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Purpose, September 2012
Hardcover / e-Book
An Immigrant's Story
It Books
September 2012
On Sale: September 18, 2012
352 pages
ISBN: 006196686X
EAN: 9780061966866
Kindle: B007HBLQSA
Hardcover / e-Book
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Non-Fiction Memoir
Wyclef Jean is one of the most influential voices in
hip-hop. He rocketed to fame in the 1990s with the Fugees,
whose multiplatinum album, The Score, would prove a
landmark in music history, winning two Grammys and going on
to become one of the bestselling hip-hop albums of all time.
In Purpose, Wyclef recounts his path to fame from his
impoverished childhood in "Baby Doc" Duvalier's Haiti and
the mean streets of Brooklyn and Newark to the bright lights
of the world stage. The son of a pastor and
grandson of a Vodou priest, Wyclef was born and raised in
the slums of Haiti, moving with his family to New York when
he was nine. He lived in Brooklyn's notorious Marlboro
projects until his father, Gesner Jean, took them to Newark,
where he converted a burnt-out funeral home into a house for
his family and a church for his congregation. But life in
New Jersey was no easier for Wyclef, who found it hard to
shake his refugee status. Forced to act as a literal and
cultural translator for his parents while still trying to
master English himself, Wyclef soon learned that fitting in
would be a constant struggle. He made his way by competing
in "freestyle" rap battles, eventually becoming the best MC
in his school. At the same time, Wyclef was singing in his
father's choir and learning multiple instruments while also
avidly exploring funk, rock, reggae, and jazz—an experience
that would forever shape his sound. When Wyclef chose to
pursue a career in music over attending theological school,
Gesner, who hated rap, nearly disowned him, creating a gulf
between father and son that would take nearly a decade to
bridge. Within a few short years, Wyclef would
catapult to international renown with the Fugees. In
Purpose he details for the first time ever the inside
story of the group: their rise and fall, and his
relationships with Pras and Lauryn Hill. Wyclef
also looks back with candor at the catastrophic earthquake
that struck Haiti in 2010 and his efforts to help rebuild
his homeland, including the controversy surrounding YÉle,
his aid organization, and his exploratory bid for president
of the island nation. The story revealed in Purpose
is one of inspiration, full of drama and humor, told in
compelling detail, about the incredible life of one of our
most revered musical icons.
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