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Taylor Hill/Getty Images for Governors BallWyclef Jean pays tribute to one of his guitar idols, and also his former neighborhood, in his new single, “Hendrix.”
Jean moved to America after being born in Haiti, and he says he had to overcome many obstacles living in Newark, New Jersey.
“This speaks to the neighborhood I grew up in and how it didn’t look like much,” he says. “The devil, or the streets, offered drugs and cartel and I chose music. Some homies chose the NBA, or we would see people like Shaq who are from Newark and see how they made it out the danger zone.”
Jean recalls visiting Manhattan inspired him to be successful. “I remember leaving Jersey and coming to New York at night and seeing those city lights and thinking this place has a lot of people. If you can make it here, you’re sure can make it anywhere.”
The former member of The Fugees will release his first new studio album in seven years, Carnival III: Road to Clefication, in the fall, featuring Avicii, Afrojack and Emeli Sandé.
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