Haitian-born rap star Wyclef Jean has recorded a radio message asking people in the country to give up crime
March 31, 2008
Haitian-born rap star Wyclef Jean has recorded a radio message asking people in the country to give up crime.
"If you love Wyclef that means you love Haiti," he said in Creole in a short ad run by local stations in the nation.
"So you should not be raping women, kidnapping people and children. There can be no excuse for doing so."
Jean, 35, was made a roving ambassador for Haiti last year by President Rene Preval. The singer gained fame as a member of hip-hop trio The Fugees.
His message was supported by the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti, the poorest nation in the Americas.
Evil practices
Kidnapping is rife in the Caribbean republic, with 36 people abducted in the capital city Port-au-Prince during March alone.
"I reject these evil practices," said Jean in his message, in which he also urged Haitian men to respect womens rights.
Jean was born in Haiti in 1972 but moved with his family to New York when he was nine years old.
The award-winning musician provides humanitarian aid and assistance through his Yele Haiti foundation.
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