Over the past few weeks, Wyclef Jean, three-time GRAMMY® winner, Fugee founder and solo star invited press to his Platinum Sound studio on Restaurant Row in midtown Manhattan to peep new tracks from two acts on his as-of-now independent label, Clef Records. As the man who launched the careers of Lauryn Hill and Beyoncé, not to mention put City High and Product G&B on the map and helmed Canibus‘ Can-I-bus, I was hyped to hear what he called “The Truth.” You begin to believe just how serious Wyclef is about Trini and 3 on 3 as he mixes and mingles with press for more than two hours in an intimate setting, even after he’s told Maxi Priest is waiting for their scheduled session.
First up, 3 on 3, an R&B trio reminiscent of B2K. They are the sons of Harlem Globetrotter Muggsy Leggett:12-year-old Malik, 16-year-old Shawn, who’s also an all-star b-ball player who performs at halftime for the Knicks, and 18-year-old Anthony. They hail from Gun Hill in the Bronx. Though Clef boomed the sounds out his state-of-the-art system, the boys still performed their songs as if they were on stage. Watch out Usher, Malik‘s got moves!
Next up was Trini, an 18 year-old female rapper from Brooklyn who saw her father gunned down at age 8. She’s been called the female version of Biggie, counts Tupac as her inspiration and sounds like Shyne. She’s petite and pretty, yet her sound is gruff and outlook grim. After hearing Trini spit, Remy Martin, the hottest female MC out now, quickly became a fan and jumped on Trini‘s track “Art Of War.” Another highlight was “The Jux,” on which Trini plays two characters robbing a liquor store, using both her deep voice and a softer one.
Throughout the evening, everyone was impressed by Wyclef, a modern-day Berry Gordy.
