My New Passion, Holy Hip Hop and Lyrical Theology

I have been a fan of hip hop for a long time, at least since junior high (early 90's). Being raised in a Christian home, I listened to some of the early Christian artists, ETW (End Time Warriors), PID, Michael Peace, and, yes, DC Talk. As I got older and was more influenced by the kids in my neighborhood and school, I started listening to a bunch of garbage with foul language that promoted sex, drugs, disrespect of authority, and narcissism. The music really affected me deeply, and I regret the stupid decisions I made based on this indoctrination of "hip" worldliness. The sad and subtle thing about rap music is that a lot of these rappers would claim to know God and have a relationship with Him; it was the church and society that didn't understand them. They would have a song about heaven or a song that was some sort of a confession to God. Then, the next song would talk about their sexual exploits. What a distortion of what it means to know the Lord! I soon bought into this subtle lie, that I was a good person because I "talked" to God and asked Him tough questions about life. He was a God of love, and, at the end of all of the chaos, sinfulnees, and unhappiness, He would receive me into heaven because I believed the Bible was true and could quote it.

When God brought me to repentance (We are called not only to believe, but to repent also!), I had a half-hearted approach to walking away from all of that garbage. For the first time ever, I realized all of the hopelessness and futility in the words that I once thought were truth. However, I still loved the music from an artistic standpoint.

I tried to find good Christian rap. ETW and PID were outdated; DC Talk was on their fourth or fifth genre of music. What I found were a bunch of artists who were just trying to be like everyone else in the world without cussing and being sinful. Rappers were talking more about the hood than they were about Christ and the gospel. A certain rapper who has amazing skill made it a point to talk about all of the violent things that he could do to the devil and demons. I thought that I might as well listen to secular stuff, not Christian music that was trying so hard to sound like secular artists. This was an area of compromise that God has graciously broken me of in the past year thanks to a new movement called Holy Hip Hop.



I have written my own rap songs since junior high. After high school, I was in a rap duo with a great friend, but our music promoted all of the things for which Christ died. After Christ transferred me from darkness to light, I was compelled by the Holy Spirit to walk away from our rap pursuits just when we were finally starting to get good. I tried writing some Christian lyrics shortly after that, but there were no truly sound artists from whom to draw inspiration. About six years later, I started writing lyrics again. They were better, and they reflected spiritual growth and a better understanding of Scripture and Christ's centrality in redemption. The old narcissism that is so prevalent in hip hop was slowly dissolving away.

Then came an email from a friend with a link to Shai Linne's myspace page. I clicked it right away and heard the song "Where You There?" It was similar to a song that I had written entitled "Still Screamin'", only Shai Linne's was so much better. Below is a link to a youtube video that includes a slide show with the song:



I eventually purchased a copy of "The Atonement" by Shai Linne. It was the first sound Christian hip hop album that I had ever purchased. I have heard a number of testimonials about people who totally despised rap music (people who are a generation removed from hip hop music), but were so blessed by the content of "The Atonement." It is a must have for all believers, in my opinion. It will change your life if you will just sit down and listen carefully to it. If you just can't bring yourself to listen to the music, please check out his lyrics at the following website:

http://www.lyricaltheology.blogspot.com

Over the past year, my Holy Hip Hop collection has expanded greatly. I could go on and on about each rapper or group that I listen to on a regular basis, but I will just talk briefly about one group and then provide links to the music pages of some groups that I fully endorse.

116 Clique is out to magnify the Savior and His Word. 116 Clique includes Lecrae, Sho Baraka, Trip Lee, and Tedashii. These guys are all about the Lord and His gospel. They are not about themselves. They are not trying to sound like anybody else. Their music is an inspiration, first and foremost, to help people live their lives to the glory of God, and they are also a blessing to serious hip hop fans who crave solid and God-glorifying content. Their music is amazing from an artistic standpoint. These four are on tour right now on the "Don't Waste Your Life" Tour. The video at the top of this post is of Lecrae performing the title track. I was blessed to see part of this concert two nights ago in Phoenix (the non-air-conditioned venue was a little too much for me and my four-year-old son). I walked away from the show somewhat disappointed that it was overwhelmingly hot but thankful for the hearts of all four of these men, living their lives to the glory of God and touring the country to encourage other people do the same.



Check out the webpages for the following God-glorifying record labels:

http://www.reachrecords.com
http://www.lampmode.com/home.html
http://www.crossmovementrecords.com

Artists I recommend:

http://www.myspace.com/lecrae
http://www.myspace.com/shailinne
http://www.myspace.com/tedashii
http://www.myspace.com/truthonduty
http://www.myspace.com/flame314
http://www.myspace.com/timbrindle
http://www.myspace.com/hazakimcamp
http://www.myspace.com/triplee116

Finally, here is my music page. Definitely, not as good, but I hope that God will use it. More on that at a later time:

http://www.myspace.com/joshuagilchrist

Great Quote on the Doctrine of Election by Scott Maxwell

This is probably the best quote I have ever read or heard regarding God's heart in election. I am looking forward to responding confidently (with humility and grace) to the next person who knocks on predestination or election without having any semblance of Biblical understanding. The quote is taken from a sermon delivered by Scott Maxwell this past Sunday at Grace Bible Church in Tempe, Arizona:

"There is nothing cold about election or predestination. There is nothing mechanical about predestination or election. There is nothing fatalistic about election or predestination in Ephesians 1 and if anyone tells you otherwise, you can rest assured that they haven’t read Ephesians 1. Christian, there is no greater display of God’s kindness to you than in His predestinating work of adoption, to make you one of His own through His privileged Son."

http://http://www.gracetempe.org/wp/?cat=2&special=sermons

Click on the link if you would like to listen to the whole sermon. It is amazing. I am really going to miss sitting under Scott's preaching, but I am thankful that I will still be able to listen to him online on a regular basis. The message is from July 5th and is titled "Ephesians: Boasting in the Father Who Chose Us!"

Thoughts on Sarah Palin

Today, Sarah Palin has resigned as the governor or Alaska. I know it is only a matter of time (if it hasn't happened already) until the media creates round two of Give-Palin-the-Hatchet. O how joyful they must be right now. I personally think it is very sad how many people judged Sarah Palin based on the way that the ridiculously biased media portrayed her. They were unfair and never gave Palin a chance. I don't think anyone can dispute that regardless of how they feel about Palin. It is a shame how many voters made their selection on slanted news coverage which found every fault they possibly could with Palin, but purposefully ignored faults related to Obama and his vice presidential candidate, Joe Biden (the media liked to call those faults "distractions").

Sarah Palin is the object of so much hatred, and I think that it is hypocritical of people who pay such lip-service about tolerance, equality, and fairness to rave the way they do about Sarah Palin. Is such treatment only sexism when it is directed at a women who views the world left-of-center? I don't think so.

I personally don't think that Sarah Palin's move is a good one politically. She gave her reasons why she is leaving, and the media should respect that and report that, not editorialize it. They also shouldn't, but probably will, consider this a moral victory for themselves. They will attribute Palin's resignation to not being able to take the pressure that they threw at her in a lopsided fashion. They view her as the enemy and have criticized her for having the audacity to give birth to a child with Down Syndrome and to allow her unwed teenage daughter to give birth as well. What a horrible reason to criticize: because she is pro-life and dissimilar to Hillary.

Once upon a time, I desired to be a journalist, but when I discovered how so much of journalism is about slaughtering people with ink, I figured I would do something a little more fair and constructive to society and democracy.

I finish today's post with a quote from an excellent read regarding the left-wing's utter loathing of Sarah Palin, a woman whom I consider honorable and who possessed a certain strength and resolve that could really help our nation if both sides could learn how to coexist. The media doesn't ever want to see such cooperation between the parties take place. The quote is from Bernard Goldberg:

"What makes these liberals foam at the mouth is that this "white trash," pro-gun, pro-life, church-going woman, who didn't go to Harvard or Yale or Princeton, but who flitted from one second-rate school to another before she wound up ... at the University of Idaho, became the most prominent woman in all of America! They hated that. It wasn't supposed to be that way. It drove them crazy with rage. She wasn't one of them. She wasn't even really a woman, as those feminists told us. She was... a conservative!