Pras
Prakazrel Samuel Michel (/ˈprɑːz/; born October 19, 1972) is a Haitian-American rapper, producer, songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the hip hop group Fugees, alongside Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill. After the Fugees, he earned two Top 40 hits, the Grammy-nominated song "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard and Mýa from the film Bulworth, and "Avenues" with Refugee Camp All-Stars and Ky-Mani Marley.
Pras | |
|---|---|
Pras at the 2015 Miami Film Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Prakazrel Samuel Michel |
| Born | October 19, 1972 New York City, U.S. |
| Origin | Irvington, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | |
In 2019, he began to face legal issues when he was charged with criminal conspiracy for allegedly illegally fundraising for the Barack Obama 2012 presidential campaign.[1][2]
Early life
Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Irvington, New Jersey, Pras cultivated an early interest in music. When he was 15, he met Lauryn Hill while both attended Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey. In 1988, Pras introduced Lauryn to Wyclef Jean. Pras Michel, Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill began to rehearse under the guidance of Kool and the Gang's producer, Ronald Khalis Bell, and subsequently they formed a musical group called The Rap Translators in 1989 (also known as Tranzlator Crew).
Career
Music
In 1994, The Fugees recorded their first album Blunted on Reality, under the supervision of Ronald Khalis Bell. Before and during this, Pras attended Rutgers University and Yale University, pursuing a double major in Philosophy and Psychology.[3] In 1996, The Fugees achieved historic crossover success with The Score, which went multi-platinum.
Pras has also forged a successful solo career, beginning with an international hit single from his first full-length solo LP, "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)", featuring Mýa and Ol' Dirty Bastard. "Ghetto Superstar" became a top ten single in 1999, and the eighth most played single. The song earned Pras a performance at the World Music Awards. The hit single was included in the soundtrack for the film Bulworth. "Ghetto Supastar" spent eight weeks in the UK Top 5, peaking at No. 2 in July 1998,[4] and reached US No. 15 a month later. "Blue Angels", from the same album, was a UK Top 10 hit, reaching No. 6 in November.[4]
Pras also featured on the track "Turn You On" by Swedish artist DeDe[5] which was released in 2007. "Turn You On" was also written and produced by Pras. After nine weeks on Sweden's single chart, it peaked at No. 2. He also featured "Pushin'" from the album Equalize by Swami, which was released in 2007.
Film
After his cameo debut in the 1999 feature film Mystery Men, Pras gained an interest in Hollywood. In 2000, Pras starred in the New Line film, Turn It Up. In early 2002, he appeared in the Sony and Urban World release Higher Ed, and Go for Broke in which he starred and produced. He also co-starred in three 20th Century Fox films in 2007. These included The Mutant Chronicles.
In 2006, Pras created Skid Row, Los Angeles, a documentary account of his nine-day experience posing as a homeless person living in downtown Los Angeles. Using a hidden camera, Pras captured the reality of homelessness. The film was produced by Teryn Fogel.[6] Skid Row was released on August 24, 2007.[7]
In 2009, Pras travelled to Somalia to film the documentary Paper Dreams which examines piracy off the African coast. During filming, pirates invaded the ship he was on, the MV Maersk Alabama, and took the captain of the ship hostage. Due to be released in 2014, the documentary remains unfinished due to a legal dispute.[8]
In 2015, Pras completed a documentary, Sweet Micky For President, which chronicles the rise of Haitian musician Michel Martelly, through his election to fight corruption as President of Haiti, an election campaign that was strongly endorsed by Pras. The film had its world premiere at the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival.[9]
Political activism
In 2013, Michel became a "top initial donor"[10] to Organizing for Action, a political advocacy group formed by Obama associates in January 2013.[11][12]
Legal problems
This section needs to be updated. (January 2023) |
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted Michel on May 10, 2019, for his part in an alleged criminal conspiracy with Malaysian financier Jho Low. The DOJ alleged that between June 2012 and November 2012, Michel aided in the illegal transfer of approximately $865,000 from foreign entities into the Barack Obama 2012 presidential campaign. The DOJ alleged that these funds were disguised as purportedly legitimate contributions, but were stolen from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).[1][2] Ultimately, the DOJ alleged that $21 million in foreign campaign contributions were funneled into the 2012 US presidential election to benefit "Candidate A".[2][13][14] The Washington Post and The New York Times identified "Candidate A" as Barack Obama.[15][2]
In June 2021, Michel was charged by a federal grand jury for running a back-channel campaign to get the Trump administration to drop an investigation of Jho Low and the 1MDB investment company.[16][17]
Discography
Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [18] | US R&B [19] | AUS [20] | GER [21] | NOR [22] | NZ [23] | SWE [24] | SWI [25] | UK [26] | |||||
| Ghetto Supastar | 55 | 35 | 54 | 68 | 9 | 34 | 19 | 47 | 44 | ||||
| Win Lose or Draw |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes album that did not chart or was not released. | |||||||||||||
EPs
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Wave Culture |
|
Singles
As lead artist
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [20] | AUT [28] | BEL [29] | FIN [30] | GER [21] | NOR [22] | NZ [23] | SWE [24] | SWI [25] | UK [31] | US | |||
| 1997 | "Avenues" (featuring the Refugee Camp All-Stars) | — | — | 32 | 12 | 51 | 2 | 4 | 7 | — | — | 35 | Ghetto Supastar |
| 1998 | "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" (featuring ODB and Mýa) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 15 | |
| "Blue Angels" (featuring The Product G&B) | 55 | — | 59 | — | 75 | — | 10 | 10 | 50 | 6 | — | ||
| "What'cha Wanna Do" (featuring The Product G&B and Free) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 72 | — | ||
| "Another One Bites the Dust" (Wyclef Jean and Queen featuring Pras and Free) | — | 23 | 13 | 7 | 46 | 20 | 9 | 50 | 35 | 5 | — | ||
| 2005 | "Haven't Found" (featuring Sharli McQueen) | 76 | — | 67 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Win Lose or Draw |
| 2017 | "Pump Fakin" (featuring Young M.A) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | TBA |
| "—" denotes single that did not chart or was not released. | |||||||||||||
As featured artist
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [20] | AUT [28] | BEL [29] | FIN [30] | GER [21] | NOR [22] | NZ [23] | SWE [24] | SWI [25] | UK [31] | ||||
| 2000 | "Never Turn Back" (Toshinobu Kubota featuring Pras) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Nothing But Your Love | |
| 2001 | "Miss California" (Dante Thomas featuring Pras) | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | 1 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 25 | Fly | |
| 2007 | "Turn You On" (Dede featuring Pras) | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | |
| "Pushin'" (Swami featuring Pras and Ishmael) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Equalize | ||
| 2008 | "Le Blues" (Melissa M featuring Pras) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "My Man" (Anggun featuring Pras) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Elevation | ||
| 2010 | "Watch Out" (Jennifer Milan featuring Pras) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | |
| 2012 | "Untried" (Linda Kiraly featuring Pras and Rh3) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes single that did not chart or was not released. | |||||||||||||
Acting and producing career
- Mystery Men (1999) – Tony C (credited as Prakazrel Michel)
- Turn It Up (2000) – Denzel/Diamond (credited as Pras Michel) (co-producer)
- Da Hip Hop Witch (2000) - Himself
- Higher Ed (2001) – Ed Green (credited as Pras Michel) (executive producer)
- Go for Broke (2002) – Jackson/Jackie (credited as Pras Michel) (producer)
- Nora's Hair Salon (2004)
- Careful What You Wish For (2004) – Zen Salesman (credited as Pras Michel)
- Feel the Noise (2007) – Electric
- First Night (2007) – himself (producer)
- Skid Row (2007) – himself (producer)
- The Mutant Chronicles (2007) – Captain Michaels (producer)
- Paper Dreams (2010) – himself (producer)
- Sweet Mickey for President (2015) – himself (producer)
References
- ^ a b "Entertainer/Businessman and Malaysian Financier Indicted for Conspiring to Make and Conceal Foreign and Conduit Contributions During 2012 U.S. Presidential Election". United States Department of Justice. May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Stack, Liam (May 10, 2019). "Fugees Rapper Pras Michel and Financier Charged in Illegal Scheme to Raise Money for Obama". The New York Times.
- ^ Rahul (May 17, 2012). "Pras Talks 2Pac, Suge Knight, Wyclef, Lauryn Hill & Beef on the Champs Podcast". Dajaz1.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2012.
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 362. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Denise Lopez". Dede.se.
- ^ "Skid Row". IMDb.com. Internet Movie Database. August 24, 2007. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
- ^ "Skid Row". RottenTomatoes.com. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
- ^ "TMZ Pras Michel Lawsuit". Retrieved June 13, 2013.
- ^ "Documentary: 'Sweet Micky for President'". Yahoo News. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
- ^ Julie Bykowicz (April 12, 2013). "Obama Group Donors Include Hip-Hop Artist 'Pras,' Sinatra". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
a Beverly Hills hip-hop artist and hedge fund manager Orin Kramer are among the top initial donors to a nonprofit issue-advocacy group founded by President Barack Obama's former campaign aides
- ^ Bykowicz, Julie. . Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
Prakazrel Michel, better known as "Pras," a founding member of the hip-hop group Fugees, gave $20,000.
- ^ "The Other Fugee Is an OFA Donor". The Washington Free Beacon. April 12, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
Rapper Prakazrel Michel, better known as Pras, became a founding member of Organizing for Action after donating $20,000 to President Barack Obama's dark money group.
- ^ Chandler, D. L. (May 13, 2019). "Ex-Fugees Star Pras Michel Caught in the Middle Of $21M Campaign Finance Fraud Case". Hip Hop Wired. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
Former Fugees rapper Prakazrel 'Pras' Michel finds himself in the middle of a $21 million campaign finance fraud case with international implications. According to the DOJ, Michel conspired with a Malaysian businessman regarding campaign contributions to former U.S. President Barack Obama
- ^ Carrega, Christina (May 11, 2019). "Feds accuse Fugees rapper, fugitive businessman of allegedly funneling funds for 2012 presidential campaign". Yahoo News. ABC News. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
According to the new indictment, the men moved $21.6 million from foreign accounts into U.S. companies to help them disguise the source of political contributions, which cannot legally come from foreign donors. Michel is alleged to have recruited 20 straw donors
- ^ Spencer S. Hsu (May 16, 2019). "Ex-Fugees member Pras Michel rules out plea deal in U.S. probe of foreign campaign funds in 2012 election". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
In Michel's indictment unsealed last week, the presidential fundraising committees that allegedly received funds were identified as "Political Committee A" and "Political Committee B," and the candidate they were meant to benefit is listed as "Candidate A." But the indictment suggests "Candidate A" was then-President Barack Obama
- ^ Mangan, Dan (June 11, 2021). "Fugees rapper Pras, Jho Low charged in scheme to get Trump administration to drop 1MDB probe". CNBC. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
- ^ Yaffe-Bellany, David (June 11, 2021). "Jho Low Mounted Secret Lobbying Campaign Over 1MDB Probe, U.S. Says". Bloomberg News. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
- ^ "Pras Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard.
- ^ "Pras Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard.
- ^ a b c Peaks in Australia:
- "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" and "Miss California": "Discography Pras Michel". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien.
- Ghetto Supastar, "Blue Angels" and "Haven't Found": Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 187.
- ^ a b c "Discographie Pras Michel". German Charts Portal. Hung Medien.[dead link]
- ^ a b c "Discography Pras Michel". Norwegian Charts Portal. Hung Medien.
- ^ a b c "Discography Pras Michel". New Zealand Charts Portal. Hung Medien.
- ^ a b c "Discography Pras Michel". Swedish Charts Portal. Hung Medien.
- ^ a b c "Discographie Pras Michel". Swiss Charts Portal. Hung Medien.
- ^ "Pras Michel > UK charts". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Pras Goes Beyond Flash and Cash for "Ghetto Supastar"".
- ^ a b "Discographie Pras Michel". Austrian Charts Portal. Hung Medien.
- ^ a b "Discografie Pras Michel". Belgium (Flanders) Charts Portal. Hung Medien.
- ^ a b "Discography Pras Michel". Finnish Charts Portal. Hung Medien.
- ^ a b "Pras Michel > UK Charts". Official Charts Company.
External links
- Pras at IMDb