I am the least likely candidate to purchase a hip hop album. I'm a pasty Bible Major kid from the suburbs who loves guitars. In all honesty, the 2 most popular genres of music from my semi-agricultural hometown are country and mariachi. You'd have a triple take if you heard bass n' beats sneaking out the cracked window of my Corolla with 3 plastic hubcaps. But recently, I must confess I've purchased a few Christian Hip Hop albums, and to my surprise, I really enjoy them. Not just because of the beats or the auto-tune, but for real, substantial reasons.
1. Hip Hop is declarative. Hip hop generally comes across as confident, brash, maybe even arrogant. The genre encourages bold declaration. While most hip hop seemingly declares accomplishments of money-making, women-winning, and other self-centered items, Christian hip-hoppers use that same confidence to declare truths about God and commitment to his purpose. For example, to hear Trip Lee boldly declare "to die is gain!" uses the confidence of the genre to declare a great truth of the Christian faith. And, you know what, it really works.
2. Hip Hop allows for deep, specific lyrical expression. You've all heard Christian "rock" songs that seemingly repeat themselves, tying one Christian cliche after another. It may sound good or feel good, but there isn't much depth there, right? Contrarily, Christian hip hop is a great vehicle for many words to be spoken, which allows for great specificity and great depth when explaining biblical truths or spiritual applications. I mean, what recent Christian rock song unpacks the value of church commitment the way that Stephen the Levite does in his "Church Membership" track? Or how about a track on the importance of Biblical Theology, like the one Shai Linne provides? Hip hop allows for deep, specific expression of truth that goes perfectly with Christian truths and living in a way that other genres don't.
3. Everyone loves a good beat. There's a reason the pastiest of my pasty friends will download top 40 tracks and be caught tapping a foot or 3 to those said tracks. Everyone loves a good beat. And you know what, I've found that Christian hip-hoppers have come a long way in their production quality. How much sweeter that beat is when Lecrae, Trip Lee, Sho Baraka and company are declaring gospel truths! Much better than an ode to one's own sexiness, in my opinion :)
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