Born in Haiti, Jean, 55, moved to America aged nine. He founded the hip-hop trio the Fugees with his cousin Pras Michel and Lauryn Hill, with whom he had a relationship. Hits from their 1996 album The Score included Ready or Not and Killing Me Softly. Jean ran for the presidency of Haiti in 2010 but was ruled ineligible owing to residency requirements. He lives with his wife, Marie Claudinette, and their daughter, Angelina Claudinel, 20, in New Jersey and Miami.

My day starts at 7am no matter what, because I had immigrant parents who instilled discipline in me. My dad was a preacher and he would wake me and my siblings up, saying, “When everyone’s still asleep you need to be up and working hard.”

I didn’t really see my parents until I was about nine. I was raised by my grandmother in Haiti until my dad could bring us to the US, to the Marlboro projects in Coney Island. They were the most dangerous projects then but I felt rich because I’d been living in a hut with no electricity or running water. My friends will think I’m goofy for saying this but Slumdog Millionaire was my life.

The first thing I do is give thanks to the universe and meditate. My theory is that every day above ground is a good one. What changed me deeply was seeing people go lifeless in my presence. I’ve seen it in Haiti with the earthquake and I’ve had friends pass away from drugs; some have been murdered.

I go for a run before tapping the gym for a good hour. For breakfast I keep it light, usually something with egg whites. Our fridge is loaded with natural juices — beet juice is great. Studio time usually starts at 3pm and can go till 1am or even 4am if we catch some energy.

By the time I was 13 I was the choir director at my dad’s church and at 15 I could play ten instruments. I was self-taught. My dad’s plan was for his kids to take over running the church but I revolted. I was rapping; it started as a survival mechanism. There were all these gangs and I chose the hip-hop gang — they would battle rap instead of using violence; it’s lyrical jousting — so I wouldn’t get into shootouts or use my knife.

In high school a teacher called Valerie Price invested her time in me. She heard me play the piano and said, “Tomorrow you’re joining jazz class.” I was, like, “That’s for old people. I’m going to be a battle rapper like LL Cool J.” She said I could do both and introduced me to the music of George Gershwin, Quincy Jones and Miles Davis.

Lauryn Hill was a freshman and I was in my last year of high school when we met. I thought, this is the next Nina Simone. There was magic between us, both musical prodigies with strict Caribbean upbringings.

Fugees is short for refugees — community and standing up for innocent people have always been important to me. Albert Einstein motivated me to run for the presidency in Haiti. As much as he was an amazing physicist he was also a musician — he played the violin and piano. People underestimate our power. They said, he’s just a musician — what makes him think he could be president? But what makes these freaking politicians think they could be president? They took me out of the race. I’ve been back quietly; I sponsor a robotics programme for students there.

I wanted to be like Quincy Jones, the man behind the music; I feel I’ve succeeded. Look at Beyoncé today. I gave Destiny’s Child their first hit, producing No, No, No, and had them open for us on tour.

I unwind by doing things where I can’t have my phone with me, like going to the sauna and swimming — I learnt about eight years ago. Dinner? Well, I’m Caribbean, so the lifestyle includes a lot of fish. I have greens with everything.

I have a rule that as a family we have to spend quality time together once a week — we might go to the spa, watch movies or take the yacht out. I’ve been married for over 30 years. When young people ask me what the secret is to a long-lasting relationship, I say, “I kissed my best friend by accident.” Nothing is stronger than friendship.
Jean’s single Back from Abu Dhabi is out now

Words of wisdom

Best advice I was given
It’s a quote by Confucius that my English teacher told me but I’ll remix it my way: it’s not about falling, it’s about what you do when you get back up

Advice I’d give
It’s better to be right than popular

What I wish I’d known
I wish I’d had a better understanding of geopolitics when I ran for president. And that I had taken a political science course