Haitian Celebrities
Wyclef Jean isn't the only celebrity waving the Haitian flag. One year after Haiti's tragic earthquake, BET.com takes a look at some of the Haitian celebrities who proudly rep their heritage and helped their country in a time of need.
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Tony Yayo - One of three Haitians in G-Unit’s original fold, Yayo (born Marvin Bernard) took part in relief efforts following the earthquake last year. Executive Sha Money XL (born Michael Clervoix) is also of Haitian descent.
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Pastor Troy - PT’s father is Haitian American. The Augusta, Georgia native has been releasing music for well over a decade.
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Dawn Richard - One third of Diddy-Dirty Money, Richard is half Haitian. She discussed her roots in a cover story for Amour Creole Magazine.
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De La Soul's Dave - David Jude Joliceour, aka Dave, aka Trugoy of De La Soul, is another MC of Haitian descent. On De La’s “Itzsoweezee” from their 1996 classic “Stakes Is High,” Dave famously said, “Peace to all of you Haitians,” on the track’s opening bars.
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Pras - One third of the Fugees with Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill, Prakazrel Samuel Michel bigs up his heritage every chance he gets. He’s never been shy about sharing his opinions about Haiti’s political leaders, even if it means opposing former bandmate Wyclef’s bid for presidency.
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Samuel Dalembert - Born in Port-au-Prince, Dalembert moved from Haiti to Montreal, Canada and later to New Jersey to pursue his hoop dreams. The decision paid off. He’s now in his ninth year in the league and presently plays for the Sacramento Kings.
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Michel Martelly - As frontman of one of the most popular bands in Haiti, Sweet Micky, Martelly helped brand one of the country’s most popular genres of music, kompas. Martelly also collaborated with Wyclef Jean on 1997’s “The Carnival.” He ran for president of Haiti in 2010. The country still awaits the results.
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Jimmy Jean-Louis - A Petionville native, Jean-Louis moved to Paris when he was 12 to pursue a modeling career. He’s known for his portrayal of The Haitian on NBC’s “Heroes.” Jean-Louis is the founder of Hollywood Unites for Haiti, a non-profit organization that aims to provide sports and education for underprivileged kids in his homeland. He also took part in the “We are the World” remake tribute to Haiti in 2010.
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Jessica Lucas - This Vancouver, Canada-born actress’ father is Haitian and her mother Pakistani. She’s appeared in movies like “Cloverfield” and had a short stint on the new edition of “Beverly Hills 90210.”
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Jamie Hector - This Brooklynite was doing his part to help his parents’ homeland before the earthquake tragedy. Hector’s known for his portrayal of Marlo Stanfield on HBO’s “The Wire.”
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Andre Berto - Though born in the Mi-Yayo, Berto represented Haiti at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He’s currently the WBC welterweight champion.
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Jason Derulo - Jason Derulo (born Jason Desrouleaux) spoke to BET.com about his relief efforts after the earthquake last year. “I did two charities with Wyclef,” Derulo said. “I personally donated thousands of dollars myself. I did another charity with Jordin Sparks. And I did a couple of relief shows where they got all the proceeds. So, a lot of effort went into helping Haiti out because that’s my roots.”
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Regine Chassagne - A member of Canadian rock band Arcade Fire, Chassagne’s family left the country during the dictatorship of former Haiti president Jean-Claude Duvalier in the ‘70s. Chassagne wrote about her heritage on Arcade Fire’s 2004 debut, “The Funeral.” The group’s third album, “The Suburbs,” ranked second to Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” on most year-end lists for 2010.
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Jonathan Vilma - Vilma’s originally from Florida, but his family hails from Haiti. JV plays linebacker for the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints.
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Pierre Garçon - Though born in Carmel, NY and raised in Florida, Garcon is of Haitian descent. The Colts’ wide receiver routinely brought the Haitian flag onto the field to celebrate his team’s wins during the 2010 NFL postseason.
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DJ Whoo Kid - The self-proclaimed “Haitian Sensation,” G-Unit’s resident DJ, Whoo Kid (born Yves Ceac), has family in Cap-Haitien.
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Harve Pierre - Harve has been down with Diddy’s Bad Boy Records since the label’s early days in 1993. Though he mostly sticks to business, he’s appeared on a few hooks under the moniker Joe Hooker, and has written a few songs.
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Maxwell - Gerald Maxwell Rivera is half Puerto Rican and half Haitian. The singer, whose mother was raised in Haiti, took part in relief efforts following the January earthquake.
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Garcelle Beauvais - This Saint-Marc, Haiti-born beauty began her career as a model before making the jump to acting. She’s famous for starring roles on “NYPD Blue” and “The Jamie Foxx Show.”
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Shakim Compere - If you see Queen Latifah shouting, “Sak Pasé,” it’s probably because her longtime business partner, Shakim Compere, is of Haitian descent. The two first made waves together via Flavor Unit, a company that managed OutKast, Naughty By Nature, Monica and SWV in the ‘90s. These days, Compere produces movies with Latifah. “Just Wright” and “The Perfect Holiday” are just a few of the titles on his resume.
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