Wyclef Jean was interviewed by Pigeons & Planes recently and among the topics discussed was Young Thug, whom he worked with on the Jeffery song “Kanye West” and in his new song “I Swear.” The legendary Fugees MC talked about their relationship, and also compared the 25-year-old rapper to a musician whose work and impact on the game has stood the test of time- Tupac Shakur.
“He’s from a project, I’m from a similar background,” Jean said about Thugger. “And he has a natural love for Haiti, understanding the history of Haiti. Haiti is the first black republic. He reminded me of a modern Tupac, in a sense—in a revolutionary sense.”
Before you go crazy about the comparison, let Wyclef elaborate on his thoughts.
“I mean that by, alright, you might see a thug, but his connection to history seemed similar to what Pac understood, of like, ‘This is who the Black Panthers are,’” he continued. “‘Read this book, read that book.’ This kid understands. I sent him the Ghosts of Cité Soleil documentary. He must have seen it like 10, 15 times. He is like a sponge when it comes to history. He likes to absorb a lot of information, and actually wants to learn.”
The musician, who is dropping his EP J’ouvert sometime in November, also discussed how he was tapped to work with Young Thug for the track, “Kanye West.”
“My management gets the call and they’re like, ‘Yo, Jeffery’s trying to track you down, because there’s a track that he needs you on,'” he explained. “And he’s got everybody like, ‘Find Wyclef, find Wyclef.’ So I go down to Atlanta, and the first thing he’s playing me is his mixtape.” The article states that Thug told Jean that he is one of his biggest inspirations.
Wyclef must have known that his comments were going to ruffle some feathers. He tweeted soon after the interview dropped, “I am ready for Questions about what I said .. Your got me for five mins .. Shoot.”
I am ready for Questions about what I said .. Your got me for five mins .. Shoot
— Wyclef Jean (@wyclef) October 10, 2016
Check out the full interview here.
A photo posted by “”JEFFERY”” (@thuggerthugger1) on