Wyclef Jean () born Nelust Wyclef Jean on October 17, 1972) is a Haitian musician, producer and member of the hip hop trio The Fugees. Biography Early life Born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, he was named Wyclef Jean by his adoptive father, a pastor who re-named him after John Wycliffe[LINK: http://www.yele.org/] Yéle.org. He moved with his family to Brooklyn, New York when he was nine, then to northern New Jersey, where he began playing the guitar and studying jazz in high school. At 14, Jean was shot once.[LINK: http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/J/Jean_Wyclef/2002/06/26/746308.html] "Hip hop big shot", by Kieran Grant, June 26, 2002 In 1987, Jean, his friend Prakazrel Michel (whom Jean has called his cousin), and his classmate Lauryn Hill formed a hip hop group called the Tranzlator Crew before becoming The Fugees.