If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what everyday stuff famous people add to their carts — like hair spray or an electric toothbrush. We asked Wyclef Jean — whose new single, “Back from Abu Dhabi,” is out today — about the body butter, portable music equipment, and custom Harley-Davidson he can’t live without.
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My favorite coffee ever is Bustelo, and it’s a family-tradition thing. My mama drinks Bustelo, my uncle drinks Bustelo, I drink Bustelo. Way before they had these fancy terms like latte and all of that, we had the Bustelo. This is like every Caribbean person who exists, but you mix the Bustelo with Carnation milk, which is our version of half-and-half, with one spoon of brown sugar. You are literally going to be in the Caribbean, I promise. Before I even heard of half-and-half, I had Carnation milk. If you go to my TikTok, you’re going to see me drinking Bustelo.
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FaceTime was a game changer for me because when I say I’ll be gone ’til November, it’s like, really, I’ll be gone ’til November. I need to be able to connect with family, with my wife, my daughter, and my mom. I call my mom and she’s like, “FaceTime me. I want to see your face.” Having that easy access to normality through technology is pretty amazing. The stand is pretty cool because it makes everyone feel like they’re a director. And the portable charger — if anyone on my team is listening, they’re probably like, “Why is Clef talking about a portable charger when all he does is steal our chargers?”
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$649
The only time I actually get to sit around and watch movies these days is whatever I download on an iPad. I would download everything from Ben-Hur to Casablanca to Spartacus. I like to build my sections. I have my classics, then I have my mob movies. Of course, you know what those are: Once Upon a Time in America, The Godfather, Goodfellas. Then I have my musicals. My two favorite musicals are The Sound of Music and West Side Story. Then, I have a foreign-film category. One of my favorite foreign films is Slumdog Millionaire because, coming from Haiti, I understand that. I wasn’t born into a luxe life. I was born in that sort of extreme situation. Sometimes, art is a reflection itself. Then I have comedy, which is my favorite section: Half Baked, Friday, Meet the Fockers.
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$38
I get ashy real quick. I would try quick solutions, like baby oil, cocoa butter, Vaseline. Sometimes, to avoid the ash, I would try to put all three on, and then somebody was like, “Yo, we might have a solution for you. It’s in a green jar.” I tried it. I don’t think I’m the only one who uses it. I think Denzel uses it. You know how hard it is for me not to say shea butter here? That’s how good this product is. You definitely go from ashy to classy with this.
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My love for technology started when I was 14 or 15 years old. I would be that kid that goes into Sam Ash and reads all of the manuals all day. Because I couldn’t afford the equipment, I would try to bypass and see what I could afford. As a crazy musical composer, if I have an idea in my head and I can’t get this thing out right when it’s in my head, you can forget about it. You’re not going to have a good day. The idea of a portable studio and constantly being able to record on the fly, having the entire studio in one bag, is a game changer for me. What used to be SSL boards and all of these manuals, and you got to be in a room with 100 people — that has all converted into a computer and plug-in, and that’s it. The Apollo Twin is real good. It allows you to not only record sounds, but it’s also excellent for vocals. That means while you’re moving around, you’re able to do not jump vocals, but vocals you can actually keep. I would think of the Apollo Twin like a converter, making the technology easier.
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When you record, it’s one thing, but to hear it back before you play it in your car for anybody — you go through an insane amount of speakers. Sometimes you would use a speaker and it would sound amazing in the studio, then you print it, you go to the car or you try to test it in the club, and it just sounds like shit. The Genelecs have accuracy and are just perfect. What you’re hearing is what the actual recording is, and that’s what it’s going to sound like in your car, which for me is very important. The Genelecs are so amazing. You have the mini-Genelecs, which are very easy to travel with, superlight, but still have the consistency. Then you have the mid ones, and then you have the super-big ones. I have all three.
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$200
A lot of my friends are mad right now that I’m saying this. They use Ableton, some use Pro Tools, and they’re all amazing, but you have to find a sequencer that works for you. Logic Pro for me is the quickest way to record an idea on the fly and just get it out. I also like the speed of the Logic Pro features. So the sequencer, think of it as the brain. This is where everything’s going to go down. You’re recording a keyboard and you want to do it with speed at the end of the day. You don’t want to sit there trying to figure out the technology. Logic Pro to me is one plus one equals two.
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Jimi Hendrix played the Fender. He’s my favorite guitar player. What I love about the Fender Stratocaster is that it’s literally an extension of your arm and your soul. It has nothing to do with speed. It’s all very soulful. You hold the guitar, and every note you hit, you feel like you can talk to the audience. It’s definitely a game changer for someone like me who plays rhythm guitar and who also solos. Another thing people might not know about the Fender Stratocaster is that it’s not a bass, but the pickups can be cool. I’ve played bass riffs and guitar riffs at the same time on that guitar. When you’re onstage, you have to pick up the instrument that takes you back to when you were 13 years old playing that invisible guitar in front of the mirror at Madison Square Garden. Every time I pick up the Fender, it does that.
[Editor’s note: Wyclef Jean’s guitar, a custom model, is currently on backorder. You can still reserve it on the Sweetwater website, but for something in stock and more affordable, we’ve linked to an in-stock model from Fender’s Professional series.]
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I don’t play when it comes to shades. I remember Bono telling me, “The secret to being a rock star: You have to be able to hide your eyes behind the shades if you had a long night, and you can get away with it.” I like what A$AP Rocky did with these. I’m constantly in the sun, and there’s something about sunglasses, like I was telling you about the guitar, that shift your character and make you feel cool. The Ray-Bans for sure do that.
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My favorite piano to play is a Steinway, which, to me, is a gift. I started learning how to play instruments in the church. Then, I got a chance to write songs. I remember going to a studio called the Hit Factory and touching a Steinway for the first time. I was like, “I found my instrument for songwriting.” Let’s pick a song: Whitney Houston’s “My Love Is Your Love.” That came from the genesis of a Steinway chord structure. Also, there’s a thing that says that the instrument possesses amazing spirits that were before you when you hear these tones. That’s how you are able to channel that and come up with certain things. To me, a Steinway piano does that all the time.
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Everybody who knows me knows I’m a bike maniac. I’ve been collecting choppers for a long time, and my love for bikes started at a very young age with the BMX, you know what I’m saying. Just the idea of getting with a group of friends and saying, We’re going to ride. What I love about the Harleys is the prestigiousness and the care of other people on the road. When they see the Harleys, that’s the elder bike. There’s a form of respect when they see it coming through. It is just a great bike to ride with a unit. The models that I go for these days are choppers, which can range from 7 feet to about 12. Some super Mad Max shit. This is what happens when kids watch Mad Max at a young age.
Bike culture is forever young, and it’s the only time where you feel like you could put on a costume and you don’t look stupid. Everyone has their own theme. You can have the Knight Rider theme. Somebody could pull up in a Mickey Mouse helmet, or Gargoyles. It’s very important to wear leather or jeans because the bikes get very hot. You also have to make sure to get some boots that not only look good but are comfortable enough to switch gears. I am still that old-school Timberland guy.
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