By Deepa Shah
Holy Hip-Hop – it is not just for the deeply religious and positive thinking. Today, rappers from the mainstream are moving away from the secular and reconnecting with a Christian faith that was once just a hush-hush topic in Hip-Hop circles. With a Rap community that is filled with misogyny, drug and alcohol abuse, and endless violence, Hip-Hop's need for a balance has turned many listeners and artists back to their faith in order to reconcile a society's turmoil.
Former Three 6 Mafia member Mr. Del, rapper Shawn Pen (formerly Lil Shawn) and producer Rockwilder are just a few prominent names who have recently revamped their music into Christian Rap. And smaller and up-and-coming artists like 2Five are still fueling the Christian Rap movement with their own brand of in your face preaching.
The integration of Christian values within the realm of Hip-Hop isn't a new concept. Tupac nearly put himself on a pedestal right next to (and even above) Jesus himself as he filled his music with images of himself leading his disciples to a better life. On the cover of his first posthumous record, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, the image of Tupac nailed to a cross pinned him as a Hip-Hop martyr. Though Tupac used his thug image to come off as a gangster to be reckoned with, he always portrayed himself as a "Black Jesus."
Tupac's connection with Christian and Muslim ideas is an obvious part of his upbringing; as a son of the Black Panther, he took his personal struggles to the street and found solace in his faith. His music relayed himself as a warrior of God just trying to make it in this world.
As Tupac took a no holds bar approach to his music, other well-known artists have flirted with ideas of Christianity in their music. MC Hammer took off as a pop star joke in the 90s, but even after the fame of "U Can't Touch This," Hammer's biggest US hit was his Christian-infused song "Pray" (peaking at #2 on the Billboard Charts). Hammer even went on to start a short-lived pastoral career – the truth remains even after being Hip-Hop's punch line, MC Hammer wasn't afraid to out his Christian side ("up" was the only direction for him to go at that point).
Even the dawg himself, DMX has fluttered between his street cred and Christianity to come to new terms musically. In 2006, DMX released the Scott Storch produced "Lord Give Me A Sign," calling out to Jesus as his savior. "In the name of Jesus/Devil I rebuke you for what I go through/For trying to make me do what I used to." While Tupac infused his music with the whole world around him (druggin', bangin', hoochin', and believin'), it begs the question, does a few Christian themed songs make you a real Christian artist? Today, more and more Hip-Hop artists are not only being "saved," but they are also bringing their Christian values to the forefront of the music.
When Memphis-based Three 6 Mafia hit the scene, Hip-Hop was taken by storm with the group's new brand on "crunk" music. With chart-topping albums and nationwide exposure, Mr. Del was getting ready to release his own solo album when his musical career and personal faith took a turn.
"While sitting in service not really paying attention, God spoke to me and said, 'Come out and I want you to do exactly what you're doing now but do it for me,'" Mr. Del says. "My response to God was you have to take care of me and he said, 'Trust me.' So, I have been rolling with God every since."
But bringing faith into his music didn't change Mr. Del's love for Hip-Hop.
"I came from Three 6 Mafia, and I was able to bring the same passion and drive to what I'm doing now which makes me different from the norm."
Today, Mr. Del heads up The Holy South Movement – his own musical imprint. Pushing aside the idea of the "Dirty South," Mr. Del started his faith-based record label in attempt to allow artists with a heavy Christian backdrop to shine musically, and to bring the idea of the "Holy" South back into mainstream Hip-Hop. "Hip-Hop currently lacks substance and the Holy Hip-Hop movement can provide that substance through God's anointing," Mr. Del says.
When you lose faith in the streets and everything you knew growing up, where do you turn? For Shawn Pen, rekindling his faith was the next best step for him to grow personally and musically. Shawn Pen went from rapping about his pimp status and gangsta lifestyle on his 1992 album The Voice In The Mirror, to serving a five-year federal prison sentence. With a hit Notorious B.I.G. collaboration, "Dom Perignon," turning his music towards faith was never expected.
"Coming home after a five-year Federal stretch, I lost all faith in the streets after being snitched on by street dudes who I considered close friends," Shawn Pen says. "Also, I personally didn't feel right being a negative influence lyrically to the many kids that listen, love and purchase the music."
But for Shawn Pen it wasn't just a change in ideology that led him back to religion – it had always been a part of him.
"When I was in the streets getting money, I always had a foot in the music industry. What they knew of me personally never coincided with the music I made because the two were so night and day."
Christian rap music has in some form or another always been part of the Hip-Hop community (does anyyone remember Sketch and Frankie's choir rap "Are You Down With G.O.D." from Sister Act 2?) – unfortunately, it's been easier for record labels to promote profanity and music with high production value. "The spotlight is put on the only thing we have and that is the glorification of where most of us come from," Shawn Pen says. And that's where Christian rap artists like Shawn Pen take a stand and start rapping about what they know best, and that's God. "The reason why there's a wedge between Gospel rap and secular rap at radio is because one didn't keep up with the other when it came to the production and the rapper's flow causing it to fall short in quality," he says. "All it is, is positive."
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