Greatest Hits | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Greatest hits album by | ||||
Released | October 7, 2003 | |||
Recorded | 1996–2003 | |||
Genre | Reggae • hip hop • R&B • | |||
Length | 72:29 | |||
Label | Columbia Records | |||
Producer | Wyclef Jean • R. Kelly • Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis • Shea Taylor • Pras Michel • Ché Guevara | |||
Wyclef Jean chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Greatest Hits | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Rolling Stone | [2] |
Greatest Hits is the first compilation album by Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released on October 7, 2003. Released just a month prior to his fourth studio album, The Preacher's Son , Greatest Hits contains singles taken from Jean's first three studio albums: The Carnival , The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book and Masquerade , as well as other fan-favourite tracks from those albums, alongside two-newly recorded tracks: "Ghetto Religion", a collaboration with R. Kelly, and "Hey Girl". The album also contains "No Woman, No Cry", a track taken from The Fugees' second studio album, The Score . Notably, Greatest Hits would be Jean's last release on Columbia Records until Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant in 2007.
A deluxe edition of the album, released in the UK and Australia, contains a bonus disc with remixes of some of Wyclef's biggest hits, including collaborations with Canibus, R. Kelly, Xzibit, King Yellowman and Beenie Man. Although no singles were officially released from the album, "Ghetto Religion" was serviced as a US-radio only airplay single in September 2003. Notably, "Pussycat", which samples the original by Tom Jones, is the only single from the first three albums to omitted from the tracklisting. The US edition of the album removes a number of notable singles, and shortens the tracklisting by four tracks. "Diallo" and "Something About Mary" from The Ecleftic are included on this version. [3]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ghetto Religion" (featuring R. Kelly) | R. Kelly | 3:34 | |
2. | "We Trying to Stay Alive" (featuring John Forté and Pras) | Pras Michel | 3:11 | |
3. | "Perfect Gentleman" (featuring Hope) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 4:09 |
4. | "911" (featuring Mary J. Blige) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 4:19 |
5. | "Gone 'Till November" |
| Jean | 3:33 |
6. | "Guantanamera" (featuring Celia Cruz, Jeni Fujita and Lauryn Hill) |
| Jean | 4:30 |
7. | "Hey Girl" (featuring Ayesha and Papa Don) |
| Shea Taylor, Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 3:33 |
8. | "It Doesn't Matter" (featuring The Rock and Melky Sedeck) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 3:57 |
9. | "Anything Can Happen" |
| Jean | 4:36 |
10. | "Thug Angels" (featuring Small World) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 6:35 |
11. | "Gunpowder" (featuring Lauryn Hill) |
| Jean | 4:24 |
12. | "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 4:04 |
13. | "Runaway" (featuring Earth, Wind & Fire and The Product G&B) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 4:56 |
14. | "Wish You Were Here" |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 4:06 |
15. | "To All the Girls" | Jean | 4:18 | |
16. | "Two Wrongs" (featuring Claudette Ortiz) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 3:51 |
17. | "No Woman, No Cry" (with Fugees) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 4:33 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Gone 'Till November" (The Makin' Runs Remix) (featuring Canibus and R. Kelly) |
| Ché Guevara, Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 3:33 |
2. | "Guantanamera" (Roxanne, Roxanne/Oye Como Va Remix) (featuring Beenie Man and Ky-Mani Marley) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 4:30 |
3. | "Perfect Gentleman" (Vinyl Remix) (featuring Xzibit & King Yellowman) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 4:40 |
4. | "We Trying to Stay Alive" (Remix) (featuring John Forté and Pras) |
| Pras Michel | 3:31 |
5. | "It Doesn't Matter" (Remix) (featuring Hope) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 4:09 |
6. | "No Woman, No Cry" (Remix) (with Fugees, featuring Steve Marley) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 5:28 |
7. | "It Doesn't Matter (Ca Ne Me Fait Rien)" (featuring Jacky and Ben-J) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 3:53 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ghetto Religion" (featuring R. Kelly) |
| R. Kelly | 3:34 |
2. | "Hey Girl" (featuring Ayesha and Papa Don) |
| Shea Taylor, Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 3:33 |
3. | "We Trying to Stay Alive" (featuring John Forté and Pras) |
| Pras Michel | 3:11 |
4. | "It Doesn't Matter" (featuring The Rock and Melky Sedeck) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 3:57 |
5. | "Anything Can Happen" |
| Jean | 4:36 |
6. | "911" (featuring Mary J. Blige) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 4:19 |
7. | "Two Wrongs" (featuring Claudette Ortiz) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 3:51 |
8. | "Gone 'Till November" |
| Jean | 3:33 |
9. | "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 4:04 |
10. | "Diallo" (featuring Youssou N'Dour & MB²) |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 7:22 |
11. | "Something About Mary" |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 5:20 |
12. | "Wish You Were Here" |
| Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 4:06 |
13. | "Gone 'Till November" (The Makin' Runs Remix) (featuring Canibus and R. Kelly) |
| Ché Guevara, Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis | 3:33 |
Chart (2003) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [4] | DNC |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [5] | DNC |
Fugees is an American hip hop group formed in 1990 in South Orange, New Jersey. Deriving its name from a shortening of the word "refugees", the group consists of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill. The group rose to prominence in the mid-1990s for their pioneering blend of reggae, R&B, funk and hip hop, which eschewed gangsta rap and made them one of the most significant alternative hip hop acts. They occasionally rapped in Haitian Creole, and were one of the first hip hop bands to incorporate live instrumentation during their performances, along with The Roots.
Nel Ust Wyclef Jean is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a founding member, co-producer and guitarist of the New Jersey hip hop trio The Fugees, alongside Lauryn Hill and Pras Michel. The group released the albums Blunted on Reality (1994) and The Score (1996), the latter becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time. Jean would follow this with the release of his first solo studio album, Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival (1997), which contains the top ten hit "Gone till November".
The Score is the second and final studio album by the hip hop trio Fugees. The Score was released worldwide on February 13, 1996, on Columbia Records. The album features a wide range of samples and instrumentation, with many aspects of alternative hip hop that would come to dominate the hip-hop music scene in the mid- to late 1990s. Primarily, The Score's production was handled by the Fugees themselves, Jerry Duplessis and Warren Riker, with additional production from Salaam Remi, John Forté, Diamond D, and Shawn King. The album's guest verses are from Outsidaz members Rah Digga, Young Zee, and Pacewon, as well as John Forté, and Diamond D. Most versions of the album feature four bonus tracks, including three remixes of "Fu-Gee-La", and a short acoustic Wyclef Jean solo track entitled "Mista Mista".
"No Woman, No Cry" is a reggae song by Bob Marley and the Wailers. The song was recorded in 1974 and released on the studio album Natty Dread.
Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival, also known simply as The Carnival, is the debut studio album released by Haitian hip hop musician Wyclef Jean. The album was released on 24 June 1997, Wyclef Jean also served as the album's executive producer. The album features guest appearances from Celia Cruz, The Neville Brothers and multiple appearances from Jean's former Fugees bandmates, Lauryn Hill and Pras.
Ghetto Supastar is the debut solo studio album by former Fugees member and American rapper Pras. The album was released on October 27, 1998, through Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records.
Ultimate Toni Braxton, released in 2003, is the first greatest hits collection by R&B singer Toni Braxton. It features many of her greatest hits, and includes all the singles from her debut Toni Braxton and all but one of the singles from her second album Secrets. Her albums The Heat and More Than a Woman are fairly underrepresented, as only two and one songs are included from each album, respectively. The songs on Ultimate are not the actual album versions but radio edits, and the version of "Seven Whole Days" is live.
"Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" is a song by American rapper Pras, featuring rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard and R&B singer Mýa. Produced by Pras and Wyclef Jean, with co-procution from Jerry 'Wonda" Duplessis and Che Pope, it samples Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton's 1983 single "Islands in the Stream" as written by the The Bee Gees. Also featured on the soundtrack for the 1998 film Bulworth, the song was released as the second single from Pras' solo debut album Ghetto Supastar on June 6, 1998.
The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book is the second studio album released by Haitian hip hop musician Wyclef Jean. The album was supported by its singles "It Doesn't Matter", "911" and "Perfect Gentleman". At the 43rd Grammy Awards his duet with Mary J. Blige, "911" earned him a nomination for Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 2001. The album debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 chart. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"Perfect Gentleman" is the third single released from Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean's second studio album, The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book. It features a guest verse by rapper and co-writer Hope Harris. The song cites Chris Rock's spoken-word piece "No Sex ".
"911" is a duet between Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean and American soul music singer Mary J. Blige. It was released on 5 September 2000 as the third single from Jean's second studio album, The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book (2000), and was later included on Blige's compilation Reflections (2006). The song peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and had success worldwide, particularly in Scandinavian countries, reaching number one in Norway and Sweden.
Welcome To Haiti: Creole 101 is the fifth studio album by Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released on October 5, 2004. The album, which was co-produced by Jean and long time collaborator Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis, combines elements of reggae, kompa, dancehall, bachata, and world music. The album contains guest appearances from the likes of Sweet Mickey, Foxy Brown, 2Face Idibia and Sound Sultan. The album was inspired by Jean's love for Creole music, and Jean stated that the album was designed to be as "far from Billboard Hot 100-topping music as possible", describing the record as an instant "cult classic".
The Preacher's Son is the fourth studio album by Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released on November 4, 2003. The album, which was co-produced by Jean and long-time collaborator Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis, combines elements of hip hop, reggae and reggae fusion, and uses a number of samples, including the Motown-inspired "Industry", which samples "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted". The album contains guest appearances of the likes of Missy Elliott, Patti LaBelle, Rah Digga and Redman, as well as a guitar feature by Carlos Santana on the song "Three Nights In Rio".
"Gone till November" a song by Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released as the third single from debut solo album, The Carnival (1997). The song was sent to US radio in November 1997 and was released commercially on 20 January 1998. It peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Jean's highest-charting solo hit in the UK alongside 2000's "It Doesn't Matter". In the United States, the song peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also reached number four in both Canada and New Zealand.
"We Trying to Stay Alive" is the first single released from Wyclef Jean's debut solo album, The Carnival. The song features raps by John Forté and Pras and samples the 1977 Bee Gees hit "Stayin' Alive" and Audio Two's "Top Billin'" (1987). The video version also contains an interpolation of the main melody of "Trans-Europe Express" by "Kraftwerk". In the US, it reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Additionally, it reached number three on the Hot Rap Songs chart and number 14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The track reached number 87 on VH1's "100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time".
"It Doesn't Matter" is the first single released from Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean's second studio album, The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book (2000). Written by Jean and Jerry Duplessis, the track features additional vocals from Melky Sedeck and wrestler The Rock, whose famous catchphrase inspired the song title. The song includes samples of "Mona Lisa" by Slick Rick, "This Is Ska" by Longsy D, "Livin' la Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin, and "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver, so all songwriters are given credits.
Haitian rapper and singer Wyclef Jean has released nine studio albums, one compilation album, two extended plays and 25 singles.
Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant is the sixth studio album by Haitian rapper and former Fugees member Wyclef Jean, released in 2007 as the sequel to his first solo album, The Carnival. Speaking to noted urban writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul in September 2007, Wyclef explained his thinking behind the album: "Titling it The Carnival 2 was down to The Carnival back in '97 being my first multi-cultural CD. It had rhythms from all over the world, and in that way this new record is the sequel. You know, there's a revolution of culture going on around the world today where the United Nations is everywhere! You go into a room, and everybody's from a different country. It's like we're ALL immigrants! Some of these people may be listening to bhangra, some to hip hop, some to rock... And, when you put that fusion together, it unites people through music."
"Wish You Were Here" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd. It was released as the title track of their 1975 album of the same name. David Gilmour and Roger Waters collaborated in writing the music, with Gilmour singing lead vocals.
J'ouvert is a retail Mixtape by rapper Wyclef Jean. It was released on February 3, 2017, and features the songs "Hendrix", "If I Was President 2016", "The Ring", and "I Swear".