Christian Rap: Mortification, word.

When I was in high school, the music I listened to went something like this:

I'm a gangsta, but y'all knew that
Da Big Bo$$ Dogg, yeah I had to do that
I keep a blue flag hanging out my backside
But only on the left side, yeah that's the Crip side
Ain't no other way to play the game the way I play
I cut so much you thought I was a DJ

Translation: I think I'm really tough. You should know that (in case you didn't, I'm telling you). I'm going to show how cool I am by putting the clothe equivalent of a tissue in my pants pocket to tell you that I'm associating with criminals. Also, I think it's pertinent that you know I have a lot of sexual intercourse.

Clearly, there was something lacking. Unfortunately for teenage-me, "In Da Club", as they were saying back then, was "dope" and I was okay with that. I mean, I just liked the music and didn't listen to the words, right?

Then, in university my friend, Dustin, introduced me to a different rapper. This guy had just released an album called Rebel. After listening several times to this CD (it was on loop for months), I realized, "I really like this music." That artist's name was Lecrae.

There was something different about it. There was an edge and an urgency that I never picked up listening to Snoop or 50. The rap music I listened to in high school was written to sell. The lyrics Lecrae was spitting were written to preach. These words were written about the Word, Jesus Christ, the Word became flesh.

Slowly, my friend, Kris, and I were drawn in by Dustin into this world of Christian rap. We discovered there were more artists that shared the passion for the gospel. Lecrae was joined on our playlists by Flame, Tedashii, Trip Lee, and Sho Baraka. In more recent days, artists like KB, Andy Mineo, and This'l have also produced great content with the sole purpose of preaching Christ and the salvation found in him. 

The lyrics that test the limits of my 1991 Nissan Axxess's sound system (aka the Swagger Wagon) are much different than those that would've been playing in my disc man in high school. I think there is something far more satisfying and lasting in the words that have replaced Eminem and Jay-Z:

It aint no lie!
We created for Him,
Outta of the dust he made us for Him,
Elects us and he saves us for Him,
Jesus comes and he raises for Him,
Magnify the Father, why bother with something lesser?
He made us so we could bless Him, (Bless Him)
To the world we confess Him,
Resurrects Him,
So I know I got life,
Matter fact better man I know I got Christ,
If you don't see His ways in my days and my nights,
You can hit my breaks you can stop my lights,
Man I lost my rights, lost my life,
Forget the money, cars and toss that ice,
The cost is Christ,
And they can never offer me anything on the planet that'll cost that price
 

 

Translation: "And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you" (Luke 12:29-31).

Somehow, I think that's a huge improvement over Snoop. 

Note: The idea for this blog was, in part, taken from a blog post by Tim Challies. You can access his post on The Strange Phenomenon of White Middle-aged Pastors Listening to Rap Music here (the videos-- both the Swagger Wagon and the Lecrae video-- were lifted off Tim Challies' blog).