The concepts of bi-musicality and bilingualism, as tools that Christian rappers have developed in negotiating authenticity and used to make space from themselves in two intertwined but distinct cultures have the potential to help us understand the nature of one such ‘spaces’ created: the hip-hop worship church and its’s hip-hop worship experience. At its core, a hip-hop worship and church experience is on that is predominantly or solely driven by hip-hop music, spoken word, slang, dance and dress. More than just a concert or an opportunity of one or two rappers to be displayed in a line-up of other CCM and Gospel artists, the hip-hop worship experience puts both hip-hop and Christianity at the center in new and exciting ways. Therefore, it …show more content…
The congregation space is a large open room that appears to be a slightly renovated empty brick building from Chicago’s factory days. There are pews, a stage, machinery—everything that signalized a normal church. That is until you look back at the sound booth and notice a man in a backwards baseball cap, with giant phones on. The pre-service music, which is loud enough to overlap the various small talk conversations between people there, is playlist complexly composed of Christian rap music and the baseball capped man is DJ (and as it turns out, he is the “resident house DJ and one of the church’s. As the time near for service to start, the volume and the bass increase. Those few in attendance bob their heads, allowing the music and the lyrics to take precedence. Today’s visiting hip-hop group sets up their equipment, while the Pastor Phil circulates to talk to members—at one point a particular song comes on, resonating so well with him that he shouts out “that’s my JAM “, while motioning to the In-House DJ to replay this song when it is done. No one seems the slightest worried about me, the lone black girl who slipped into the second row of pews after introductory handshakes. I am wearing all black (including black faux-leather boots as I sit quietly and take notes in a small black notebook. Their treatment of me …show more content…
The second rap, the testimony rap. follows the lines of what many of the scholars mentioned throughout this essay would refer to as “bragging’ in the lord”. The rapper essentially tells what is going on in his life since he got saved from the Southside streets—but he is careful not to boast about how he did these things on his own, but how God is the center and reason for all of the positive changes in his life. It is at the end of these two pieces that the DJ decides that he loves the beat being played, signaling to his temporary replacement at the sound booth/turntables to put the main hook on a loop. He goes completely off script, entering into what many may deem as an extended testimony mode—taking his already animated body movements “to the next level”—he is jumping, quite literally, for joy. Eventually, the music fades and the church proceeds to have a laid back sermon that, if one did not pay close attention, would sound like the typical youth service or Bible Study. But the word choice (or slang and other hip-hop specific metaphors) roll off Pastor Phil’s tongue. It melds with scriptural references in a way that doesn’t sound
Perry, Imani. 2004. Prophets of the hood: politics and poetics in hip hop. Durham: Duke University Press.
In 21st century North America, there is a strange, seemingly-unanimous idea that, to fit the norm, one must be white, Christian and male. While, over the course of the latter 20th century and in the past decade, this has changed, the norm is very much still Christian and male; African-Americans now fit into the “All-American” stereotype, for the most part. However, there are, of course, outliers – deviants from the standard norm; these outliers make one wonder what the norm truly is, why it is so, how did it get to be that way, and what the norm will be in the future. Kanye West's 2004 single titled “Jesus Walks” is written as a ode to Jesus helping him and every other Christian through hard times in their life. Sampling the same beat and background vocals, Lupe Fiasco customizes West's song to fit his own spirituality, in “Muhammad Walks.” Finally, Matisyahu employs his gift of verse and beat-boxing to distribute a rap about his religion, Judaism, over the airwaves and on television. Both Matisyahu and Lupe Fiasco challenge the societal norm of Christianity, while Kanye West solidifies the claim that Christianity is a syncretic religion.
When looking at the landscape of Hip-Hop among African Americans, from the spawn of gangsta rap in the mid 1980s to current day, masculinity and an idea of hardness is central to their image and performance. Stereotypical to Black masculinity, the idea of a strong Black male - one who keeps it real, and is defiant to the point of violence - is prevalent in the genre. This resistant, or even compensatory masculinity, encompasses: the hyper masculinity rife in the Western world, misogyny, and homophobia, all noticeable in their lyrics, which is in part a result of their containment within the Black community. The link of masculinity and rap music was established due to this containment, early innovators remaking public spaces in their segregated neighbourhoods. A notion of authentic masculinity arose from the resistant nature of the genre, but the move to the mainstream in the 90s created a contradiction to their very image - resistance. Ultimately, this in part led to the construction of the masculinity defined earlier, one that prides itself on its authenticity. I’ll be exploring how gender is constructed and performed in Hip Hop, beginning with a historical framework, with the caveat of showing that differing masculine identities in the genre, including artists
African American religious music is the foundation of all contemporary forms of so called “black music.” African American religious music has been a fundamental part of the black experience in this country. This common staple of the African American experience can be traced back to the cruel system of slavery. It then evolved into what we refer to today as gospel music. The goal of this paper is to answer three main questions. What are the origins of African American religious music? How did this musical expression develop into a secular form of music? What is the future of African American religious music? These questions will be answered through factual research of African American traditions, artists, and various other sources.
In the words of rapper Busta Rhymes, “hip-hop reflects the truth, and the problem is that hip-hop exposes a lot of the negative truth that society tries to conceal. It’s a platform where we could offer information, but it’s also an escape” Hip-hop is a culture that emerged from the Bronx, New York, during the early 1970s. Hip-Hop was a result of African American and Latino youth redirecting their hardships brought by marginalization from society to creativity in the forms of MCing, DJing, aerosol art, and breakdancing. Hip-hop serves as a vehicle for empowerment while transcending borders, skin color, and age. However, the paper will focus on hip-hop from the Chican@-Latin@ population in the United States. In the face of oppression, the Chican@-Latin@ population utilized hip hop music as a means to voice the community’s various issues, desires, and in the process empower its people.
Hip hop is both a culture and a lifestyle. As a musical genre it is characterized by its hard hitting beats and rhythms and expressive spoken word lyrics that address topics ranging from economic disparity and inequality, to gun violence and gang affiliated activity. Though the genre emerged with greater popularity in the 1970’s, the musical elements involved and utilized have been around for many years. In this paper, we will cover the history and
The article “what’s behind hip-hop’s religious revival” by Matt Sayles talks about hip-hop artists are now singing about their religious views. Sayles is talking about a religion that many hip-hop artists are focusing on this world and he states, “Rap got religious in 2016.” Before hip-hop music started getting religious many artists sang
These articles depict the controversies of the hip hop industry and how that makes it difficult for one to succeed. Many of these complications and disputes may be invisible to the population, but these articles take the time to reveal them.
Prophets of the Hood is the most detailed and a brilliantly original study to date of hip hop as complicated and innovative literary story form. It is written with a refreshing harmonious combination savvy significance rigor as well as brave and creative narrative verve. Imani Perry’s research is an interesting analysis of late twentieth century in American great culture. Prophet of the hood is an excellent and unique book. It draws up a clear division between the negatives and positives involved in hip hop. She takes the discussions of rap to a deeper and greater levels with an insightful analysis of the poetic and political features of the art form. Being a fan and a scholar, Perry is aware the art, tradition of hip hop through an analysis of the song lyrics.
Hip hop has multiple branches of style and is a culture of these. This essay will examine Hip Hop from the point of view of the following three popular music scholars, Johnson, Jeffries and Smitherman. It will delve deeper into their understanding of what hip hop is and its relation to the different people that identify with its message and contents. It will also identify the history of Hip hop and its transition into popular music. In particular this essay will focus on what hip hop represents in the black community and how it can be used as a social movement against inequalities faced by them. This will then open up the discussion for the how this has influenced society, and the impact it has had in terms of race issues which hip hop itself often represents through music.
Throughout American history there has always been some form of verbal acrobatics or jousting involving rhymes within the Afro-American community. Signifying, testifying, shining of the Titanic, the Dozens, school yard rhymes, prison ?jail house? rhymes and double Dutch jump rope rhymes, are some of the names and ways that various forms of raps have manifested. Modern day rap music finds its immediate roots in the toasting and dub talk over elements of reggae music (George, 1998)....
From its conception in the 1970's and throughout the 1980's, hip hop was a self-contained entity within the community that created it. This means that all the parameters set for the expression came from within the community and that it was meant for consumption by the community. Today, the audience is from outside of the community and doesn’t share the same experiences that drive the music. An artists’ success hinges on pleasing consumers, not the community. In today's world, it isn’t about music that rings true for those who share the artists' experiences, but instead, music that provides a dramatic illusion for those who will never share the experiences conveyed. This has radically changed the creative process of artists and the diversity of available music. Most notably, it has called in to question the future of hip hop.
The oppressive picture displaying the sexual objectification of women that most hip-hop artists paint while rapping can only be described as appalling. Many artists imply that a woman?s sole purpose is to gratify a man?s every sexual desire. For instance, ?Nelly?s ?Tip Drill? goes as far to portray scantily clad women as sexual appliances? (Weisstuch). Though Nelly is relatively mild when contrasted to other hip-hop artists, his actualization of women cannot be ignored. By calling women ?sexual appliances,? Nelly essentially promotes the idea that it is customary to view all women solely as sexual objects. Moreover, the generic ?sex appe...
Then the missionaries burst into song. It was one of those gay and rollicking tunes of evangelism which had the ...
15 March 2014 Springer.com. Riley. Springer:’’ Rap and Hip-Hop Genre Today’’. April 2004 15 March 2014 Springer.com Ruiz, Jonathan. Cross-Cultural Rhetoric.