Wyclef Jean accused of running corrupt Haiti relief charity – and pocketing millions

One third (I’m being kind to Pras) of New Jersey’s long defunct The Fugees’ Wyclef Jean‘s name is once again making the rounds on the ‘net and print media- not for his sniping at former Fugees band mates, his Tax Evasion, or whether or not he was stabbed or shot in a Limousine in Haiti, however. Wyclef’s coming under fire again for running a corrupt business under the auspices of a charity for his birthplace of Haiti. The “charity” is Yele, and these are the charges :

• More than $1,000,000 of donations rerouted to a company that does not exist.
• Of the more than $16,000,000 donated expressly for “emergency relief” Less than $5,200,000 (Not even a third!) has actually been given to Haitians in need of emergency relief.
• Using part of the missing money to purchase Telecommunications firms in Haiti, in his own name.
• Paid his mistress more than $105,000- using donated funds.
• Bankrolled lavish travel expenses with donated funds.
• Paid himself more than $100,000 per appearance to perform under the guise of being part of a charity showbill. (That’s like Watch the Throne money right there.)
• Also paid himself $31,000 a year to rent a corner of the kitchen in his Manhattan studio.

In December 8th, 2011′s USA Today, Mr. Jean offered this in his defense :

The percentage of funds used is consistent with NGOs and Not For Profits operating in Haiti at the time

– WYCLEF JEAN, USA Today, December 8th, 2011 –

In short- Wyclef turned out to be far more of a hustler than John Forte. The only difference is, John got busted for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute and did time. Wyclef’s profiting far more than Forte ever did, and is still skating. Stealing money intended to go to a decimated, impoverished, ineptly-run nation like Haiti? Wyclef Jean, you are in all likelyhood categorically a dirtbag fraud. “You’re gonna get yours!” – Public Enemy, 1986. – Skylar Woodman

(Cited: USA Today, New York Post, Mother Jones. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.)

Tags: Wyclef Corrupt, Wyclef corruption, Wyclef jean, Yele Charity fraud

The Roots – One Time featuring Phonte & Dice Raw

The Roots – One Time ft. Phonte & Dice Raw

Pretty much the pride & joy of modern rap music Illadelph PA’s The Roots have wrapped their 13th LP entitled Undun dropping December 6th- and a couple tracks have been leaked to pique the listening public’s interest for the album. This is One Time, and it features longtime Roots Crew collaborator Dice Raw and one of the greatest things ever to come out of Manifest Worldwide’s homebase of Greensboro, North Carolina- Phonte Coleman. The track does not disappoint. I’m really excited to buy the full length album in a week. Don’t sleep on Undun. – Skylar Woodman

Tags: Dice Raw, New Roots LP, One Time Roots, Phonte, Phonte Coleman, Undun

Pill, I-20 & Killa Kyleon – King Hustler (Produced by Trakk Sounds)

PilI / I-20 / Killa Kyleon – King Hustler (Produced by Trakk Sounds)

It’s strictly south on this new joint as Atlanta’s Pill, & I-20, link up with Houston Texas’ Killa Kyleon on King Hustler, produced by Trakk Sounds. A nice little Southern posse cut laced with twangy electric guitars and that trademark dirty south double time 808. Peep the joint and keep the box turnt up. – Skylar Woodman

Common & No I.D. – Celebrate

Common – Celebrate (Prod. No I.D.)

The latest leak off Common & No I.D.’s joint LP The Dreamer, The Believer just dropped and it’s called Celebrate. Another banger from the very best of what Chicago Hip Hop has to offer. Check the joint and think for a minute about how dope the album has been so far- and support that real rap music in 2011. Get The Dreamer, The Believer when it drops December 20th. – Skylar Woodman

Tags: Common & No I.D., Common Celebrate, The Believer, The Dreamer

Mobb Deep featuring Nas – Get it forever

Mobb Deep featuring Nas – Get It Forever

Queensbridge rap heavyweights Mobb Deep leaked a rough copy of their latest collaboration with Nasty Nas yesterday, it’s entitled Get It Forever. The cut is lifted from their upcoming November 21st EP Black Cocaine. Havoc and Pee’s voices have dropped a couple octaves over the years but Nas sounds like he hasn’t smoked so much as a cigarette and has been locked in a time capsule since 1995. I’m hoping the audio gets cleaned up a little bit for the final release. It’s good to see that over the years the talk really amounted to some bullshit- Havoc, Prodigy, and Nas are getting along just fine in the post-Golden Era. The Infamous’ five-track EP comes out Monday Night on iTunes, for $3.99. – Skylar Woodman

Tags: Black Cocaine, Mobb Deep & Nas, Mobb Deep EP, Mobb Deep Nas Get it forever

Common – Sweet (Video)

The location is Haiti, the rapper is Common, and the track is Sweet. In mere months Common’s career in the rap game will turn 20, and his 9th studio LP The Dreamer, The Believer comes out in just weeks.

The dude is obviously taking some of the last several years’ criticism of Good Music Era-Common to heart and coming out with a frenetically styled visual component to match one of the hardest tracks he’s cut since the 1990s. The beat stomps a mudhole in your ass while Common gives you a kick in the ribs. Excellent pairing. Common’s gotten his point across to be sure. The Dreamer, The Believer is shaping up to be the Golden-Era Boom Bap throwback album that lots of cats often muse about making but don’t actually follow through on. From everything I’ve heard so far, Common is going to deliver. Watch out for the new Common joint in December 2011. – Skylar Woodman

Tags: Common, Common Sweet Video, Haiti

Eligh + Amp Live – Destination Unknown ft. The Grouch & Zumbi (Track and Video)

Eligh & Amp Live – Destination Unknown (featuring The Grouch & Zumbi)

A couple of Oakland’s best underground rap cats Eligh of Living Legends and Zion I’s AmpLive threw the homies The Grouch and Zumbi into the mix and came up with a short but sweet posse cut entitled Destination Unknown. This is off Eligh & Amp’s Therapy at 3 originally scheduled this fall, but the LP is likely to drop 1st quarter 2012. The video takes me back to the CD stations at the old shops like Tower Records, gripping the earphone and nodding my head to the best of what was really good in the 1990s. The beat really kicks in at 0:30 when shortie starts cranking her head to that classic Bay inflection over a new interpretation of that old Bay rap funk. Peep the video, get the track, and make sure you check on Therapy at 3, these kids never come wack. – Skylar Woodman

Tags: Grouch, Living Legends, Therapy at 3, Zion I

Common & No I.D. – Sweet

Common & No I.D. – Sweet

Chi-Town’s finest Common Sense & No I.D. are finalizing Common’s 9th Studio LP The Dreamer, The Believer and have been leaking joints all over the ‘net. Their latest is entitled Sweet and it’s my favorite track so far. Please give a listen, these are two legends of the Golden Era dropping some quality new Millenium Rap music. – Skylar Woodman

Tags: Common & No I.D., Common Sweet, New Common LP, The Dreamer The Believer

2011′s freshest Halloween costume

First spotted (by me) on the facebook page of Cut Chemist, DJ for one of the greatest groups to ever break up in Jurassic 5- this is the Freshest Halloween costume of 2011. Respect! – Skylar Woodman

Dom Kennedy – When I come around (Video)

The pride & joy of Leimert Park, California Dom Kennedy dropped the visuals to one of the singles from this year’s LP From the Westside with love, II- this is When I come around. I love Dom’s laid back, Rappin’ 4Tay crossed with ‘Tash flow and the themes in the video are funny & down to earth. Super throwback Cali vibe all 40 pouring, embroidered stocking hats and a 5.0 on Danas. Check the joint and stay up on Dom, he’s one unique cat. – Skylar Woodman

Tags: Dom Kennedy, Dom Kennedy When I come around, From the Westside with Love II

DJ Premier Nah Sons Justin Bieber from BET Cypher

In a world of hyper-commercialized hip hop and Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nuthin to F*ck wit remade by Kanye West featuring Raekwon & Justin Bieber (oh yes, that trifling ass shit exists) it’s good to know at least one Hip Hop legend knows where to draw the line:

“Justin Bieber even asked if he can do the cypher, and everyone was worried that might mess up the integrity of BET and I was like, yo as he got a dope rhyme let him spit, but then we heard he wanted Luda to write his rhymes, I was like oh no no no….if you ain’t writing your own rhymes you can’t do it, so Justin you got to take a back seat. You know what I’m saying, write your own rhymes honey.” – DJ PREMIER

Nothing much more to say except thank you, Primero. I haven’t watched anything on BET regularly since the Rap City Bassment days, but The BET Cypher has been a highlight for years running. Shout out to DJ Premier for doing the right thing. – Skylar Woodman

Tags: BET Cypher, DJ Premier, How was this even considered, Justin Bieber, Ludacris

Aasim the Answer – Live at the Tunnel (Video)

Jamaica Queens’ child prodigy Aasim has been in the game since 1995 since he first struck a deal with A&R/Producer Schott Free via Loud Records, had a brief bit of success on Bad Boy with 2005′s Money Pit- his debut LP. In the past six years Aasim has dropped a handful of mixtapes and ghostwritten several joints for cats like Puffy. This is Live at the Tunnel- the first single of his 4th quarter 2011 project F*ck the Industry. Raw, basic visuals accompanying gritty production coupling a nonstop chunk of organ sampling under Aasim’s grainy pitch and fluid cadence. If you’re unaware of Aasim, get familiar. – Skylar Woodman

Tags: Aasim the Answer, The Money Pit 3