"Wyclef Jean" is a song by American rapper Young Thug. It was included on his mixtape Jeffery and was released as the second single from the tape on January 24, 2017. The song is named after Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, who is best known for being part of the Fugees.

"Wyclef Jean"
Single by Young Thug
from the album Jeffery
ReleasedJanuary 24, 2017
Genre
Length3:57
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Supah Mario
  • TM88
Young Thug singles chronology
"Spend It (Remix)"
(2016)
"Wyclef Jean"
(2017)
"Trap Trap Trap"
(2017)

The song peaked at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100, and is best known for its music video, which was released on January 16, 2017. Young Thug never showed up for the shooting of the video, and it subsequently went viral as a result.

Music video

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The music video for the track was released on January 16, 2017, and was directed by Pomp&Clout.[1] Young Thug was not present in the video aside from one scene, due to him not showing up. His representatives later confirmed to Pitchfork that Thug "gave his input and creative direction for the concept and theme".[2]

The video won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing in 2017, much to Young Thug's confusion, who tweeted that he did not know he had won an award.[3][4]

As of March 2024, the music video currently has 44 million views on YouTube.

Critical reception

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Mitch Findlay of HotNewHipHop reviewed the track on its third anniversary, and called it "a shining point in Thug's discography".[5]

Awards and nominations

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Awards and nominations for "Wyclef Jean"
Organization Year Award Result Ref.
MTV Video Music Awards 2017 Best Editing Won [4]

Charts

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Chart performance for "Wyclef Jean"
Chart (2016) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[6] 96
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 87
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[8] 32

Certifications

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Certifications for "Wyclef Jean"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[9] Platinum 80,000
United States (RIAA)[10] Platinum 1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "Young Thug's Video for 'Wyclef Jean' Isn't What You'd Expect". Complex. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  2. ^ "Everything Falls Apart in Young Thug's 'Wyclef Jean' Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  3. ^ "Young Thug Had No Idea He Won a VMA Award". Billboard. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Apparently No One Told Young Thug His "Wyclef Jean" Video Won a VMA". GQ. August 29, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  5. ^ "Young Thug Introduced His Modern Classic With "Wyclef Jean"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  6. ^ "Young Thug Chart History: Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  7. ^ "Young Thug Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  8. ^ "Young Thug Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  9. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Young Thug – Wyclef Jean". Music Canada. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  10. ^ "American single certifications – Young Thug – Wyclef Jean". Recording Industry Association of America.