This is the question Wyclef Jean asks himself every day to be more successful
Musician, producer and composer Wyclef Jean is widely-known as a music mogul. But now, Jean can add another title to his ever-growing resume: mentor.
Jean, who was a member of the immensely popular musical group the Fugees in the '90s, is offering his mentoring services on the popular freelancer platform Fiverr Pro.
So what does the star look for when determining whether someone has the potential for success?
Someone who "fully understand[s] the playing field that you're entering" and is willing to learn every aspect of the business, Jean tells CNBC Make It.
Jean recalls that when he was in high school, he told his teacher he wanted to be a battle rapper. Jean — who now knows how to play over 15 instruments — remembers that teacher telling him to expand his mindset and to learn more than just how to rap.
"She was like, 'Well, you want to be a battle rapper but you play all these instruments. So, let me show you the 360 of what this can be. If you don't learn how to read sheet music and somebody else writes your score, it's going to cost you $40,000,'" Jean recalls her saying. (Songwriters make royalties off the songs they write, which can add up if it's a hit.)
"I'm like, 'okay, where do I start to learn 'Every Good Boy Does Fine?" he says, referencing the common mnemonic used to remember treble clef musical notes.
Since then, the advice has paid off nicely. Over the course of his career, he's nabbed three Grammy awards and 10 nominations, and he has worked with music legends from Michael Jackson to Queen and Mick Jagger. His song with Shakira, "Hips Don't Lie," went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while other hits like "Gone Till November" and "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" also cracked top spots on the chart.
Yes, there have been bumps in the road (the most notable being the controversy surrounding his now-defunct charity), but unlike many artists Jean has been able to maintain momentum throughout his career; not an easy feat.
And while Jean is an inspiration to many aspiring musicians now, he's also had role models of his own. In particular, composer, artist, producer (and many more claims to fame) Quincy Jones stands out.
"Every day when I wake up, I be like, 'Yo man, who do I want to be like? I want to be like Quincy Jones,'" Jean says. "I want to score movies. I want to produce artists. What's the next biggest movie? I want to do the entire score for it."
"So for me, I always tell everyone it's always good to have a blueprint, like someone that you can always say, 'You know what? I'm gonna at least follow the footsteps of this person,'" he adds. "And as for me, the person I idolize is Quincy Jones."
To enter the Fiverr contest with Jean, from now until Aug. 9 aspiring musicians can submit a piece of work they'd like Jean to review. The Grammy winner will then select 10 musicians, who will get the chance to have their work listened and critiqued by him via a live video chat.
Don't miss: How this 25-year-old freelancer made $150,000 in 6 months off Fiverr
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