"It was important that I became successful. People say they do it for the love, and yes, you do it for the love, but you want to be successful"
About this Quote
The phrasing matters. “It was important that I became successful” is personal and almost defensive, as if he’s answering an accusation before it lands. Then he pivots to “People say,” widening the frame to a cultural script that rewards humility performatively. The repetition - “you do it for the love… but you want to be successful” - functions like a rhythm hook: he lets the idealism play, then snaps it back to reality.
Context sharpens the stakes. For an artist like Wyclef, success isn’t just ego; it’s leverage: funding studios, negotiating power, the ability to take risks without being erased by gatekeepers. Coming out of Haitian diasporic politics and Fugees-era scrutiny, “success” also reads as proof against a system that treats certain backgrounds as a novelty until the numbers justify permanence. The subtext is blunt: love gets you started, success keeps you free.
Quote Details
| Topic | Success |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Jean, Wyclef. (2026, January 16). It was important that I became successful. People say they do it for the love, and yes, you do it for the love, but you want to be successful. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/it-was-important-that-i-became-successful-people-97912/
Chicago Style
Jean, Wyclef. "It was important that I became successful. People say they do it for the love, and yes, you do it for the love, but you want to be successful." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/it-was-important-that-i-became-successful-people-97912/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"It was important that I became successful. People say they do it for the love, and yes, you do it for the love, but you want to be successful." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/it-was-important-that-i-became-successful-people-97912/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
