Hip-hop music artist Wyclef Jean was on the losing end of a ruling by Haiti’s provisional election commission last week, meaning that the Haitian-born performer won’t be on that country’s presidential ballot after all. Jean was barred from running for office due to the country’s residency requirements, which state that candidates must be residents of the country for five years preceding the election.

Hip Hop Music Name Not Enough

Jean was born in Haiti but his family moved to the United States when the 40-year old singer was just nine. He has spent most of his time in the United States, though he travels to Haiti frequently and operates a charitable foundation designed to fund public works projects in the country.

Jean began his career as part of the hip-hop group The Fugees,in the late 1990′s and established a solo career in 2000. He has several recent collaborations with other artists including T.I., will.i.am, Niia, Akon, L’Il Wayne, Eva, L’il Kim, Cyndi Lauper and Timbaland.

Although his presidential bid was cut short, there’s no doubt that Jean would have been one of the most visible candidates in the Haitian election. Before the election commission’s ruling was handed down, Jean talked about his ability to reach out to young Haitians to inspire them to make a better future for themselves and Haiti. Analysts were divided on whether Jean could have made a difference if elected, since he doesn’t speak French or Creole, the two languages most often spoken in Haiti.

Jean would not be the first hip-hop music artist to use his musical roots to start a new career, though most “graduates” opt for careers in related industries like entertainment; music promotion for other up-and-coming artists; and celebrity endorsements. Jean’s political ambitions aren’t expected to put a damper on his career. He still plans to release a self-titled album, wyclefjean, sometime in 2010. That album’s first single is entitled Hold On, featuring Mavado.

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Photo Credit: Todd Huffman, via Flickr