"If I can't take five years out to serve my country as President, then everything I've been singing about, like equal rights, doesn't mean anything," - Wyclef Jean
He took center stage leading the Haiti earthquake relief, and now Wyclef Jean has confirmed he's running for president of his native country.
The rapper told Time.com that he plans to announce his candidacy Thursday, just days shy of Saturday's deadline.
"If not for the earthquake, I probably would have waited another 10 years before doing this," the Haitian-born superstar said Tuesday night. "The quake drove home to me that Haiti can't wait another 10 years for us to bring it into the 21st century."
Jean, 37, collected donations for earthquake relief through his charity, Yele Haiti.
"If I can't take five years out to serve my country as president, then everything I've been singing about, like equal rights, doesn't mean anything," said the rapper, who was raised in Brooklyn.
Jean is expected to announce his decision on CNN's "Larry King Live" Thursday. The election is Nov. 28.
