Eric Thomas, the Hip Hop Preacher, explains his Secrets To Success. If you're into motivational and inspirational videos, you owe it to yourself to check out Eric Thomas. Thomas, known as The HipHop Preacher on Youtube, grew up in the tough streets of Detroit, Michigan. Abandoned by his original father and adopted by his step father at 5, Thomas was unaware that his step-dad was not his natural father. Hearing the grumblings of his aunts, Thomas one day called his mother at work to ask her the truth (Andrewshin, 2012).