Breaking through the masquerade

Wyclef Jean is in a reflective mood. The normally jovial, effervescent rapper seems subdued as he relaxes in his London hotel, settling down to face a day of media interrogation.

It might be to do with the late night he had, working with Tom Jones on the Welsh legend's latest album. Or it might be to do with having to spend the day discussing the subject matter of his new album Masquerade, the lyrics of which are a retrospective of his life, brought about by the sudden death of his father last year.