Wyclef Jean is flipping though a magazine in his Platinum Studios in midtown Manhattan. He’s whipping through a string of interviews to promote his third solo CD, Masquerade. A diamond-studded lion rests on his chest. “It’s from the 12 Tribes of Judah,” he explains. “I’m from the tribe of Levi. That’s where the Haitian tribe descended. It means power.” Besides the bling-bling of the pendant, Clef’s in jeans, a tee and sneakers. “I’m in the music industry but you might see me on Flatbush and you think it’s a dred selling coco bred. I’m a people’s person. I can get in a limo but I think that’s wack. I’d rather jump on my Ducati and hit the road. Sometimes I ask the chauffeur to let me drive. They think I’m real crazy. But I was a gypsy cab driver. That’s how I paid for my college education”

Wyclef wasn’t born with diamonds around his neck In fact, his lead single “PJ’s” is an ode to his humble beginnings. Just like his remake of Frankie Valli’s “Oh What A Night.” “That’s a song my father used to clean bathrooms to when I was young,” Clef reveals. “Whenever that song came on, we used to jump around with plungers. That song made me forget that we were working for $4.50 an hour.” On this latest project, Clef is keeping it all the way real. He’s telling kids to stay in school, rookie rappers to watch their backs when signing label deals and letting everyone know he’s got skills. “It’s sort of like going back to the essence for me, like back into my hip-hop roots,” he assures. “Lyrically, I took my time. The album was done in like 2 1/2 months. I felt like this was my first CD. I wanted to make sure the essence of the grime of Wyclef Jean was still represented. It’s like an autobiography