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Heads MusicAfter creating hits for numerous stars including Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, Santana and Shakira, now Wyclef Jean is traveling around the world searching for talent for a new international TV music show.
“Different people could try this but in order to do it, you have to be credible,” the three-time Grammy winner tells Maxim about the untitled show he’s developing. Wyclef says he’s the perfect person to create the show because, “I’m probably one of the most eclectic producers on the planet.”
In the series, Wyclef would tour around the globe examining various music cultures.
“It’s a space that’s still not really explored and a new way to bring discovery to the world,” he says.
The versatile writer/producer/guitarist, who turned 50 years old in October, is also planning a musical about his career titled, “The Catalog”. It would feature the wide variety of songs he’s produced, including “Hips Don’t Lie,” which he recorded in 2006 with Shakira. It’s one of the best-selling singles of all-time with over 10 million downloads.
2019 marked Wyclef’s 25th anniversary as a recording artist after beginning with The Fugees, featuring Lauryn Hill, in 1994. He’s proud to see a new generation of artists paying tribute to him, such as Young Thug naming a song after him on his 2016 mixtape, Jeffery.
When two superstars used his 1999 Santana song, “Maria Maria,” in 2017 for a new multi-platinum hit, Wyclef knew he was still relevant.
“I’ve got DJ Khaled and Rihanna sampling my work for their song ‘Wild Thoughts,’” Wyclef says. “It validates to me that I have to keep going with my pulse.”
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