The Preacher's Son is the fourth studio album by Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released on November 4, 2003. The album, which was co-produced by Jean and long-time collaborator Jerry 'Wonda' Duplessis, combines elements of hip hop, reggae and reggae fusion. It uses a number of samples, including the Motown-inspired "Industry", which samples "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted". The album contains guest appearances by Missy Elliott, Patti LaBelle, Rah Digga and Redman, as well as a guitar feature by Carlos Santana on the song "Three Nights in Rio".
Three singles were released from the album. The lead single, "Party to Damascus", was the only single served to international radio and reached the top 30 of the UK Singles Chart. "Industry" served as a European-only single, with some territories, including Germany, releasing it as a double A-side with "Party to Damascus". "Take Me as I Am" was released as a US radio single in March 2004, with a new "Urban Remix" being serviced to certain radio stations.
AllMusic editor Rob Theakston felt that the album "finds Wyclef re-energized right from the opening moments [...] Preacher's Son doesn't let up there either thanks to an armada of guest cameos from Patti LaBelle, Redman, Carlos Santana, Scarface, and Monica, just to name a few. And unlike most rap albums, which rely on these guest appearances to carry the weight of the record's impact, these contributions only complement the stellar songwriting, arrangements, and production style that has made Wyclef one of the most in-demand producers of the 2000s and '90s. As with most records, there's a bit of filler that could be trimmed to make a great record into a phenomenal one, but it's easy to forgive when the quality is so high. The Preacher's Son is a welcome return to form and easily one of the biggest highlights of Wyclef's career." Dan Leroy from Yahoo! LAUNCH found that The Preacher's Son "reveals a somewhat simpler and humbler 'Clef, one who's as often satisfied to be a love chiropractor instead of the world-changing reincarnation of Bob Marley, and who even dreams about a Fugees reunion. And that helps make his usual crooning forays into reggae and soul â sweeter and more frequent here than normally â Jean's most satisfying post-Fugees music yet."
Dorian Lynskey from The Guardian found that "though The Preacher's Son opens with a flourish [...] it fizzles out with embarrassing speed. Vainly stuffing in high-powered guests like battery hens, Wyclef wobbles between humdrum Marleyisms and novelty codswallop like "Party By the Sea," which suggests Black Lace trapped in a 1980s Lilt advert." Matt Galloway, writing for Now, felt that the album "might be the first example of adult contemporary, easy listening hiphop. So watered down is his music, with novelty salsa and dancehall bits tossed into the mix for laughs, that Clef remains one of the few musicians who could make Redman and Elephant Man guest raps boring." The A.V. Clubs Nathan Rabin noted that The Preacher's Son "is a hip-hop album for people who don't much like rap. With its corny story-songs, sugary ballads, superficial social consciousness, prominent guitar parts, and guest appearances [...], it's an album more likely to appeal to the C. Delores Tuckers of the world than to kids weaned on 2Pac, Eminem, and 50 Cent. Jean's ambition and eclecticism are admirable as ever, but the further he strays from his hip-hop roots, the less vital he seems."
The Preacher's Son debuted and peaked at number 22 on the US Billboard 200 and number five on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.