At a young age, I was exposed to the world of secular music. Genres like Rap, R n B, country and the likes. Of course, I had a predilection for the slow types that would talk about love, the beauty of the sexual experience and the overarching theme of falling and maybe, staying in love. However, finding Christ sort of weaned me of my appetite for secular songs.
When I say secular songs here, I mean songs that do not in any way glorify God. I began to listen more to Hillsong, Jesus Culture, Barlow Girl, Don Moen and Darlene Zschech. I became so accustomed to worship songs, forgetting that every Godly song (whether high-pitch or low-pitch, whether fast tempo or slow tempo) was focused on one person, God.
My love for rap is growing gradually. I met Toluwani, a close friend for years now, and she happened to love Lecrae. I had no idea of who Lecrae was, and I did not think I was “cut out for the whole rap stuff”, so I hardly had a fast tempo song on my playlist. But listening to Lecrae’s Anomaly changed my life. I cannot categorically state the other albums by heart, but I have to realise that rap is indeed a form of music with so much depth- if only you would patiently listen to the words of grace coming out from the mouths of his servants.
The message of this is simple: Christian rap is deep, and just like worship songs and praise songs, Christian hip hop glorifies God immensely, and teaches people about God in blunt and clear terms.
Many persons tend to have a misconception of rap in general:
- Too loud
- Too fast
- Too up-beat
- Too noisy
However, the first thing I came to discover about rap, like I said earlier, is the depth. A line could carry me for weeks. Sometimes, I even go on Google and check for what part of the Bible says so and so. They are as deep as worship songs and as the contemporary praise songs. Best of all, they are focused on praising God and telling more about Him.
Just like the fingers cannot work without the hand, and the toes cannot work without the legs; and just like the human body is a function of many parts, so is Christian rap a fundamental part of Christian music that should not be an afterthought. I think in a way, rap music teaches you how to listen to music and not just hear it. For in listening to music, you get lost in the word combinations, the sentence structures and in how a message is conveyed with such depth and clarity.
You might not be a fan of Christian hip hop yet, but do not ignore these songs. They will change your life and change how you see God. And how you see yourself (In light of God’s word).
