Cole.

There was an immersive two-day song writing workshop on February 22^nd and 23^rd, centered on the art of crafting impactful punch lines and clever rhymes. The workshop was lead by songwriter/Producer Mikey Bennett who says in all his years of doing workshops and camps “This was the best one and the most fun”.

The final day saw the Premiere of the DocuFilm BAD LIKE BROOKLYN DANCEHALL – a riveting exploration of the rise of Dancehall in Brooklyn. It detailed the immigration, the soundsystem culture and those that set and fed the genre in the cold. A perfect end to a week of culture.

IMC Chairman and Co-Founders Orville ‘Shaggy’ Burrell, Judith Bodley and Sharon Burke are pleased with the turnout and the outcomes of 2024, though they still want to see more of the new and rising artistes attend. They’ve promised that just like this year, 2025 will be even better than the year before.

The 2024 edition of the conference was endorsed by the Ministry of Culture and supported by the Jamaica Tourist Board. Onboard with the project in a big way were Tastee Jamaica Limited, YOUTUBE, the CDB, Pepsi, IRIE FM, ZIP FM, SUNCITY FM, CVM Television and The Jamaica Observer Ltd. Other sponsors included IPrint, KFC, Kendel, KitKat and Hertz.

Photo Credit: Cowayne Benjamin from Buglyfe Media

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Wyclef Jean Net Worth 2024: Updated Wealth Of The Legend

February 21, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Wyclef Jean, a legend in the music industry, has been a significant influence in the realm of hip-hop and beyond. This multi-talented musician, producer, and actor has an estimated net worth of $10 million US Dollars in 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Building Blocks Of Wyclef Jean’s Net Worth

wyclef jean net worth — NEW YORK – July 20, 1994: Hip hop group the Fugees (L-R Pras Michel, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean) pose for a portrait backstage at the Manhattan Center on July 20, 1994 in New York City, New York. (Photo By Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Born in Haiti and raised in New Jersey, Wyclef Jean started making waves in the music industry as part of the influential hip-hop group The Fugees. Their album The Score was a massive success, selling millions of copies worldwide and significantly contributing to Wyclef Jean’s net worth. This helped put Jean on the map and was instrumental in his development as a hitmaking artist.

Jean’s solo career further skyrocketed his acclaimed visibility. His debut album, The Carnival, was also a critical and commercial success. Subsequent albums like The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book and Masquerade added to his wealth and musical legacy.

Exploring Other Avenues: Wyclef Jean’s Net Worth

Beyond his successful music career, Wyclef Jean expanded his horizons into acting and entrepreneurship. His appearances in films like Shottas and TV shows such as Third Watch and Nashville brought additional income streams, further enhancing his net worth. Moreover, Jean’s venture into the business world, including his record label, Yéle Haiti, showcases his entrepreneurial spirit. These ventures have also played a significant role in his financial growth.

Philanthropic Efforts

Philanthropy is also a significant aspect of Jean’s life, complementing his professional success. He founded the Yéle Haiti Foundation to provide humanitarian aid and support development in Haiti. While his philanthropic work may not directly contribute to Wyclef Jean’s net worth, it undoubtedly enhances his social value and public image. Additionally, he remains at the forefront of helping communities that have suffered political upheaval or natural disasters.

Net Worth Reflecting His Musical Influence

Wyclef Jean’s music weaves a rich tapestry of influences, from hip hop to reggae, drawing on his Haitian roots. Collaborations with stars like Shakira and Santana underscore his universal appeal, while his work with The Fugees highlights his skills in blending diverse musical styles seamlessly.

Additionally, Wyclef’s dynamic style pays tribute to musical legends like Bob Marley, demonstrating his knack for infusing reggae with modern beats. His collaborations also extend beyond borders, featuring international artists such as Avicii, underscoring his global impact. From working with Mary J. Blige to crafting his own unique sound, Wyclef Jean’s multifaceted music career is a testament to his wide-ranging influences and partnerships.

Conclusion/TLDR

In conclusion, Wyclef Jean’s net worth is a testament to his impressive career. An estimated $10 million US Dollars as of 2024 reflects his journey from a member of The Fugees to a successful solo artist, actor, and entrepreneur. Wyclef Jean’s net worth is a tangible measure of his influence and success in the music industry and beyond. His story is an inspiration, demonstrating that one can build a lasting legacy with talent, hard work, and a willingness to diversify.

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Fugees Reunion Tour Will Continue In 2024, Wyclef Jean Claims

February 18, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Wyclef Jean recently sat down for a new interview with AllHipHop, and he had a lot of different topics to talk about. One of these is his own musical endeavors and next career moves, but he also spoke on the Fugees’ postponed reunion tour shows and whether they’ll hit the road together again. Of course, the Haitian legend’s word is not super-solid confirmation of this, because we can’t really know for sure until the dates are set in stone. But we’re very excited about this trek still being in the cards for the group members. Not only that, but the 54-year-old also teased future collaborations with another hip-hop superstar.

“I would say to everybody we’re picking back up on the Fugees tour this year,” Wyclef Jean posited, who recently released the financially conscious single “Paper Right.” “If you missed the Fugees last year, catch the Fugees this year. Another big thing I’m excited about is my Netflix movie called Prince of Port au Prince, which is based on my childhood and how I escaped poverty through imagination, so look out for that. That’s going to be amazing. Me and Lil Wayne, we’re in the studio working on some secret, cool music. So, yeah, a lot of good things to look out for in 2024. We’re coming for sure. One hundred percent.”

Read More: The Fugees: Where Are They Now?

Wyclef Jean & The Fugees Performing In November

Fugees Tour 2024 Wyclef Jean Hip Hop News — Pras Michél, Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill of the Fugees at In Concert: Ms. Lauryn Hill & The Fugees: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 25th Anniversary Tour held at Crypto.com Arena on November 4, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)

In fact, it’s curious that Wyclef Jean mentioned these Lil Wayne collabs, because he seems really tight with the Fugees as a whole. He even freestyled onstage with them and performed “A Milli” during a November show, and even other rappers couldn’t help but express shock and awe. The Game remarked that this performance gave him chills, and a lot of fans who caught it in person or online seemed to agree. Hopefully there are even more great moments like these for these supposedly upcoming shows.

Meanwhile, this reunion tour falls under some bizarre context thanks to member Pras’ legal troubles as of late. While it’s unclear how much this will affect these upcoming shows, it seems like everyone will be able to move on just fine. Are you looking forward to these next moves? Let us know in the comments and come back to HNHH for the latest on Wyclef Jean and the Fugees.

[via]

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Today in Hip Hop History: The Fugees’ Debut LP ‘Blunted On Reality’ Dropped 30 Years Ago!

February 1, 2024 by newhiphopnews

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On this date in 1994, crew members Wyclef Jean, Pras, and a young, talented Lauryn Hill otherwise known as The Fugees formulated their first album entitled Blunted On Reality on Hip Hop indie imprint Ruffhouse Records.

Not as familiar to Hip Hop heads as their follow-up smash sophomore album The Score, Blunted On Reality did not receive the commercial success their first go around, yielding only 12,000 copies sold in the first two years. After the release of The Score, that number jumped to 125K.

With Clef’s hands in every aspect of production, there were very few times when the Haitian national wasn’t behind the boards during the production of this album. Other producers include Salaam Remi, Brand X, Khallis Bayyan and even Pras.

Salute to the trio for bringing us this slept on classic!

The post Today in Hip Hop History: The Fugees’ Debut LP ‘Blunted On Reality’ Dropped 30 Years Ago! first appeared on The Source.

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