Social Justice and CHH Part IV: Sho Baraka the Griot
In last week’s article on “Social Justice and CHH,” I considered the portraits of Christ painted in the lyrics of Propaganda, Lecrae, and KB. I suggest that artist commitment to social justice is...
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KB, Critical Race Theory, and the King From Nazareth: Voices from the Southside
In a recent Rapzilla interview, I sat down with KB to discuss his podcast, music, and concern for social justice, which presently is a contentious topic within some Christian circles. The focus of the...
View ArticleMaverick City Music Drops Powerful ‘Jubilee: The Juneteenth Addition’
As America ushers in Juneteenth as a nationally recognized holiday, the Christian music industry celebrates an extensive and collaborative project from Maverick City Music—”Jubilee: The Juneteenth...
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The Community and Legacy of Critique Fridays with OnBeatMusic
Tuning in live every Friday night on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, viewers are met by a welcoming smile, luscious beard, and unashamed sneaker-head, O’Brian Martinez,...
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Unashamed Blackness: Black History & Christian Rap Featuring Ameen Hudson
Blackness never needed Christian rap, but Christian rap is unimaginable without Blackness. As we celebrate Black history this month, it is fitting to acknowledge that CHH would never exist without...
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‘This is Hip-Hop’s Home’: Propaganda, CHH, & the State of Rap
The Home of Hip Hop In a previous article of mine titled “Unashamed Blackness,” I claimed that Christian hip hop is Black. Well, apparently not everyone agrees. In an interview with Propaganda, I...
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Kendrick Lamar & His Crown of Thorns: Breaking Down the Problematic,...
The Crown at Glastonbury On Sunday, June 26th Kendrick Lamar stepped out on stage at the Glastonbury Festival wearing a dazzling crown of thorns. As the fans loudly cheered, Lamar spoke to the...
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Lecrae: The ‘Deconstruction’ of ‘Non-Fiction’ [A Literary and Lyrical Journey]
From “Non-Fiction” to “Deconstruction” Hip-hop is more than art. It offers the listener rhythms of lived experience and soundscapes of artistic tradition, and it samples entire worlds of ideas...
View ArticleA Message of Liberation: CHH, Prison Fellowship, & GodBehindBars
I was in prison and you came to visit me Matthew 25:36 Christian Rap has a long history of caring for those in prison. Some of the biggest names in the genre have a unique passion for the incarcerated....
View ArticleChristian Hip-Hop is Woke: Why Are the Anti-Woke Still Sleeping? [Op-Ed]
Christian Hip-Hop (CHH) is the biggest threat to the evangelical anti-woke agenda. In what follows, I place voices from the CHH community in conversation with anti-woke evangelicals. I demonstrate that...
View Article‘I Wonder What Lecrae Would Do?’: Kendrick Lamar & the Hip-Hop Renaissance
“I wonder what Lecrae would do?” Kendrick Lamar raps this on “watch the party die,” and it caused a shift. I wonder what Lecrae has done? I wonder what has been done to Lecrae? These two follow-up...
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