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| Rap and the hip hop culture: Is there room in the church? |
By Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell |
Published
11/1/2007
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Religion
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Rap and the hip hop culture: Is there room in the church?
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Former gang members dance at the altar…now “on the Lord’s side.” (Photoby Glen Yaun)
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A “Thugs Revival” at “Club POG” this past weekend drew hundreds of rap music lovers out to hear and see a star-studded line-up of popular rap artists.
“Club POG” actually is The Pursuit of God Church, which was celebrating its move to a new location at 3171 Signal St. in Frayser. Such big-name rappers as Al Kapone, Kingpin Skinny, Crunchy Black, and Lieutenant G were invited; only Skinny Pimp made the show this year.
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At Union Grove’s Hip-Hop Conference, youth and youth workers learned about the hip-hop culture and rap music in the church. Shown from left are: Katrina Boswell, Georgda Malone, Loretta H. Miller, Dr. Jamal-Dominique Hopkins, and host, Pastor Bobby Jones. (Photo by Earl Stanback)
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For three years running, the Thugs Revival has witnessed hundreds of young people join the Christian community. During this year’s revival, about 200 people, most of them youth, followed suit.
Pastors Ricky and Sheila Floyd are the “non-traditional” shepherds of The Pursuit of God Church and facilitators of the unusual gathering.
“Critics of rap music in the church don’t understand,” said Pastor Ricky Floyd. “I explain it this way: I ask people if they like fish, and they say ‘yes.’ I ask them if they like worms, and they say ‘no.’
“Well, I use secular rappers as the worms to catch fish. National rap artists who come in are convicted by the Spirit of God, and they come to the altar for prayer.”
The Thugs Revival wasn’t the only event last weekend geared toward an exploration of Christianity and the world of rappers.
Over at Union Grove Baptist Church in North Memphis, two Crichton College professors headlined “The Hip Hop Culture Conference: The Fate or Future of Our Church.”
The two events were the latest indicators that rap music – love it or hate it – is a genre very much a part of today’s religious community.
“We thought it would be a good idea to look at rap music as a part of the church community,” said the Rev. Bobby Jones, pastor of Union Grove. “Is it a good thing, or is it a bad thing for the church? Helping people become informed about the hip hop culture helps us reach our young people and relate to their experiences.”
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Rapper Sunny D rocks the crowd…Thugs Revival. (Photo by Glen Yaun)
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Jones attends Crichton College where he is pursuing a degree in Biblical Studies, with a minor in Greek. Dr. Jamal Hopkins and Dr. Ronald Potter from Crichton headlined the conference.
“These young people, these rappers, feel no real connections – not like when we were growing up,” said Rev. Jones. “These young men are an un-churched group, meaning, they did not grow up in the church. We listened to people like Sam Cook and Aretha Franklin. They had roots in the church, so there were clear boundaries.
“But for the most part, these rappers have little or no experience in the church,” said Rev. Jones. “Therefore, they have no allegiance to the black community, the black church, or the black family. This is why there are no boundaries to what they say in their lyrics.”
Dr. Hopkins, considered a national authority on the hip hop culture, says that the church is not informed adequately enough to understand the point of reference from which young people are operating.
“Most of us don’t really know or understand what ‘hip hop’ and ‘rap’ are all about. We generally use the terms ‘hip hop’ and ‘rap’ interchangeably,” said Dr. Hopkins. “But ‘hip hop’ is actually the culture of this generation. And it is comprised of distinctive kinds of fashion, music, and attitudes. Rap music is just one aspect of this culture.”
According to Dr. Hopkins, rap music, itself, has splintered into various forms.
“The hip hop culture is made up of the generation born between 1965-1985. Rap came out of the culture, and then, distinctive forms of rap came from that genre. You have gangster rap, gospel rap, and then, you have social consciousness rap. Unfortunately, gangster rap has become the face of all rap and therefore, all rap tends to be viewed unfavorably.
“So when people see our young men dressing a certain way and wanting to rap, that is viewed as being rebellious and negative. But gangster rap is only one aspect of rap music. This is why the church community must understand the culture of hip hop – the culture as a whole.”
Dr. Hopkins, also a well-versed theologian, points to the multi-billion-dollar commercialization of gangster rap for the “dominant, unsavory image of the whole rap genre.”
“If rappers are making $50 million, what kind of money do you think the record producers and record labels are keeping?” he said. “The gangster rap industry exploits the plight of urban poor and the prison culture. Rappers are essentially high-priced slaves.”
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Darius Holloway (D-Money) is a prominent local gospel rap artist. (Photo by Glen Yaun)
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Pastor Jones feels so strongly that church leaders should know more about rap music and hip hop culture that he plans a follow-up summit on the issue in February or March of next year.
“We simply must be concerned about our young men, and part of that is understanding where they are coming from,” said Rev. Jones. “I heard a gangster pray and ask God to “just let me live past the age of 35.’ There is such a low age of life expectancy that 35 is thought to be old for a gangster. Can you imagine that?”
Once the distinction and definition of rap music and the hip hop culture are clearly made, says Pastor Jones, those in the church community can begin to minister more effectively to the young people.
“They need us, and we have the only thing that can save them – Jesus. He is a source of hope, and that’s what our young people need – hope!”
Local rappers who performed at the Thugs Revival said they feel that rap is one of the church’s most powerful evangelistic tools for their generation.
“Before I got saved, I was just out there doing everything,” said 20-year-old David Manning. “But I asked Christ to come into my life, and now, I sing for the Lord. The only music I perform now is gospel rap.
“I feel we need to do everything we can to tell young people about Jesus Christ. Hell is real, and sin is real. Young people are dying every day, and we need to use any means necessary to get young people saved.”
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Youth counselors pray with children at the Thugs Revival. (Photo by Glen Yaun)
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