First it was Bananarama and now Wyclef Jean. That’s right, another song about Venus is being written, but this time it's a tribute to the seven-time Grand Slam winner, Venus Williams, who in keeping with her namesake played heavenly tennis on Wednesday night in her opening round at the US Open.
Fresh off of winning a gold medal at the Beijing Games with sister, Serena, Venus comes into the US Open healthy and confident after a successful summer, which also saw her claim her fifth Wimbledon title.
And it is only getting better from here as Jean, the famed Haitian American singer/songwriter, has recorded a track entitled “Venus (I’m Ready)” in honor of Williams, just in time to coincide with the season’s last and perhaps most hyped major.
The two met during the filming of the television reality series “Iconoclasts,” a six-part reality series on the Sundance Channel which pairs “creative visionaries” from various industries “whose passion for what they do has transformed our culture.”
Apparently, the Grammy winner and activist was so taken by the former World No. 1 during their collaboration that it moved him to express his feelings in a song.
“Venus’ determination and mental strength inspires me,” Jean said, according to BET.com. “Much like Isis, her strength should be celebrated.”
“I have been a fan of Wyclef’s for many years, from his work with the Fugees to his success as a solo artist,” Venus reciprocated. “He’s a fantastic writer, singer, producer and performer whose music crosses genres and touches people’s lives.
“I am specially impressed by Wyclef’s dedication to humanitarian causes and his strong sense of character. I was so happy to meet Wyclef and work with him on our ‘Iconoclasts’ episode but not even in my wildest imagination, did I expect that such a beautiful song would be one of the outcomes from meeting Wyclef.
“He is an amazing human being and it is truly an honor for me to be recognized in such a wonderful way by such a gifted musician and exceptional person.”
Jean has previously worked with such artists as Akon, Mary J. Blige, Earth, Wind & Fire, Kenny Rogers, and Shakira.
The fourth season of “Iconoclasts” features the tandem pairings of fashion designer Stella McCartney and artist Edward Ruscha; actor Jon Favreau and professional skateboarder Tony Hawk; famed recorder producer Clive Davis and talk show host/political satirist Bill Maher; Archbishop Desmond Tutu and “Virgin” founder Sir Richard Branson; and actress Cameron Diaz and architect Cameron Sinclair.
The program is produced by Sundance Channel and Grey Goose Entertainment in association with Robert Redford, who appeared on the show’s first season and now serves as executive producer.
The series’ fourth season premieres Thursday, October 16 at 10 PM EST on the Sundance Channel.
In addition to “Iconoclasts,” rumors are circulating that Venus (and Serena) may appear on “Oprah,” on September 11, in a special episode which will feature all gold medal-winning American athletes from the Beijing Olympics.