Wyclef Jean

With a bevy of beats and a splash of reggae, Preacher's Son is a collection of socially conscious songs ("Baby Daddy," "Class Reunion") that find positive things to celebrate with rhythmic abandon ("Me and My Guitar," "Party By the Sea"). This combination of message and music makes for essential listening.

Since the Fugees days, Wyclef Jean has been mashing outside styles -- Caribbean music,
rock, pop, soul -- into his hip-hop framework to varying degrees of success. His new album
is mostly tepid adult-contemporary black pop. He's still got an ear for a top melody, as on
the moving Monica duet "Class Reunion." But most of The Preacher's Son consists of
experiments that don't quite pan out: a dull Santana duet ("Three Nights in Rio");... More >