It’s not hard to see Wyclef Jean’s influence in contemporary music. DJ Khaled, Rihanna and Bryson Tiller’s “Wild Thoughts,” which samples heavily from Santana, Jean and the Product G&B’s 2000 hit “Maria Maria,” sits near the top of the Billboard charts. Last year, Young Thug dedicated a song from his acclaimed Jeffery to “Wyclef Jean.” More subtly, hip-hop is filled with artists who unabashedly blend pop songwriting with a hip-hop ethos. “So the new rap is singing now,” he laughs while remembering the criticism he received for his 1998 pop hit “Gone ‘Til November.”

Read more about Jean’s influence on current hip-hop, Young Thug and his views on DACA here.