Holy Hip Hop genre brings gospel to urban America

With a mission to take the gospel to the streets, Christian hip-hop artists are gaining respect as they seek to deliver a positive message through an urban messenger. Rappers Kirk Franklin and DC Talk, for instance, have landed on a major stage performing as guest artists with Billy Graham.

In mid-January Gospel rap and dance artists broke new ground at Holy Hip Hop week in Atlanta. The gathering included mandatory ministry classes and a “summit” forum to discuss the ministry issues facing gospel rappers. The 5th annual Holy Hip Hop Artist Showcase and Music Awards closed out the week’s events with a capacity crowd at Earthlink Live Arena.

“God is doing a new thing,” said Danny Wilson, chairman and chief executive officer of Holy Hip Hop, an Atlanta-based music and entertainment company he started in 1997.

“We don’t want to lose another generation,” he said as he explained what motivated him to create a company to help hip-hop gospel artists have a voice in the streets. Few deny his claim that Christian rap artists have been largely ignored by secular media.

But that may be about the change.

“Holy Hip Hop: Taking the Gospel to the Streets” received a Grammy award nomination for Best Rock Gospel album of 2004. The album showcases a variety of Christian hip-hop artists including Shon Lock; Ziklag; Shei Atkins; Dynamic Twins; Mr. Del; Izreal; Canton Jones; R. Jones; Infinity; FTF; R. Swift and Mariaha Marke. Grammy winners were scheduled to be announced Feb. 13 at the Staples Center award ceremony in Los Angeles.

Wilson described Christian rap as one way to answer Jesus’ mandate to take the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. He characterized it as spiritually enlightening music that is driven by a moral message. It presents a distinct alternative to the vulgar lyrics common to secular rap.

“We’re trying to find our place in the hip-hop culture,” Wilson said. “The lifestyle of a Christian is a choice. We’re trying to make it applicable.”

Biblical message
Through the Holy Hip Hop Fellowship, Wilson and others have attempted to instill biblical values into the music they promote. They consider themselves to be ministers of the gospel and include a statement of faith on their Web site.

“The main issue is ministry first,” Wilson said, as he explained the need to train spoken-word artists. “If you’re a minister of the gospel the word of God must come first. Your message is speaking life, not death.”

Ongoing resistance
The founder of Holy Hip Hop suggested the music’s biggest obstacle is that older people fail to see that Christian hip hop is morally sound and has a track record. He cited the fact that several Holy Hip Hop groups have entertained civilian and military personnel at the Pentagon as evidence of the genre’s legitimacy.

“We’re not asking you to put a hip-hop preacher in the pulpit,” he said. “As long as the gospel is not compromised, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”

He’s got company.

Southern California rappers Jahmy Graham and Eric Crowder formed Catch2 after finding faith in Christ through an outreach at Bethany Community Church in the San Fernando Valley. The two combined their talents with rap music and God’s message. Their mission is to “catch” as many people as they can with the Christian message of forgiveness, hope and eternal life in Christ. Lyrics from their song “Ready,” reveal a clear message:

“That I might be ready.

Ready for what?

To see His face.

Bowed down on my knees, thanking Him for His grace.

For taking my place, pleading my case, and putting a smile on my face.

And helping me run this race.”

Internet sparks growth
The Internet has been a catalyst in the explosion of Christian hip hop by connecting spoken word artists to services and promotional opportunities. In 2003 Curtis Jermany launched the Urban Gospel Alliance, an organization formed to broaden the reach of urban gospel to the street.

“Production values have increased a great deal,” Jermany said as he offered an explanation for the proliferation of urban music. “People are learning how to use the tools and learning more about the business side of things. There’s a lot of talent out there.”

The group’s Web site serves as a one-stop shopping mall for emerging artists to find referrals, distribution and marketing tools. A majority of gospel hip hop acts are independent artists who value the access the Internet provides.

But access is a two-way street. In spite of its growth, hip hop is still one of several genres competing for the teen-age market.

“There’s no common music language anymore,” said John Wilson, interim associate pastor of student ministries at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena. “There isn’t a music out there that touches all kids.”

Wilson estimated that more church kids listen to Eminem than to Christian hip hop. He suggested MP3 technology provides today’s teen-agers access to such a wide variety of styles that individual taste in music is broader than in the past.

Critics abound
Like its predecessors in gospel music, the hip hop/rap genre draws fire as well as praise. Some in the Christian community are cautious about too quickly embracing a style of music that, to many, represents a culture of violence and profanity.

“The medium is just as important as the message,” said Dale Fincher, a Los Angeles-based staff writer and apologist specializing in youth culture and the arts with Ravi Zacharias Ministries. “The medium can wash out the message.” Fincher said.

He emphasized he does not believe Christians can make hard and fast rules about music. But they must be careful not to create one more disposable item with a message that becomes just as disposable.

“A lot of people are good at popular culture, but not at theology,” Fincher said.

For more information about Holy Hip Hop, log on to its Web site at holyhiphop.com. For more information on Urban Gospel Alliance, go to uga.com.

Published by Keener Communications Group, February 2005

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