Christian hip hop (originally Gospel rap, also known as holy hip hop or Christ hop) is a form of hip hop music which uses Christian themes to express the songwriter's faith. Only during the 1990s did the term "Christian hip hop" become descriptive of this type of music. While the audience is typically Christian, the music is also used in (Christian) missions work for the purpose of evangelization. Christian rap and hip hop artists are often professed Christians who often use their background to spread the religion's beliefs. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Athanasius · Augustine · Constantine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Calvin · Luther · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christian... Jesus music, also known as gospel beat music in the United Kingdom, is a style of Christian music which originated on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of the Jesus movement before the Christian music industry had begun to take... Two different electric guitars. ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... Piano, a well-known instance of keyboard instruments A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. ... The term synthesiser is also used to mean frequency synthesiser, an electronic system found in communications. ... Christian alternative rock Christian bubblegum pop Christian hardcore Christian industrial Christian rap Christian metal Christian pop rock Christian punk Christian rock Christian soft rock Christian ska Christian worship music Cprog Categories: ... Christian alternative music is a form of alternative rock music lyrically grounded in a Christian worldview. ... Christian bubblegum pop (Christian bubblegum rock, Christian bubblegum music) is a genre of Christian popular music and Christian rock and roll. ... Christian electronic music is Christian music which employs electronic music. ... Christian hardcore is a form of hardcore and metalcore music and a subgenre of punk rock played by bands where the musicians promote Christian beliefs. ... Christian metal is a form of heavy metal music which, as well as its many subgenres, contains Christian lyrics and themes. ... Unblack metal (also known as Christian black metal) is the Christian variant of black metal. ... Christian punk is a form of Christian alternative music and a subgenre of punk rock with some degree of Christian lyrical content. ... Christian rock (occasionally abbreviated CR) is a form of rock music played by bands whose members are Christian and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. ... Christian soft rock, also referred to as Christian lite rock, Christian easy rock, and Christian mellow rock, is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock and roll to compose a softer, supposedly more ear-pleasing sound for listening, often at work. ... The Christian entertainment industry consists of a large number of sub-industries devoted to Christian entertainment. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... A mission literally means something that is sent, from the Latin word missum, sent. Thus we may refer to space exploration expeditions as space missions, or to a diplomatic outpost in a foreign territory as a diplomatic mission. Christian missions are movements or outposts of Christian proselytism. ... Evangelism is the proclaiming of the Christian Gospel. ...

History

The first commercially released and distributed Gospel rap album was Stephen Wiley's 1985 album Bible Break, distributed by Benson Music Group.^[1][2][3] Reverend DeWayne GoLightly (aka Rev. Rap') was the first Christian hip-hop artist without a commercially released Gospel rap cassette. More commercially successful was the crew known as P.I.D. (short for Preachas In Disguise) who released two popular, funky Gospel rap recordings ("Here We Are" and "Back to Back", along with some later albums).

In the late 1980s, other crews emerged, including dc Talk and S.F.C (Soldiers For Christ). S.F.C was led by Californian African-American Chris Cooper who originally rapped as Super C (short for Super Chris / Super Christian) and later became Sup the Chemist and then finally Soup the Chemist. Chris Cooper & S.F.C. were instrumental in bringing up and exposing newer Gospel groups such as T-Bone.^{[citation needed]}. Christian emcee Danny "D-Boy" Rodriguez was another well known early Gospel rap artist but was murdered in 1990 in Texas.^[4] dc Talk (also DC Talk and dc talk) is a Christian rock band formed in the late 1980s in Lynchburg, Virginia by Toby McKeehan, Kevin Max, and Michael Tait. ... T-Bone is a Christian rapper. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ...

The 1990s saw the continuing trend of funky rap artists blending faith and rap, such as D.O.C. (Disciples of Christ) who emerged out of Oklahoma as well as the Gospel Gangstaz from Compton and South Central Los Angeles, California. Additional artists made a considerable impact on the Christian hip-hop scene. Such artists that contributed were Dynamic Twins, Freedom of Soul, IDOL King, Apocalypse. S.F.C.'s (Sup, QP, DJ Dove) 1992 album Phase III is considered to be a turning point in Christian rap.^{[citation needed]} Phase III was DJed and produced by DJ Dove, whose credits also include the Gang Affiliated, Gospel Gangstas' 1993 debut album. For other uses, see Oklahoma (disambiguation). ... Nickname: Location of Compton in Los Angeles County, California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles Government  - Mayor Eric Perrodin Area  - Total 10. ... UK train operating company rebranded Southern South Central Los Angeles, USA South Central (movie) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ...

Around the same time as Phase III, Dynamic Twins (Robbie and Noel) came out with their 1993 album No Room To Breathe. This album had a more hardcore "street" feel to it than other albums at the time.^{[citation needed]} Freedom Of Soul (MC Peace, DJ Cartoon) followed with their second album, The Second Coming, (Caught in a land of time was their first) also their last album as a group. Freedom of Soul had a jazzier feel; MC Peace (later known as Peace 586) was known for his smooth flow and delivery.^{[citation needed]} P.I.D. around this time re-invented themselves as the group Preachas, although their only album under that name was Violent Playgrounds.^{[citation needed]}

One of the major influences in the genre came with the formation of Gotee Records in 1994, cofounded by DC Talk member Toby McKeehan, making it the first record label marketed explicitly for Christian Hip-hop and R&B that was backed by a major label. The label was among the first to market the Contemporary Christian Music market through distribution at Christian bookstores and playing on Christian radio. This Trend continued with other labels such as Tooth & Nail's Uprok Records and others which gave an outlet to hip-hop artists who identified themselves as Christian and wanted a broader market. However, much of the sales of these Christian record labels was purchased by people brought up in the church and 70-80% of them being white.^[5] Recently, a number of artists and labels such as Cross Movement Records, Gotee Records,LifeLite Records Media Group, Syntax Records and Deepspace5 Records have purposely tried to market more to people who did not grow up in church as well as more to urban markets.^[6] Gotee Records (established 1994) is a record label founded by dc Talk member Toby McKeehan (professionally known as tobyMac), Todd Collins, and Joey Elwood. ... dc Talk (also DC Talk and dc talk) is a Christian rock band formed in the late 1980s in Lynchburg, Virginia by Toby McKeehan, Kevin Max, and Michael Tait. ... tobyMac at Winter Wonder Slam in 2005 Kevin Michael Toby McKeehan (born October 22, 1964 in Fairfax, Virginia), professionally known as tobyMac, is a professional musician, producer, and songwriter. ... Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM; also by its religious neutral term inspirational music) is a genre of popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith. ... Christian radio is a radio format that focuses on transmitting programming with a Christian message. ... Tooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in the U.S. state of California in 1993. ... They work with Bec recording but other than that I cant even find a website that works for them! If anybody does, please post it! ... Cross Movement Records is an American based Christian hip hop record label, founded by and based on the Christian Hip hop group, The Cross Movement. ... Gotee Records (established 1994) is a record label founded by dc Talk member Toby McKeehan (professionally known as tobyMac), Todd Collins, and Joey Elwood. ... Syntax Records is a record label from Lemon Grove, California. ...

In addition, many major Gospel stars were getting in on the hip-hop & rap genre. Kirk Franklin joined with the 1 Nation Crew in the album Kirk Franklin presents 1NC. Gospel legend Pastor Shirley Caesar recorded a stunning duet "I Know The Truth" with Tonex in which she raps. Kirk Franklin (born January 26, 1970 in Riverside, Texas) is a Grammy Award winning, platinum-selling African American musician who blends gospel, hip hop, and R&B. He released his first gospel album, Kirk Franklin & Family, in 1993, and is known as the leader of contemporary gospel choirs such as... Shirley Caesar (born October 13, 1938 in Durham, North Carolina) is an American gospel singer, known for her energetic performances and powerhose vocals. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

Artists and style

See also: Performers of Christian hip hop music

There has been a segmentation of the musical artists in the genre. Some see themselves as preachers or ministers who proselytize to "non-believers"" or try to preach a positive message using hip-hop as a medium. While others choose to be simply hip-hop artists who are expressing themselves and since they are Christian, their music would contain expression of their faith (some of these artists include Manafest, Lecrae, Skribbal, and T Bone.) This also relates to the argument similar in Christian rock and other Christian music genres where some artists welcome being called Christian artists while others would not want to be labeled as "Christian" so to not tie them down to the Christian music market. Others see themselves somewhere in the middle, who may constantly acknowledge their faith in songs but are not typically considered Christian hip hop artists and see themselves as both preachers and entertainers and welcome acceptance in both the Christian music market as well as crossing over into secular markets.^[7] The English language word proselytism is derived ultimately from the Greek language prefix pros (towards) and the verb erchomai (to come). ... Christian rock (occasionally abbreviated CR) is a form of rock music played by bands whose members are Christian and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Athanasius · Augustine · Constantine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Calvin · Luther · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christian... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

While many notable studios and artists share influence in Holy hip-hop, no one style dominates. Christian hip hop features all conventional hip hop styles. There are many styles (just like secular) such as Westcoast and Eastcoast.

Reaction and Acceptance

Christian Music Industry

As with many inchoate and newly formed musical genres and subgenres of Christian Music, Christian hip-hop initially had difficulty finding an audience. Despite early rejection, Christian hip-hop has managed to follow other forms of Christian music, such as Christian metal, in becoming a dominant force within contemporary Christian music. Christian music awards shows such as the GMA Dove Awards and Stellar Awards have added rap and hip hop categories.^[8][9]. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Athanasius · Augustine · Constantine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Calvin · Luther · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christian... Christian metal is a form of heavy metal music which, as well as its many subgenres, contains Christian lyrics and themes. ... Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM; also by its religious neutral term inspirational music) is a genre of popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith. ... The Gospel Music Association Dove Awards (shortened to GMA Dove Awards), known as the GMA Music Awards in 2006 and a few years before but better known even then as the Dove Awards, were created in 1969 by the Gospel Music Association to honor the outstanding achievements in contemporary Christian... The Chicago-based Central City Productions, Inc. ...

Performances

Live events such as RapFest (held annually in August in New York City) as well as conferences such as Flavor Fest (held annually in November at Crossover Church in Tampa, Florida), the Holy Hip Hop Music Awards & Artist Showcase(held annually in January in Atlanta, Georgia), and the Texas Holy Hip Hop Achievement Awards (held annually in Houston, Texas) have helped to foster the genre among evangelical youth and young adults. Other notable events include The Yuinon & H.P., based in Detroit, Michigan.^{[citation needed]} New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Tampa redirects here. ... Atlanta redirects here. ... Houston redirects here. ... Detroit redirects here. ...

Media

Websites which cater to Christian hip-hop include Rapzilla [1] and SphereofHipHop.com. HolyHipHop.com exceeded 140,000 Digital Downloads in 2006. Christian hip hop themed videos and DVDs are also increasing in availability and popularity. Christopher "Play" Martin (formerly of Kid 'N Play) released a DVD on Amen Films entitled Holy Hip Hop which made it to Blockbuster Video Stores in March 2006.^{[citation needed]} Rapzilla is a Christian Rap online magazine website, one of the top Christian Hip Hop websites. ... Christopher Play Martin (born July 10, 1962 in Queens, New York City) was the African-American half of the 90s rap/comedy duo Kid n Play. ... Kid n Play were a hip-hop and comedy duo from New York City that were most popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ...

Churches and Christian Audiences

Some church congregations have adopted hip hop-themed musical worship. 2007 Holy Hip Hop Music Awards received appearances by Kurtis Blow, GrandMaster Caz, Cheryl "Salt" Wray and even Mase walked in unannounced and went to Pastor Eddie Velez on stage in front of a packed audience to apologize for saying that Christian rap was not of God five years earlier. 2007 Holy Hip Hop Music Awards also received a written endorsement letter from the mayor of Atlanta acknowledging the event's support by the City of Atlanta and recognizing its 7th year.^{[citation needed]} However, other people and churches see "Holy Hip-Hop" and still associate it with the mainstream Hip hop culture which they view as incompatible with Christianity's teachings. ^[10] Hip hop is a subculture, which is said to have begun with the work of DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, and Afrika Bambaattaa. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ...

Secular Audiences

Holy hip-hop has enjoyed some crossover acceptance as well. One of the early accepted artists were D.O.C., who matured under the guidance of former Prince guitarist and vocalist Dez Dickerson,^{[citation needed]} while the gritty Gospel Gangstaz were ex-Bloods and ex-Crips who began ministering to gang-affiliated street youths and winning fans from Interscope to Snoop Dogg.^{[citation needed]} This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Prince changed his stage name into an unpronounceable symbol in 1993, but took up the name Prince again in 1999. ... Dez Dickerson (b. ... The Bloods are one of the Los Angeles, California street gangs. ... The blue bandanas worn by most Crip gangs. ... Interscope Records is a record label currently owned by the Universal Music Group. ... Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. ...

One of the most notable mainstream reactions to Gospel rap was to KJ-52 (pronounced "five-two") and his single "Dear Slim", which was written to Eminem in an attempt reach him with the message of Christ. The song became famous and controversial among Eminem fans when it was featured on the hit show Total Request Live. KJ-52 began to receive hate mail (including death threats) from Eminem's fans, though KJ-52 claimed that the song was not a "diss".^[11] This also led to the single being disparaged by VH1 as # 26 on their "Top 40 Worst Moments in Hip Hop"^[12], an issue the artist addressed in a follow-up song titled "Washed Up". Jonah Sorrentino (born June 26, 1975), better known by his stage name KJ-52, is a Christian rapper from the United States. ... Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), better known as Eminem or Slim Shady, is a Grammy and Academy Award-winning American rapper, record producer and actor from the Detroit, Michigan area. ... TRL redirects here. ... Hate mail (as electronic, postal, or otherwise) is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient. ... VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994 and VH1: Music First until 2003) is an American digital television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently...

The United Kingdom has also recently received Christian rap with groups such as Jahaziel and One Love; although their music has been increasingly played in underground Christian hip hop circles, they have yet to achieve mainstream success. Recently Jahaziel Received airplay on Londons Choice FM with DJ Richard Blackwood as the host who has expressed a liking for his work, namely the song "In My Neighbourhood". The hip-hop gospel scene is also in Japan, with artists such as Yoshi Blessed and Hinds 57 who is now in the comedic pop group BAD. In other countries Christian hip hop has been present in recent years, for example in Germany and South Africa. Choice FM is the name of two commercial radio stations in London, specialising in R&B and reggae. ... Richard twunt Blackwood (hatched 15 May 1972, Clapham, London, England) is a British stand-up comedian, television personality, sometime actor and MC. He co-presents a show on the London radio station, Choice FM, and guests as a disc jockey at nightclubs in the United Kingdom. ... Look up bad in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Nigeria has over the years also been influenced by spiritual hip-hop culture. Several groups have been formed blending Western flow with contemporary Nigerian culture, causing There is a strong following of Christian rap. Artists such as Roof Top MCs and Bouqui are making Gospel Hip-Hop mainstream.^{[citation needed]}

References

See also

• Christian music
• Performers of Christian hip hop music
• Rapzilla