La palabra rap es un término coloquial que se utiliza para designar a aquel tipo de música generado por sonidos hablados y palabras más que por melodías instrumentales. El rap es uno de los géneros musicales más populares, sobre todo desde la década de 1980 y en adelante en Estados Unidos. Se considera que sus orígenes son muy variados ya que toma aportes de diversos ritmos populares, algunos africanos, jamaiquinos o propios de la comunidad afro-americana de Estados Unidos. En su mayoría, los grandes ídolos del rap han sido pertenecientes a esta comunidad.
Nelust Wyclef Jean (nacido el 17 de octubre de 1972 en Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti) es un rapero y productor haitiano-estadounidense conocido por ser miembro del exitoso trío de hip hop The Fugees.
Con nueve años, Wyclef se mudó a Brooklyn, y en el norte de New Jersey fue cuando él comenzó a tocar la guitarra y a estudiar en un instituto exclusivo para gente de raza negra. En 1987, Jean, su amigo Prakazrel Michel (Pras) y su compañera de clase Lauryn Hill, formaron un grupo llamado Tranzlator Crew, antes de hacerlo como The Fugees. Wyclef trabajaba como taxista.
[wyclef jean:]
Yo i'm happy to be in the south
To set off my tour in the countryside
But who better to set it off for me than this man right here
[kenny rogers:]
Yo this kenny rogers chillin on the country side
With men like wyclef (uh-huh) jerry wonder (uh-huh)
Big jack (mm-hmm) big beast (mm-hmm)
And we gon' do something like this for you
You got to know when to hold 'em (yeah, yeah!)
Know when to fold 'em (dj's, dj's!)
Know when to walk away (hip-hop, hip-hop!)
Know when to run... (yeah, yeah!)
You got to count your dub-plates (ghetto, ghetto, ghetto)
Before you touch the turntables (all hoods!)
Cause if you run out of big tunes
That means your sound is done (y'all ready?)
[chorus: kenny rogers]
You got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em (soundbwoys)
Know when to walk away
Know when to run... (hey, hey, hey, hey...)
You got to count your dub-plates
Before you touch the turntables (dj's)
Cause if you run out of big tunes
That means your sound is done
[pharoahe monch:]
Get the hell up!
'clef said, get the hell up!
Now throw your hands in the sky (bo! bo! bo! bo!)
Brooklyn in the back shootin craps y'all whassup?
Ladies; lookin hot and pretty
Doin your thing in the club high saditty
Worldwide - the gritty committee pity the fool that
Act {shitty} in the midst of the calm, the witty
(you got to know when to hold 'em...)
Y'all know the name!
Same assassin from before, but the beat just changed a little
(?) who flip flows
That got women in they thongs gettin on but not sisqo
Select your squad team and your itch
Bey know my flow muy caliente, fuego
No disrespect to soundbwoy, but you better step away from me
Easily defeat measley mc's and tease you
Ease back squeeze two in your wig and breeze through
[chorus]
[wyclef jean:]
C'mon, c'mon
(get the hell up!)
Soundbwoys ('clef said, get the hell up!)
(now throw your hands in the sky) yo
This combination gon' bust from brooklyn to shanghai
Feel the boogie boogie henny got me tipsy tipsy
Kenny rogers and pharoahe monch? no way, this can't be
48 tracks, country meets rap
Put this on full blast, i'm about to break all formats
My destiny is to lead while y'all follow
This is (showtime) and i'm (live at the apollo)
[chorus 2: kenny rogers & wyclef]
You got to know when to hold 'em (soundbwoys)
Know when to fold 'em (emcees)
Know when to walk away (yeah, yeah, yeah...)
Know when to run
You got to count your dub-plates
Before you touch the turntables (dj's)
Cause if you run out of big tunes
That means your sound is done