Wyclef Gets It

Over at XXL's Scratch blog, the transcriptions from a Wyclef cover story are being posted up. Part 1 has Wyclef totally understanding what exactly the Internet and bloggers can do for an artist:

“I think really with the internet, that’s the A&R. So if you want to know who I think the real A&R’s of today are, [it’s] the kids that are on the internet. I’ll give you an example. Take a Wyclef Jean song ‘If I was President.’ Every kid knows that song. It’s not like the song got any radio airplay, they seen that shit on Dave Chappelle, [and downloaded] it. Now over twenty million kids know that song. If you go on the internet its up there with ‘Gone Til November.’ Then you gotta be like, ‘Hmm, interesting.’ But Clef ain’t really never get no airplay for this song. How can that be? Now, honestly bro, an A&R would skip right through that song because that song wouldn’t be a song that’s played on the radio, you know what I’m saying? But we cant run away from the new wave that we’re expressing. So I feel like back in the days we had those underground systems where we heard new records, so today the internet actually is that world where you can put anything on and then the crowd could decide. With Youtube and with Myspace, now you’re able to connect quicker. And so you start off with your Myspace page, you know, you can go ok, all of the people are listening… send out a blog now. ‘Yo what up, I’m working in the studio on The Carnival 2. I’m about to hit ya’ll with this crazy Paul Simon/Wyclef record, some of you motherfuckers is too young to know who Paul Simon is. You other motherfuckers know whats going on, that shit got that acoustic flavor so check it out. Give forty seconds of it. Now you know that the bloggers is gonna go crazy. They gonna find it. And I think that’s like the coolest shit. And at the end of the day its going to turn to revenue. Whether through record sales, whether through live shows, whether through endorsements.”

If that ain't the truth I don't know what is - well, I don't know about 20 million kids know "If I Was President", but I get his point. I knew it was a reason why I copped The Score and Carnival. I might have to go peep that CD. Shout out to the Fugees.

BONUS BEATS: I been feelin' the "Sweetest Girl (Remix)" anytime I catch it on 106 & Park. I love how 'Clef threw "C.R.E.A.M." in there.

Wyclef Jean ft. Akon, Lil' Wayne & Raekwon "Sweetest Girl (Remix)"

And for ish and giggles, here's the video for "Fast Car", which features Paul Simon:

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