Since hip-hop started in the early 80’s rap has become a very powerful and influential form of artistic expression. LL Cool J., Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and so many more legendary rap artists have paved the way for the current rap icons much of our youth look up to today. Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, and Nas (just to name a few) have served as a bridge, a very strong and supportive bridge I might add, to make way for the very influential moguls like 50 Cent, Drake, Flo-Rida and the like.
So what happens when this secular genre of music where the message usually is geared towards sexually explicit ideas, talks about wettin’ somebody up, and boastful verses about how many glocks and nines somebody is slingin’ is transitioned to a message about Jesus? The controversial question is: can we in good conscience feed a positive message to our kids through this form of expression?
Christian rappers such as T-Wyse, Da Truth, and Prayz 1 certainly believe so. Songs like “Victory” by Prayz 1is a self explanatory message giving the people of God encouragement to believe that they have the “Victory” over any circumstance. So what do kids really listen to when they bob their heads to a rap song, any rap song? Is it the beat that makes them want to listen, or is it really the message? If it is the beat, then is the message really getting across? If not, what’s the point right? Or can we look at it like it is a subliminal message and determine, “Oh they’ll get it one way or another?”
Hmm, some say, “God don’t need no help!” Meaning, you shouldn’t mix secular sounds with Christian sounds to make it about God just to “reach our youth”. Others say, “Whatever it takes”. Would that be considered straddling the fence? Who will you serve, God or man? But what happens when the power of the Holy Spirit comes into the room after (or during) a performance by a Christian rapper? Just a thought to make you think, Peace
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