Monday, January 07, 2008
A Look Back: 2007, pt. 2
Peace and blessings,
Here is the second half of the '07 posting. Stay blessed, encouraged, and speekonit...
1)What Does it Take, Pt. 1 (Don Imus, Hip-hop, and moral responsibility)
2)What Does it Take, Pt. 2 (Hip-hop artists' moral responsibility)
3)Loving to Agitate (The Gadfly and the call of Christians to be agitators)
4)Worlds Apart (The separating power of classism)
5)On The Immigrant Debate, Pt. 2
6)
An Interesting Way to Look at Intercession
7)A Few Thoughtz: The Tipping Point, Pt. 2
8)A Christian, a Muslim, and an Atheist
9)Technology and Society
10)Health Nutz, Pt. 1 (How Christian living is healthy living)
11)Of Water and Diamonds (Juxtaposing the intrinsic value of water with the extrinsic value of diamonds)
12)Health Nutz, Pt. 2: Joy in the Midst of Pain
13)Truth of Inconvenience (Why I think odd encounters are sometimes God's way of speaking to us)
14)The Complexities and Challenges of the Jena 6 Case
Here is the second half of the '07 posting. Stay blessed, encouraged, and speekonit...
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2)
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4)
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6)
7)
8)
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10)
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14)
Labels: 2007, artist, Atheist, Christian, gadfly, health, hip-hop, immigration, Intercession, Jena 6, Lecrae, moral, Muslim, society, technology, Tipping Point
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Contemporary/Country/Rock Christian Music Section Added!!!
Peace and blessings,
As promised, I've just added a section on Contemporary, Country, and Rock Christian music. It's located right under the Christian hip-hop section. I've only included reviews and samples to albums that I have purchased and have heard. However, a few of the artists previewed below (e.g. Jars of Clay, Casting Crowns) have newer albums out. Below are samples to some of the albums I've heard and can attest to. I recommend that you cop these albums because the music and messages are good, especially Casting Crowns, Mercy Me, and Switchfoot. Check them out and let me know your thoughts? Any songs you're feeling? Not feeling? Why or why not? Enjoy, stay blessed and encouraged, and speekonit...
1)Redemption Songs by Jars of Clay
2)Coming Up to Breathe by Mercy Me
3)If I Had One Chance to Tell You Something by Rebecca St. James
4)Lifesong by Casting Crowns
5)Look to You by Hillsong
6)Nothing is Sound by Switchfoot
As promised, I've just added a section on Contemporary, Country, and Rock Christian music. It's located right under the Christian hip-hop section. I've only included reviews and samples to albums that I have purchased and have heard. However, a few of the artists previewed below (e.g. Jars of Clay, Casting Crowns) have newer albums out. Below are samples to some of the albums I've heard and can attest to. I recommend that you cop these albums because the music and messages are good, especially Casting Crowns, Mercy Me, and Switchfoot. Check them out and let me know your thoughts? Any songs you're feeling? Not feeling? Why or why not? Enjoy, stay blessed and encouraged, and speekonit...
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5)
6)
Labels: artist, Casting Crowns, Christian, contemporary Christian music, Country, Hillsong, Jars of Clay, Mercy Me, Rebecca St. James, Rock, Switchfoot
Thursday, May 03, 2007
What Does It Take? (Pt. 2)
Peace and blessings,
It appears that as a result of theChristian Defense Coalition putting pressure on civil rights leaders, and the controversy that has surrounded hip-hop lyrics in the midst of the Imus incident, folks are taking action. On the music side, Russell Simmons is now urging companies to censor some of the artists' lyrics, a bold move given the issue of free speech and expression that characterizes all forms of music and all artistic expression. On the business side, Rev. Al Sharpton plans on purchasing stock in Time Warner and Universal Music Group, so that he can attend the board meetings and advocate for the censorship of offensive and degrading lyrics.
Although these moves are a long time coming, I am glad that serious, concrete steps are being taken in the right direction. While we may applaud these steps, however, we must be careful as to not become complacent such that we think that by these and similar moves, the problem will be "solved." When I look at this issue in its entirety, I see a three-pronged problem that requires and three-pronged solution. Two of the three aspects appear to be addressed in the above examples. Russell and Sharpton's moves address both the artist (via personal responsibility) and corporate (business) aspects of the problem and solution. What area these moves do not appear to address (at least explicitly), is the issue of women (and young girls') choices to be participate in these videos, recite the very lyrics that degrade them, and purchase the music. A while ago I was told that the majority of consumers of mainstream hip hop are white people and women. When I thought about it, that made sense. I know from personal experience as a hip-hop fan that if I wanted an album, I could find it somewhere (bootleggers, internet) for free and probably before the official release date. For real hip-hop heads, there really was not a need to purchase an album unless you really wanted to support them, because you could find it for free (this was until they started cracking down on bootleggers and illegal file sharing). Before moving on, let me clarify that I am not supporting bootlegging or illegal file sharing, but I am simply talking about what I used to do in the past when I really wanted an album.
Ok, back to the topic at hand. The point I am trying to make is that unless we (males, females, old, young, as a community) address the factors that influence womens' choices to participate in these videos and allow themselves to be degraded in these videos, then our efforts to limit arists' offensive lyrics will only be partially implemented and successful. I'm not saying that women shouldn't be in any videos, because there are videos that present women in a respectable, "degrading-free" light. What I am saying, however, is that we cannot only address the corporate heads and artists without addressing, supporting, respecting, and caring our women as well. Moreover, it is difficulty for women who oppose these offensive and degrading lyrics to state a legitimate claim when their fellow sistas are willfully participating in the very videos the women are trying to denounce. A problem affecting the whole community requires a community-wide solution. Plain and simple.
"Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall." (Luke 11:17, NKJ AMP)
Now is the time for all of us to address this issue at many different levels. Not to point fingers, but to form a fist and knock out this problem once and for all. Check out thiswebsite clearinghouse for grassroots efforts to combat misogyny in music for more information and to get involved.
It appears that as a result of the
Although these moves are a long time coming, I am glad that serious, concrete steps are being taken in the right direction. While we may applaud these steps, however, we must be careful as to not become complacent such that we think that by these and similar moves, the problem will be "solved." When I look at this issue in its entirety, I see a three-pronged problem that requires and three-pronged solution. Two of the three aspects appear to be addressed in the above examples. Russell and Sharpton's moves address both the artist (via personal responsibility) and corporate (business) aspects of the problem and solution. What area these moves do not appear to address (at least explicitly), is the issue of women (and young girls') choices to be participate in these videos, recite the very lyrics that degrade them, and purchase the music. A while ago I was told that the majority of consumers of mainstream hip hop are white people and women. When I thought about it, that made sense. I know from personal experience as a hip-hop fan that if I wanted an album, I could find it somewhere (bootleggers, internet) for free and probably before the official release date. For real hip-hop heads, there really was not a need to purchase an album unless you really wanted to support them, because you could find it for free (this was until they started cracking down on bootleggers and illegal file sharing). Before moving on, let me clarify that I am not supporting bootlegging or illegal file sharing, but I am simply talking about what I used to do in the past when I really wanted an album.
Ok, back to the topic at hand. The point I am trying to make is that unless we (males, females, old, young, as a community) address the factors that influence womens' choices to participate in these videos and allow themselves to be degraded in these videos, then our efforts to limit arists' offensive lyrics will only be partially implemented and successful. I'm not saying that women shouldn't be in any videos, because there are videos that present women in a respectable, "degrading-free" light. What I am saying, however, is that we cannot only address the corporate heads and artists without addressing, supporting, respecting, and caring our women as well. Moreover, it is difficulty for women who oppose these offensive and degrading lyrics to state a legitimate claim when their fellow sistas are willfully participating in the very videos the women are trying to denounce. A problem affecting the whole community requires a community-wide solution. Plain and simple.
"Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall." (Luke 11:17, NKJ AMP)
Now is the time for all of us to address this issue at many different levels. Not to point fingers, but to form a fist and knock out this problem once and for all. Check out this
Labels: artist, choices, controversy, degrading lyrics, Don Imus, hip-hop, Luke, mainstream, media, videos, women
Thursday, April 26, 2007
What Does It Take? (Pt. 1)
Peace and blessings,
By now, I'm sure most of us have heard about the comments Imus made a few weeks ago. The fact that civil rights leaders came at Imus for his remarks and that he got fired was not surprising. What was surprising, in my opinion, was the fall-back that mainstream hip hop has experienced as a result. Note: I use the term "mainstream" to refer only to the more popular and accessible forms of hip-hop as portrayed on radio stations and music videos. Although I did not expect mainstream hip-hop to be criticized, I believe that this criticism is warranted. In the words of Sam Cooke, "it's been a long time coming." Inan interview with representatives form the hip-hop sites AllHipHop.com and SOHH.com,
the SOHH representative mentioned that the issue is about personal accountability on behalf of the record companies, artists, and everyone else. She also said, in response to the AllHipHop representative's claim that rappers put out offensive language because that's what consumers want (e.g. the supply and demand argument), that it is not that people want this music as much as they have grown accustomed to it.
If Imus would have made those comments a few years ago and mainstream hip-hop would have been under fire, I would have been in the camp of those like Russell Simmons and others who argue that people should point the finger at social inequities and not artists for the degrading lyrics within mainstream hip-hop. Although this position is a legitimate one, and in fact a true "solution" to the problem with artists' degrading lyrics does require that we correct social inequalities and opportunity structures, I no longer consider myself as solely a member of that camp. The more and more I listen to hip-hop and try to analyze their lyrics (both positive and negative), the more I realize that it is not just a social issue, but a moral issue. If society is entirely responsible for hip-hop artists' degrading lyrics, then the social and economic conditions through which these artists are (or were) apart of would shape ALL of their lyrics. However, this is is rarely the case. Most artists tend to show some awareness of the moral responsibility they have to uplift others, but this awareness is thwarted in two ways. One way is through the pursuit of money, such that an artists' album will have 90-95% of their album be about violence, materialism, and misogyny, and the other 5-10% be about something positve. While this may be influenced by social inequalities (e.g. using hip-hop as a way to get out of a severely impoversished condition), I don't think that it is the only factor. Another way that this awareness is thwarted is through distortion. Again, social inequalitities can play a signifcant role as growing up in severely harsh conditions can alter one's views on what is right and wrong. For instance, a person who did not grow up with their parents may feel that it is better to not trust anyone and only look out for oneself. Further, they may, through their music, encourage youth to do the same, and believe that by telling them to not trust others and thus to avoid serious, meaningful relationships, that they are "looking out" for the youth in a good way. Even in this case, I think that social inequalities are still only a part (although a significant part) of the problem.
In light of the recent discussions on the role of (mainstream) hip-hop in the denigration of women, and after watching
part 1,
part 2, and
part 3 of the Oprah show on this issue, I've gained a better understanding as to why I now belong in both the moral camp as well as the social camp. In my opinion, Russell Simmons, Kevin Liles, and even Common were quick to talk about the larger societal (social) issue, but danced around the issue of personal (moral) responsibility on behalf of the artists. No one will argue against the fact (at least I hope not) that the structural inequalitites that exists within our country and throughout the world play a significant role in the myriad of problems we face and will continue to face unless these inequalitites are addressed. However, I feel that while this is important, the greater issue WITH RESPECTS TO THE LYRICS THEMSELVES is what can artists do, and what are they willing to do, to put an end to these degrading lyrics. Talking about one's personal experience, and even the experiences of those in one's community is one thing. Portraying these experiences as absolute truths (e.g. "this is just how it is") to the point where the youth who are listening to this music are encouraged to seek out and glorify this experience is a different thing entirely. The solution to this problem does not lie in either the social or the moral realm, but in both. Society needs to change, but society can only change when the individuals within that society change. Society is made up of people, and because people change, then society can change as well. We determine what society should be, society does not determine who we are.
A prime example of this point can be found in the history of people from African descent. If our actions and behavior are solely a result of our social conditions, then we would still be in slavery. In fact, we would have been complicit with the slavery system, such that we would seek out such a system if we had a choice, seeing that was all we knew. However, history clearly shows us that as a people, WE WERE NEVER defined solely by our social conditions. From the Nat Turners to the Mariah Stewarts, to the Nelson Mandela's to the Martin Luther King's, we have always acted (directly or indirectly) on our moral convictions despite society telling us to do otherwise. One of the main reasons I think that those mentioned (as well as countless others) always worked to change the social conditions that sought to confine them is because they recognized that, despite their own experiences, they had a moral obligation to make things better for those who looked up to and/or came after them. It became less about themselves and more about the welfare of others who would later inhabit this world. In King's famous "I have a dream" speech and also throughout his ministry (activism), much attention is often given to his goals for unity among the citizens of that time. Less attention is given, however, to his emphasis on the welfare and life chances of the children who would come after him. These are just a few exerpts of his 1963 speech to illustrate this point:
"Now is thetime to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid
rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of
God's children."
"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of
former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down
together at the table of brotherhood."
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation
where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content
of their character."
In closing, I think that despite the complexity of the problem with and solution regarding the degrading lyrics in mainstream hip-hop, a step in the right direction requires a fundamnetal understanding: Just as those who have come before us have never been defined by their social conditions and have worked to improve the life chances of those who look up to and/or would come after them, we must also realize that societies change because people change, and that we have a personal (moral) responsibilty to work to change things for the better. Not just for us, but for those who may look up to and/or are coming up after us. Not only are hip-hop artists targeted in this understanding, but due to their influence on the youth and their visibility, they are in the optimal position to take a stand and eliminate degrading lyrics. We can point the finger at society all we want, but until we as individuals take resonsibility for what we say to people and how we treat them, we will constanly revisit this issue to little or no avail.
What do you think? To what extent are the artists responsible for what they say? Do you think that individuals must change before society changes, or vice versa? Weigh in and speekonit...
By now, I'm sure most of us have heard about the comments Imus made a few weeks ago. The fact that civil rights leaders came at Imus for his remarks and that he got fired was not surprising. What was surprising, in my opinion, was the fall-back that mainstream hip hop has experienced as a result. Note: I use the term "mainstream" to refer only to the more popular and accessible forms of hip-hop as portrayed on radio stations and music videos. Although I did not expect mainstream hip-hop to be criticized, I believe that this criticism is warranted. In the words of Sam Cooke, "it's been a long time coming." In
the SOHH representative mentioned that the issue is about personal accountability on behalf of the record companies, artists, and everyone else. She also said, in response to the AllHipHop representative's claim that rappers put out offensive language because that's what consumers want (e.g. the supply and demand argument), that it is not that people want this music as much as they have grown accustomed to it.
If Imus would have made those comments a few years ago and mainstream hip-hop would have been under fire, I would have been in the camp of those like Russell Simmons and others who argue that people should point the finger at social inequities and not artists for the degrading lyrics within mainstream hip-hop. Although this position is a legitimate one, and in fact a true "solution" to the problem with artists' degrading lyrics does require that we correct social inequalities and opportunity structures, I no longer consider myself as solely a member of that camp. The more and more I listen to hip-hop and try to analyze their lyrics (both positive and negative), the more I realize that it is not just a social issue, but a moral issue. If society is entirely responsible for hip-hop artists' degrading lyrics, then the social and economic conditions through which these artists are (or were) apart of would shape ALL of their lyrics. However, this is is rarely the case. Most artists tend to show some awareness of the moral responsibility they have to uplift others, but this awareness is thwarted in two ways. One way is through the pursuit of money, such that an artists' album will have 90-95% of their album be about violence, materialism, and misogyny, and the other 5-10% be about something positve. While this may be influenced by social inequalities (e.g. using hip-hop as a way to get out of a severely impoversished condition), I don't think that it is the only factor. Another way that this awareness is thwarted is through distortion. Again, social inequalitities can play a signifcant role as growing up in severely harsh conditions can alter one's views on what is right and wrong. For instance, a person who did not grow up with their parents may feel that it is better to not trust anyone and only look out for oneself. Further, they may, through their music, encourage youth to do the same, and believe that by telling them to not trust others and thus to avoid serious, meaningful relationships, that they are "looking out" for the youth in a good way. Even in this case, I think that social inequalities are still only a part (although a significant part) of the problem.
In light of the recent discussions on the role of (mainstream) hip-hop in the denigration of women, and after watching
A prime example of this point can be found in the history of people from African descent. If our actions and behavior are solely a result of our social conditions, then we would still be in slavery. In fact, we would have been complicit with the slavery system, such that we would seek out such a system if we had a choice, seeing that was all we knew. However, history clearly shows us that as a people, WE WERE NEVER defined solely by our social conditions. From the Nat Turners to the Mariah Stewarts, to the Nelson Mandela's to the Martin Luther King's, we have always acted (directly or indirectly) on our moral convictions despite society telling us to do otherwise. One of the main reasons I think that those mentioned (as well as countless others) always worked to change the social conditions that sought to confine them is because they recognized that, despite their own experiences, they had a moral obligation to make things better for those who looked up to and/or came after them. It became less about themselves and more about the welfare of others who would later inhabit this world. In King's famous "I have a dream" speech and also throughout his ministry (activism), much attention is often given to his goals for unity among the citizens of that time. Less attention is given, however, to his emphasis on the welfare and life chances of the children who would come after him. These are just a few exerpts of his 1963 speech to illustrate this point:
"Now is thetime to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid
rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of
God's children."
"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of
former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down
together at the table of brotherhood."
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation
where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content
of their character."
In closing, I think that despite the complexity of the problem with and solution regarding the degrading lyrics in mainstream hip-hop, a step in the right direction requires a fundamnetal understanding: Just as those who have come before us have never been defined by their social conditions and have worked to improve the life chances of those who look up to and/or would come after them, we must also realize that societies change because people change, and that we have a personal (moral) responsibilty to work to change things for the better. Not just for us, but for those who may look up to and/or are coming up after us. Not only are hip-hop artists targeted in this understanding, but due to their influence on the youth and their visibility, they are in the optimal position to take a stand and eliminate degrading lyrics. We can point the finger at society all we want, but until we as individuals take resonsibility for what we say to people and how we treat them, we will constanly revisit this issue to little or no avail.
What do you think? To what extent are the artists responsible for what they say? Do you think that individuals must change before society changes, or vice versa? Weigh in and speekonit...
Labels: artist, children, controversy, degrading lyrics, Don Imus, hip-hop, inequality, Mariah Stewart, MLK, Nat Turner, Nelson Mandela, social, society, videos, youth
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Holy Hip-Hop Awards '07: A Little Taste of Heaven Pt. 2
Peace and blessings,
In the first part of my recap of the awards show I only discussed the happenings in the lobby prior to me actually entering the awards show. Here is my recap of the rest of the evening.
Awards Show: Unlike other music awards shows, the artists did not receive awards based on how many records they sell, or their popularity. In fact, there was a t-shirt being advertised by one of the vendors that read "It's not about the money," and on the back it read "Ministry or Industry?" Instead, artists were honored for the type of ministry their music aims at, their ministry work in their local churches and communities, and so forth. In between the various awards, artists from around the country and the world took the stage for God-filled performances. Japhia Life, who also received an award, performed the hit "We Cry Blood" off of his album "Fountain of Life." During his reception of the award, he spit what I think is one of his illest verses acapella. For album info, peep the holy hip-hop resources. Other notable hip-hop performances include Sean Slaughter and Mona J., The Army of God, and Mr. Del and the crew (not sure if the crew members had a name). One of the tightest performances of the night came from "Real Talk," a hip-hop dance group from Norway.
The Lobby Reloaded: After I left the awards show, I went back into the lobby (the venue was set-up to where people could go in and out of the awards show). This is where the event got crackin' on a whole new level. There was a DJ and turn tables in the middle of the lobby, and they allowed for those in the lobby to engage in some hip-hop of their own. First they had an artist showcase, where up and coming artists had the opportunity to perform a song or two and pass out demo cds to those in the lobby. Most notably was the group who performed a song about women strip, encouraging them to get out of that lifestyle, and to start seeing themselves they way God sees them. After the artist showcase, the DJ opened it up for anyone who wanted to spit a verse or freestyle in the cypha. It was beautiful to see a variety of folks ranging from upcoming artists to female hip-hop pioneers (I forgot the woman's name, but they said she used to battle Roxanne Shante back in the day) to little kids dropping a line and repping for Christ.
Overall, the holy hip-hop awards gave me a glimpse of what can happen when God is lifted up through artistic expression. Another thing that I noticed at the event that I have not seen at other hip-hop events I've attended is the different age groups that were present. There were whole families who attended the awards show (parents and children). I've already decided that I will be in attendance next year (I think it's always held in Atlanta), and hopefully I can attend some of the holy hip-hop events earlier during the week (the awards show is only one event among the many holy hip-hop events held during the week). Until next time, speekonit...
In the first part of my recap of the awards show I only discussed the happenings in the lobby prior to me actually entering the awards show. Here is my recap of the rest of the evening.
Awards Show: Unlike other music awards shows, the artists did not receive awards based on how many records they sell, or their popularity. In fact, there was a t-shirt being advertised by one of the vendors that read "It's not about the money," and on the back it read "Ministry or Industry?" Instead, artists were honored for the type of ministry their music aims at, their ministry work in their local churches and communities, and so forth. In between the various awards, artists from around the country and the world took the stage for God-filled performances. Japhia Life, who also received an award, performed the hit "We Cry Blood" off of his album "Fountain of Life." During his reception of the award, he spit what I think is one of his illest verses acapella. For album info, peep the holy hip-hop resources. Other notable hip-hop performances include Sean Slaughter and Mona J., The Army of God, and Mr. Del and the crew (not sure if the crew members had a name). One of the tightest performances of the night came from "Real Talk," a hip-hop dance group from Norway.
The Lobby Reloaded: After I left the awards show, I went back into the lobby (the venue was set-up to where people could go in and out of the awards show). This is where the event got crackin' on a whole new level. There was a DJ and turn tables in the middle of the lobby, and they allowed for those in the lobby to engage in some hip-hop of their own. First they had an artist showcase, where up and coming artists had the opportunity to perform a song or two and pass out demo cds to those in the lobby. Most notably was the group who performed a song about women strip, encouraging them to get out of that lifestyle, and to start seeing themselves they way God sees them. After the artist showcase, the DJ opened it up for anyone who wanted to spit a verse or freestyle in the cypha. It was beautiful to see a variety of folks ranging from upcoming artists to female hip-hop pioneers (I forgot the woman's name, but they said she used to battle Roxanne Shante back in the day) to little kids dropping a line and repping for Christ.
Overall, the holy hip-hop awards gave me a glimpse of what can happen when God is lifted up through artistic expression. Another thing that I noticed at the event that I have not seen at other hip-hop events I've attended is the different age groups that were present. There were whole families who attended the awards show (parents and children). I've already decided that I will be in attendance next year (I think it's always held in Atlanta), and hopefully I can attend some of the holy hip-hop events earlier during the week (the awards show is only one event among the many holy hip-hop events held during the week). Until next time, speekonit...
Labels: artist, ATL, Christian hip hop, Fountain of Life, Holy Hip-Hop Awards, Japhia Life
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Access (not) Granted Pt. 2
Peace and blessings,
I last left off with the lessons learned and the implications from the seminar I attended on hip-hop and Christianity. Before I move on, I want to emphaisze that the focus of the seminar was to discuss 1) How we as Christians can become more aware of and use hip-hop culture to expose our youth ( I say "our" to indicate that we must take back our youth!) to Christ. The summer of my sophomore year, a friend of mine introduced me to many Christian hip-hop artists, among them being Cross Movement, KJ-52, Sev-Statik, and Grits. From then, I was hooked. They provided me with a springboard into another dimension of hip-hop music and culture that I was previously closed off from. In the past, when I would hear of the term "Christian rapper," I would automatically assume that their lyrical content and skill would be lacking in relation to the secular artists who I listened to. And although, like with anything there are people who are more talented than others, I have found that from the Christian artists that I constantly keep in rotation (most of which are included on the "hip-hop" section of the website), having a relationship with Christ does not stifle artistic expression, creativity, or breadth (the ability to address mutliple issues and experiences). On the contrary, a relationship with Christ stimulates and enhances these things! And as I reflect on this notion it makes perfect sense. Since God is the creator of all this good, of which gifts. talents, and skills are included, it makes sense these things would be exponentially improved if they are used in a way that gives credit and glory to God, the source and creator of these gifts, talents, and skills. Which brings me to my last point...
As I have become more engulfed in Christian hip-hop, and learning more and more how within the broader hip-hop culture, God is raising up biblically-sound, Christ-filled, and lyrically gifted MCs who are out to reach the youth and the lost, the resistance to this movement is become more and more evident as well. In my opinion, the lack of visibility and access many Christain MCs have faced and are currently facing can be illustrated by the following hypothetical situation. Imagine a child who, for whatever reason, is intentionally starved. Once the child is to the point where he or she is really hungry, they are only given bad-tasting food. Now, the fact that they eat this food demonstartes that they were hungry, but simply eating the food in no way suggests that the food itself was good to them or for them. However, because the child was starving and that was the only food available to them, they got their grub on for real. Further, and more devastating, is that because we often form perceptions of others and their behaviors based on a superficial analysis of that person, the child's eating of the food is perceived as meaning that 1) the child likes the food and 2) the food must be good. It's the same with the current hip-hop scene. Many youth and people who are going through difficult times or do not have a relationship with God are looking for some kind of guidance or "blueprint" for how to navigate life. In other words, they are hungry, to the point where they may be starving. To these individuals (as it was to me during early adolescence), mainstream hip-hop (e.g. the same 8 songs that get played on every major radio station, each with catchy, hypnotic hooks and touch on the similar themes of sex, violence, crime, and materialism) becomes their bad-tasting food. Because this appears to be the only food gaining mainstream visibility, they are quick to consume and eat because they are not aware of a quality, healthy alternative. Therefore, although listeners may call in to these stations and request these songs, I argue that they are not FREELY choosing to hear these songs in a way that attests to the song's quality. To freely choose something, one must also have a somewhat comparable alternative to validate one's choice. For instance, In order for a child to choose to do their homework, he or she must weigh that choice against a comparable alternative, such as not doing their homework and hanging with friends. Until these major radio stations and other media outlets present the public with comparable alternatives, the public will never have a FREE choice when it comes to which music they want represented in the mainstream. And we all know that the opposite of freedom is slavery, but let's not get into that right now, lol. Now i'm not saying that hip-hop should not address issues of sex, crime, violence, drugs, or whatever. These are all aspects of people's life experiences, so i think they should be addressed within hip-hop culture. However, my beef is not with WHAT is being addressed, but HOW it is being addressed. For instance, many mainstream hip-hop artists address these issues and the negative affects they have on people, but fail to mention how people can overcome these and other vices. Further, the argument that artists are ONLY speaking their reality and would have more positive, uplifting lyrics if that was their experience does not hold hold weight for two reasons. One, I know that many if not all of these artists are aware of God, and know of his power. As Shabach, one of my favorite Christian MC's puts it:
"I pray for secular rappers with dope music/who have that Godly intuition but they don't use it!"
-From the song "Speak to me" off of the album, "From Sin to Shabach: The Rebirth"(album info in the "hip-hop" section)
Second, because of hip-hop's influence, artists must realize that millions and millions of people look up to them from throughout the world, and thus they are obligated to steer the youth and others they influence in a more positive direction. As I conclude, I would like to ask those who read this to pray that God continues to add more avenues for Christian hip-hop to gain access to the masses. Although I'm a humble dude, I am overly confident, actually 150% certain that if the youth and the lost were aware of positive, quality Christian hip-hop and were thus able to choose between the bad-tasting food and the food that helps us (by directing us towards a relationship with Christ) transform our earthly lives and solidifies our spiritual lives, I know they will choose the latter. This is an issue that I felt God has laid on my heart for a while, and thus I will continue to address this issue in the future. I'm interested in hearing people's thoughts on this, so please speekonit...
I last left off with the lessons learned and the implications from the seminar I attended on hip-hop and Christianity. Before I move on, I want to emphaisze that the focus of the seminar was to discuss 1) How we as Christians can become more aware of and use hip-hop culture to expose our youth ( I say "our" to indicate that we must take back our youth!) to Christ. The summer of my sophomore year, a friend of mine introduced me to many Christian hip-hop artists, among them being Cross Movement, KJ-52, Sev-Statik, and Grits. From then, I was hooked. They provided me with a springboard into another dimension of hip-hop music and culture that I was previously closed off from. In the past, when I would hear of the term "Christian rapper," I would automatically assume that their lyrical content and skill would be lacking in relation to the secular artists who I listened to. And although, like with anything there are people who are more talented than others, I have found that from the Christian artists that I constantly keep in rotation (most of which are included on the "hip-hop" section of the website), having a relationship with Christ does not stifle artistic expression, creativity, or breadth (the ability to address mutliple issues and experiences). On the contrary, a relationship with Christ stimulates and enhances these things! And as I reflect on this notion it makes perfect sense. Since God is the creator of all this good, of which gifts. talents, and skills are included, it makes sense these things would be exponentially improved if they are used in a way that gives credit and glory to God, the source and creator of these gifts, talents, and skills. Which brings me to my last point...
As I have become more engulfed in Christian hip-hop, and learning more and more how within the broader hip-hop culture, God is raising up biblically-sound, Christ-filled, and lyrically gifted MCs who are out to reach the youth and the lost, the resistance to this movement is become more and more evident as well. In my opinion, the lack of visibility and access many Christain MCs have faced and are currently facing can be illustrated by the following hypothetical situation. Imagine a child who, for whatever reason, is intentionally starved. Once the child is to the point where he or she is really hungry, they are only given bad-tasting food. Now, the fact that they eat this food demonstartes that they were hungry, but simply eating the food in no way suggests that the food itself was good to them or for them. However, because the child was starving and that was the only food available to them, they got their grub on for real. Further, and more devastating, is that because we often form perceptions of others and their behaviors based on a superficial analysis of that person, the child's eating of the food is perceived as meaning that 1) the child likes the food and 2) the food must be good. It's the same with the current hip-hop scene. Many youth and people who are going through difficult times or do not have a relationship with God are looking for some kind of guidance or "blueprint" for how to navigate life. In other words, they are hungry, to the point where they may be starving. To these individuals (as it was to me during early adolescence), mainstream hip-hop (e.g. the same 8 songs that get played on every major radio station, each with catchy, hypnotic hooks and touch on the similar themes of sex, violence, crime, and materialism) becomes their bad-tasting food. Because this appears to be the only food gaining mainstream visibility, they are quick to consume and eat because they are not aware of a quality, healthy alternative. Therefore, although listeners may call in to these stations and request these songs, I argue that they are not FREELY choosing to hear these songs in a way that attests to the song's quality. To freely choose something, one must also have a somewhat comparable alternative to validate one's choice. For instance, In order for a child to choose to do their homework, he or she must weigh that choice against a comparable alternative, such as not doing their homework and hanging with friends. Until these major radio stations and other media outlets present the public with comparable alternatives, the public will never have a FREE choice when it comes to which music they want represented in the mainstream. And we all know that the opposite of freedom is slavery, but let's not get into that right now, lol. Now i'm not saying that hip-hop should not address issues of sex, crime, violence, drugs, or whatever. These are all aspects of people's life experiences, so i think they should be addressed within hip-hop culture. However, my beef is not with WHAT is being addressed, but HOW it is being addressed. For instance, many mainstream hip-hop artists address these issues and the negative affects they have on people, but fail to mention how people can overcome these and other vices. Further, the argument that artists are ONLY speaking their reality and would have more positive, uplifting lyrics if that was their experience does not hold hold weight for two reasons. One, I know that many if not all of these artists are aware of God, and know of his power. As Shabach, one of my favorite Christian MC's puts it:
"I pray for secular rappers with dope music/who have that Godly intuition but they don't use it!"
-From the song "Speak to me" off of the album, "From Sin to Shabach: The Rebirth"(album info in the "hip-hop" section)
Second, because of hip-hop's influence, artists must realize that millions and millions of people look up to them from throughout the world, and thus they are obligated to steer the youth and others they influence in a more positive direction. As I conclude, I would like to ask those who read this to pray that God continues to add more avenues for Christian hip-hop to gain access to the masses. Although I'm a humble dude, I am overly confident, actually 150% certain that if the youth and the lost were aware of positive, quality Christian hip-hop and were thus able to choose between the bad-tasting food and the food that helps us (by directing us towards a relationship with Christ) transform our earthly lives and solidifies our spiritual lives, I know they will choose the latter. This is an issue that I felt God has laid on my heart for a while, and thus I will continue to address this issue in the future. I'm interested in hearing people's thoughts on this, so please speekonit...
Labels: access, artist, choices, Christian hip hop, degrading lyrics, God, hip-hop, influence, lyrics, media, Shabach, visibility, youth
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Holy Hip-Hop resources section added!!!
Peace and Blessings,
I pray everyone had a blessed and relaxing weekend. I've added a new section to the left that includes reviews, sample tracks, interviews, and more info on some of the hottest Christian emcess and hip-hop groups this side of heaven. I tried to only include reviews of Artists whose music I've heard before. As my collection increases, so will this list of resources. In the upcoming weeks, I'll also be adding my own reviews on some of these albums. Feel free to post comments about these mcees, or mcees that are not on the list. Until next time, God bless and speekonit...
I pray everyone had a blessed and relaxing weekend. I've added a new section to the left that includes reviews, sample tracks, interviews, and more info on some of the hottest Christian emcess and hip-hop groups this side of heaven. I tried to only include reviews of Artists whose music I've heard before. As my collection increases, so will this list of resources. In the upcoming weeks, I'll also be adding my own reviews on some of these albums. Feel free to post comments about these mcees, or mcees that are not on the list. Until next time, God bless and speekonit...
Labels: artist, Christian hip hop
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