… and on the other end of the Hip Hop spectrum…
Lecrae (Twitter)
… we have rappers such as Lecrae and Sho Baraka, who are bringing faith and inspiration to the masses, as opposed to more tired lyrics about money, drugs, alcohol and even rape. From CoCo Brothers:
2012 was the year of Gospel hip-hop. Billboard and iTunes charts put Gospel hip-hop next to some of mainstream music’s biggest stars. Gospel Hip Hop graced the pages of Complex, XXL, The Source, and Time Magazine. Mainstream Hip-hop blogs covered Gospel rappers songs and played their videos. Artists like Swoope, Sho Baraka, Propaganda, and Lecrae were constantly shutting down shows and dropping new music and had interviews and music on MTV and BET. This year, for the first time hip hop Gospel artist Lecrae won a Grammy for Best Gospel Album – a victory for the genre.
Sho Baraka, whose album ‘The Talented Tenth’ debuted at Number 12 on the Billboard Hip-Hop Charts (between Nicki Minaj and Future), had this to say about the genre’s growing popularity, “It shows there is a growing interest in people wanting to hear music that comes from a Biblical worldview and not just death and exploitation in lyrics and there being some kind of hope and reconciliation. It is a commentary of people’s desires and kind of the demand for hope.” DJ Wade-O, one of Gospel hip-hop’s premier radio personalities stated the music’s purpose: “The message is the difference between [secular] hip-hop and Gospel hip hop.”
Sho Baraka, whose album ‘The Talented Tenth’ debuted at Number 12 on the Billboard Hip-Hop Charts (between Nicki Minaj and Future), had this to say about the genre’s growing popularity, “It shows there is a growing interest in people wanting to hear music that comes from a Biblical worldview and not just death and exploitation in lyrics and there being some kind of hope and reconciliation. It is a commentary of people’s desires and kind of the demand for hope.” DJ Wade-O, one of Gospel hip-hop’s premier radio personalities stated the music’s purpose: “The message is the difference between [secular] hip-hop and Gospel hip hop.”
But why is it gaining popularity? Rap Radar’s Brian B. Dot Miller weighed in, “Spirituality is big in hip-hop. Whether it’s at an award show or album credits the first thing an artist says is ‘I want to thank God.’ So obviously, I think it’s important to the game.” Lately, a slew of artists have been rapping about faith and the moral struggles of man, even wrestling with their own beliefs. Game’s Jesus Piece and Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid m.A.A.d City are perfect examples.
The internet and sites like Rapzilla have contributed in a major way to the growth of the genre. We asked Chad Horton, one of Rapzilla’s founders, if Gospel hip hop could impact youth culture. He retorted, “The right question is ‘how does Gospel hip hop affect youth culture?’ because it has been for quite some time. If the Gospel of Christ is in it then it will change lives. God uses it to bring salvation to some and to strengthen others that are already saved.” Radio One Indianapolis mix show dj, DJ Wrekk 1 shared his thoughts on the potential of the genre, “I think it brings balance to what’s already being played on the radio. That balance can be there for not only kids but for people period. A lot of people are going through a lot of things and they look up to a lot of artists and people they hear on the radio as role models.” Will Gospel hip hop have a lasting effect on the next generation? Cory “CoCo Brother” Condrey, host of the Reach Media syndicated Gospel hip hop radio show Spirit of Hip Hop thinks so, “I think whatever you feed your soul/body is what you start to produce. If you feed more inspirational hip hop you’ll see more people wanting to be INSPIRATIONAL through hip hop.”
Read the whole thing here. H/T: The Old Black Church