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Christian Rap/Hip Hop news, events, and lyrics ft. Lecrae, Trip Lee, Tedashii, Flame and more!
Christian rock music hip hop (originally Gospel rap, also known as Christian rap, Gospel hip hop, holy hip hop, or Christ hop) is a form of hip hop music that includes Christian themes in its lyrics that became established during the 1990s. While the audience is typically Christian, the Christian music is also used in Christian mission work for the purpose of evangelization. Since Christian rock hip hop music started in the 1970s, various Christian rock hip-hop artists have expressed their spiritual beliefs, including Christianity in their Christian rock music lyrics. The first commercially released and distributed Gospel rap album was Stephen Wiley’s 1985 album Bible Break, disturbed by Benson Music Group Reverend DeWayne GoLightly (aka Rev. Rap’) was one of the first Christian hip-hop artist without a commercially released Gospel rap cassette. In the same year by David Guzman founded JC & The Boyz. Some of America’s premiere Christian rock rappers, such as: SFC, Dynamic Twins, MC Peace, and T-Bone came out of this crew. They were the first group to appear on TBM and The 700 Club. More commercially successful was the crew known as P.I.D. (Preachas In Disguise) who released five popular, funky Gospel rap recordings ("Here We Are", "Back to Back","The Chosen One’s", "Born with the Gift" and "Violent Playgrounds"). Michael Peace is an American rapper and one of Christian rock music rap’s first solo artists is considered the grandfather of Christian rock music hip-hop. In the late 1980s, other crews emerged, including dc Talk and S.F.C. (Soldiers for Christ). S.F.C. was led by 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, JC & The Boyz, and S.F.C. were instrumental in bringing up and exposing newer Gospel groups such as LPG, Tunnel Rats, Future Shock, and T-Bone. Christian emcee Danny “D-Boy” Rodriguez was another well-known early Gospel rap artist but was murdered in 1990 in Texas. The 1990s saw the continuing trend of funky Christian rock music 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.. In 1991, JC Crew emerged spawning the careers of Maximillian (West Coast beat box champion) and T-Bone. Additional artists made a considerable impact on the Christian rock music hip-hop scene. Such artists that contributed were Dynamic Twins, Freedom of Soul, IDOL King, Apocalypse and both 12th Tribe and Holy Alliance who were produced by Scott Blackwell or MYX Records. S.F.C.’s (Sup, QP, DJ Dove) 1992 album Phase III is considered to be a turning point in Christian rap. Phase III was DJed and produced by DJ Dove, whose credits also include the Gang Affiliated, Gospel Gangstas’ 1993 debut album. 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. 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. P.I.D. around this time re-invented themselves as the group Preachas, although their only album under that name was Violent Playgrounds. One of the major influences in the genre came with the formation of Gotee Records in 1994, co-founded by dc Talk member Toby McKeeham, making it the first record label marketed explicitly for Christian rock music 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 that 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 were purchased by people brought up in the church and 70-80% of them being white. Recently, a number of artists and labels such as End Of Earth Records, Rezurredcted Muzic, Cross Movement Records, Grapetree Records, Syntax Records, Deepspace5 Records, Universal Funk Records, Illect Recordings, and The New Unstoppable Records have purposely tried to market more to people who did not grow up in church as well as more to urban markets. In addition, many major Christian music Gospel stars were getting in on the Christian rock music 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 duet "I Know The Truth" with Tonex in which she raps.
Before I write about the Christian rock music hip-hop, I will be writing two parts as there is lot of info about it. So tomorrow I will write part 2.
From Christian Rock to the Rock of Ages
I have posted about Christian rock music Hip Hop and for the next few posting I will be writing more about the Non-Christian music Hip Hop came about starting in the 1970′s till present-2000′s.
Part 1—In the 1970’s
The roots of the Non-Christian rock music hip hop are found in African-American music and ultimately African music. The riots of West Africa are a group of traveling singers and poets who are part of an oral tradition dating back hundreds of years. Their vocal style is similar to that of rappers. The African-American traditions of signifyin’, the dozens, and jazz poetry are all descended from the riots. In addition, musical ‘comedy’ acts such as Rudy Ray Moore and Blowfly are considered by some to be the forefathers of rap.
Within New York City, riot-like performances of spoken-word poetry and Christian rock music by artists such as The Last Poets, Gil Scott-Heron and Jalal Mansure Nuriddin had a significant impact on the post-civil rights era culture of the 1960s and 1970s.
Non-Christian rock music Hip hop arose during the 1970s when block parties became increasingly popular in New York City, particularly in the Bronx, where African American and Puerto Rican influences combined. Block parties incorporated DJs who played popular genres of music, especially funk and soul music and. Due to the positive reception, DJs began isolating the percussion breaks of popular songs. This technique was then common in Jamaican dub music and had spread to New York City via the substantial Jamaican immigrant community. A major proponent of the technique was the Jamaican-born DJ Kool Herc, who immigrated to the United States in 1967. Dub music had become popular in Jamaica due to the influence of Amercian sailors and rhythm & blues. Large sound systems were set up to accommodate poor Jamaicans who couldn’t afford to buy records and dub developed at the sound systems. Because the New York audience did not particularly like dub or reggae, , Herc switched to using funk, soul and disco records. As the percussive breaks were generally short, Herc and other DJs began extending them using an audio mixer and two records.
Turntablist techniques, such as scratching (seemingly invented by Grand Wizzard Theodore), beat mixing/matching, and beat juggling eventually developed along with the breaks, creating a base that could be rapped over. These same techniques contributed to the popularization of remixes as the looping, sampling and remixing of another’s music, often without the original artist’s knowledge or consent, can be seen as an evolution of Jamaican dub music, and would become a hallmark of the Non- Christian rock music hip hop style.
Corresponding dance elements developed from the Latino influence of Puerto Ricans in the Bronx.
Jamaican immigrants provided an influence on the vocal style of rapping by delivering simple raps at their parties, inspired by the Jamaican tradition of toasting. DJs and MCs would often add call and response chants, often comprising of a basic chorus, to allow the performer to gather his thoughts (e.g. "one, two, three, y’all, to the beat").
Later, the MCs grew more varied in their vocal and rhythmic delivery, incorporating brief rhymes, often with a sexual or scatological theme, in an effort to differentiate themselves and to entertain the audience. These early raps incorporated the dozens, a product of African American culture. Kool Herc & the Herculoids were the first hip hop group to gain recognition in New York but the number of MC teams increased over time.
Often these were collaborations between former gangs such as Afrikaa Bambaataa’s Universal Zulu Nation – now an international organization. Melle Mel, a rapper with The Furious Five is often credited with being the first rap lyricist to call himself an "MC." During the early 1970s B-boying arose during block parties, as b-boys and b-girls got in front of the audience to dance in a distinctive and frenetic style. The style was documented for release to a worldwide audience for the first time in documentaries and movies such as Style Wars, Wild Style and Beat Street. The term "B-boy" was coined by DJ Kool Herc to describe the people who would wait for the break section of the song, getting in front of the audience to dance in a distinctive, frenetic style.
Although there were many early MCs that recorded solo projects of note, such as DJ Hollywood, Kurtis Blow and Spoonie Gee, the frequency of solo artists didn’t increase until later with the rise of soloists with stage presence and drama, such as LL Cool J. Most early Non-Christian rock music hip hop was dominated by groups where collaboration between the members was integral to the show. An example would be the earlyNon-Christian rock music hip hop group Funky Four Plus One, who performed in such a manner on Saturday Night Live in 1981.
Non-Christian rock music Hip hop music was an outlet and a "voice" for the disenfranchised youth of low-economic areas as the culture reflected the social, economic and political realities of their lives.
Non-Christian rock music Hip Hop Part 2—In the 1980’s (part a)
The 1980s marked the diversification of Non-Christian rock music hip hop as the genre developed more complex styles. Early examples of the diversification process can be identified through such tracks as Grandmaster Flash’s "The Adventure of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981), a single consisting entirely of sampled tracks as well as Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock” (1982), which signified the fusion of hip hop music with electro. In addition, Rammellzee & K-Rob’s "Beat Bop" (1983) was a ‘slow jam’ which had a dub influence with its use of reverb and echo as texture and playful sound effects. The mid-1980s was marked by the influence of rock music, with the release of such albums as King of Rock and Licensed to III.
Heavy usage of the new generation of drum machines such as the Oberheim DMX and Roland 808 models was a characteristic of many 1980s songs. To this day the 808 kickdrum is traditionally used by Non-Christian rock music hip hop producers. Over time sampling technology became more advanced; however earlier producers such as Marley Marl used drum machines to construct their beats from small excerpts of other beats in synchronization, in his case, triggering 3 Korg sampling-delay units through a 808. Later, samplers such as the E-mu SP-1200 allowed not only more memory but more flexibility for creative production. This allowed the filtration and layering different hits, and with a possibility of re-sequencing them into a single piece.
With the emergence of a new generation of samplers such as the AKAI S900 in the late 1980s, producers did not require the aid of tape loops. Public Enemy’s first album was created with the help of large tape loops. The process of looping break into a breakbeat now became more common with a sampler, now doing the job which so far had been done manually by the DJ. In 1989, DJ Mark James under the moniker "45 King", released "The 900 Number", a breakbeat track created by synchronizing samplers and vinyl.
The lyrical content of Non-Christian rock music hip hop evolved as well. The early styles presented in the 1970s soon were replaced with metaphorical lyrics over more complex, multi-layered instrumentals. Artists such as Melle Mel, Rakin, Chuck D and KRS-One revolutionized Non-Christian rock music hip hop by transforming it into a more mature art form. The influential single "The Message” (1982) by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five is widely considered to be the pioneering force for conscious rap.
During the early 1980s, electro music was fused with elements of the Non-Christian rock music hip hop movement, largely led by artists such as Cybotron, Hashim, Planet Patrol and Newsleus. The most notable proponent was Afrika Bambaataa who produced the single "Planet Rock”.
Some rappers eventually became mainstream pop performers. Kurtis Blow’s appearance in a Sprite commercial marked the first hip hop musician to represent a major product. The 1981 song "Christmas Wrapping" by the new-wave band The Waitresses was one of the first pop songs to use some rapping in the delivery.
Prior to the 1980s, Non-Christian rock hip hop music was largely confined within the context of the United States. However, during the 1980s, it began its spread and became a part of the music scene in dozens of countries. In the early part of the decade, B-Boying became the first aspect of hip hop culture to reach Germany, Japan, Australia and South Africa, where the crew Black Noise established the practice before beginning to rap later in the decade. Musician and presenter Sidney became France’s first black TV presenter with his show H.I.P. H.O.P. which screened on TF1 during 1984, a first for the genre worldwide. Radio Nova helped launch other French stars including Dee Nasty whose 1984 album Paname City Rappin’ along with compilations Rapattitude 1 and 2 contributed to a general awareness of Hip Hop in France.
Non-Christian rock music hip hop has always kept a very close relationship with the Latino community in New York. DJ Disco Wiz and the Rock Steady Crew were among early innovators from Puerto Rico, combining English and Spanish in the lyrics. The Mean Machine recorded his first song under the label "Disco Dreams" in 1981, while Kid Frost from Los Angeles began his career in 1982.
Cypress Hill was formed in 1988 in the suburb of Southgate in Los Angeles when Senen Reyes (born in Havana) and his younger brother Ulpiano Sergio (Mellow Man Ace) moved from Cuba to Southgate with his family in 1971. They teamed up with DVX, an Italian-American from Queens (New York), Lawrence Muggerud (DJ Muggs) and Louis Freese (B-Real), a Mexico-Cuban native of Los Angeles. After the departure of "Ace" to begin his solo career the group adopted the name of Cypress Hill named after a street running through the neighborhood of South Los Angeles.
Japanese Non-Christian rock music hip hop is said to have begun when Hiroshi Fujiwara returned to Japan and started playing Hip-Hop records in the early 1980s. Japanese hip hop generally tends to be most directly influenced by old school hip hop, taking from the era’s catchy beats, dance culture, and overall fun and carefree nature and incorporating it into their music. As a result, hip hop stands as one of the most commercially viable mainstream music genres in Japan, and the line between it and pop music is frequently blurred.
Non-Christian & Christian rock music Hip Hop part 6–In the 2000′s (part a)
The popularity of Non-Christian music hip hop music continued through the 2000s. In the year 2000, The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem sold over ten million copies in the United States and was the fastest selling album of all time. Nelly’s debut LP, Country Grammar, sold over nine million copies. In the 2000s, crunk music, a derivative of Southern Non-Christian music hip hop, gained considerable popularity via the likes of Lil John and the Ying, Yang Twins
Non-Christian music Hip hop influences also found their way increasingly into mainstream pop during this period mainly the mid-2000s. In the East Coast, popular acts during this period included 50 Cent, whose 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 charts.
In addition to the mainstream success, the United States also saw the success of alternative non-Christian music hip hop in the form of performers such as The Roots, Dilated Peoples, Gnarls Barkley and Mos Def, who achieved significant recognition. Gnarls Barkley’s album St. Elswhere, which contained a fusion of funk, neo soul and hip hop, debuted at number 20 on the Billboard 200 charts. In addition, Aesop Rock ‘s 2007 album None Shall Pass was well received, and reached #50 on the Billboard charts.
World and national music
The continuation of non-Christian music hip hop can also be seen in different national contexts. In Tanzania, maintained popular acts of their own in the early 2000s, infusing local styles of Afrobeat and arabesque melodies, dancehall and hip-hop beats, and Swahili lyrics. Scandinavian, especially Danish and Swedish, performers became well known outside of their country, while hip hop continued its spread into new regions, including Russia, Japan, Philippines, Canada, China, Korea, India and especially Vietnam. Of particular importance is the influence on East Asian nations, where hip hop music has become fused with local popular music to form different styles such as K-pop, C-pop and J-pop.
In Germany and France, gangsta rap has become popular among youths who like the violent and aggressive lyrics. Some German rappers openly or comically flirt with Nazism, Bushido (born Anis Mohamed Youssef Ferchichi) raps "Salutiert, steht stramm, Ich bin der Leader wie A" (Salute, stand to attention, I am the leader like ‘A’) and Fler had a hit with the record Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave) complete with the title written in Third Reich style Gothic print and advertised with an Adolf Hitler quote. These references also spawned great controversy in Germany. Meanwhile in France, artists like Kery James ‘ Idéal J maintained a radical, anti-authoritarian attitude and released songs like Hardcore which attacked the growth of the French far right.
In the Netherlands, MC Brainpower went from being an underground battle rapper to mainstream recognition in the Benelux, thus influencing numerous rap artists in the region. In Isreal, rapper Subliminal reaches out to Israeli youth with political and religious-themed lyrics, usually with a Zionist message.
One of the countries outside the US where non-Christian music hip-hop is most popular is the United Kingdom, where artists such as Dizzee Rascal and Lady Sovereign mix gangsta rap with pop and electronica to form grime music, associated with the chav subculture. Although it is immensely popular, many British politicians criticize the non-Christian music for what they see as promoting theft and murder, similar to gangsta rap in America. These criticisms have been deemed racist by the mostly Black British grime industry. Despite its controversial nature, grime has had a major effect on British fashion and pop music, with many young working class youth emulating the clothing worn by grime stars like Dizzee Rascal and Wiley. There are many subgenres of grime, including Rhythm and Grime, a mix of R&B and grime, and grindie, a mix of indie rock and grime popularized by indie rock band Hadouken!.
Non-Christian hip hop has globalized into many cultures worldwide, as evident through the emergence of numerous regional scenes. It has emerged globally as a movement based upon the main tennets of hip hop culture. The non-Christian music and the art continue to embrace, even celebrate, its transnational dimensions while staying true to the local cultures to which it is rooted. Hip-hop’s inspiration differs depending on each culture. Still, the one thing virtually all non-Christian and Christian music hip hop artists worldwide have in common is that they acknowledge their debt to those African American people in New York who launched the global movement. While non-Christian hip-hop is sometimes taken for granted by Americans, it is not so elsewhere, especially in the developing world, where it has come to represent the empowerment of the disenfranchised and a slice of the American dream. American hip-hop music has reached the cultural corridors of the globe and has been absorbed and reinvented around the world.
Crunk and snap music
Crunk originated from southern hip hop in the late 1990s. The style was pioneered and commercialized by artists from Memphis, Tennessee and Atlanta, Georgia.
Looped, stripped-down drum machine rhythms are usually used. The Roland TR-808 and 909 are among the most popular. The drum machines are usually accompanied by simple, repeated synthesizer melodies and heavy bass stabs. The tempo of the music is somewhat slower than hip-hop, around the speed of reggaeton.
The focal point of crunk is more often the beats and non-Christian music than the lyrics therein. Crunk rappers, however, often shout and scream their lyrics, creating an aggressive, almost heavy, style of hip-hop. While other subgenres of hip-hop address sociopolitical or personal concerns, crunk is almost exclusively party music, favoring call and response hip-hop slogans in lieu of more substantive approaches.
Snap music is a subgenre of crunk that emerged from Atlanta, Georgia, in the late 1990s. The genre soon gained mainstream popularity and in mid-2005 artists from other southern states such as Texas and Tennessee began to emerge with this style. Tracks commonly consist of an 808 bassdrum, hi-hat, bass, snapping, a main groove and and a vocal track. Hit snap songs include "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It” by “dem Franchize Boys”, :Laffy Taffy” by D4L. “It’s Goin’ Down” by Yung Joc and “Crant That (Soulja Boy)” by Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em.
Glitch hop and wonky music
Glitch hop is a fusion genre of non-Christian music hip hop and glitch music that originated in the early to mid-2000s in the United States and Europe. Musically, it is based on irregular, chaotic brakbeats, glitch basslines and other typical sound effects used in glitch music, like skips. Glitch hop artists include Prefuse 73, Dabrye and Flying Lotus.
Wonky is a subgenre of non-Christian music hip hop that originated around 2008 all around the globe (but most notably in the United States and United Kingdom, and among international artists of the Hyperdub music label), under the influence of glitch hop and dubstep. Wonky music is of the same glitchy type as glitch hop, but it was specifically noted for its melodies, rich with "mid-range unstable synths". Scotland has become one of the most prominent places, where wonky music was shaped by artists like Hudson Mohawke and Rustie. In Glasgow, Rustie has created the substyle of wonky music called "aquacrunk", a fusion of wonky and crunk music; the most specific trait of aquacrunk are its "aquatic" synths.
Glitch hop and wonky are popular among a limited amount of people interested in alternative hip hop and electronic music (especially dubstep); neither glitch hop nor wonky have met any mainstream popularity.
From Christian Rock to the Rock of Ages
Non-Christian music Hip Hop Part 7—In the 2000’s (part b)
Starting in 2005, sales of non-Christian music hip hop music in the United States began to severely wane, leading Time magazine to question if mainstream non-Christian music hip-hop was "dying." Billboard Magazine found that, since 2000, rap sales dropped 44%, and declined to 10% of all non-Christian music sales, which, while still a commanding figure when compared to other genres, is a significant drop from the 13% of all music sales where rap music regularly placed. NPR culture critic Elizabeth Blair noted that, "some industry experts say young people are fed up with the violence, degrading imagery and lyrics."
Others say the non-Christian music is just as popular as it ever was, but that fans have found other means to consume the music." It can also be argued that many young people now download music illegally, especially through P2P networks, instead of purchasing albums and singles from legitimate stores. For example, Flo Rida is known for his low album sales regardless of his singles being mainstream and having digital success. His second album R.O.O.T.S. sold only 200,000+ total units in the U.S., which could not line up to the sales of the album’s lead single "Right Round". This also happened to him in 2008. Some put the blame on the lack of lyrical content that hip hop once had, another example is Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em’s 2007 debut album souljaboytellem.com was met with negative reviews. Lack of sampling, a key element of non-Christian music hip hop, has also been noted for the decrease in quality of modern albums. For example, there are only four samples used in 2008′s Paper Trail by T.I., while there are 35 samples in 1998′s Moment of Truth by Gang Starr. The decrease in sampling is in part due to it being too expensive for producers. In Byron Hurt’s documentary Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, he claims that hip hop had changed from "clever rhymes and dance beats" to "advocating personal, social and criminal corruption." Despite the fall in record sales throughout the music industry, non-Christian music hip-hop has remained a popular genre, with hip-hop artists still regularly topping the Billboard 200 Charts. In the first half of 2009 alone artists such as Emine,. Rick Ross, Black Eyed Peas, and all had albums that reached the #1 position on the Billboard 200 charts. Eminem’s album Relapse was one of the fastest selling albums of 2009. In the first half of 2010, four hip hop acts topped the Billboard 200; Ludacris B.o.B., Drake and again Eminem.
Innovation and revitalization
It was in the later 2000s that alternative hip hop finally secured a place within the mainstream, due in part to the declining commercial viability of gangsta rap as well as the crossover success of artists such as OutKast, Kanye West and Gnarls Barkley. Not only did OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below receive high acclaim from music critics, manage to appeal to listeners of all ages, and span numerous musical genres – including rap, rock, R&B, punk, jazz, indie, country, pop, electronica and Christian music gospel – but it also spawned two number-one hit singles and has been certified diamond by selling 11 times platinum by the RIAA for shipping more than 11 million units, becoming the bestselling rap album of all time as well as winning a Grammy Award for Album of the Year at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards being only the second rap album to do so. Industry observers view the sales race between Kanye West’s Graduation and 50 Cent’s Curtis as a turning point for non-Christian music hip hop. West emerged the victor, selling nearly a million copies in the first week alone, proving that innovative rap music could be just as commercially viable as gangsta rap, if not more so. Although he designed it as a melancholic pop rather than rap, Kanye’s following 808 & Heartbreak would have a significant effect on hip hop music. While his decision to sing about love, loneliness, and heartache for the entirety of the album was at first heavily criticized by non-Christian music audiences and the album predicted to be a flop, its subsequent critical acclaim and commercial success encouraged other mainstream rappers to take greater creative risks with their non-Christian music. During the release of The Blueprint 3, New York rap mogul Jay-Z revealed that next studio album would be an experimental effort, stating, "… it’s not gonna be a #1 album. That’s where I’m at right now. I wanna make the most experimental album I ever made." Jay-Z elaborated that like Kanye, he was unsatisfied with contemporary non-Christian music hip hop, was being inspired by indie-rockers like Grizzly Bear and asserted his belief that the indie rock movement would play an important role in the continued evolution of hip-hop.
The alternative hip hop movement is not limited solely to the United States, as rappers such as Somali-Canadian poet K’nann, Japanese rapper Shing02 and Sri Lankan British artist M.I.A. have achieved considerable worldwide recognition. In 2009, TIME magazine placed M.I.A in the Time 100 list of "World’s Most Influential people" for having "global influence across many genres." Today, due in part to the increasing use of music distribution through the internet , many alternative rap artists find acceptance by far-reaching audiences. Several burgeoning artists such as Kid Cudi and Drake have managed to attain record-breaking, chart-topping hit songs, "Day ‘n’ Night” and “Best I Ever Had " respectively, which they both released on free online mixtapes without the help of a major record label. The pair, along with other new artists such as Wale, The Cool Kids, Big Sean, Jay Electronica and B.o.B., openly acknowledge being directly influenced by their nineties alt-rap predecessorsin addition to alt-rock groups while their music has been noted by critics as expressing eclectic sounds, life experiences, and emotions rarely seen in mainstream non-Christian music hip hop.
Non-Christian rock music Hip Hop Part 4—In the 1990’s (part a)
In 1990, MC Hammer hit mainstream success with the multi-platinum album Olease Hammer, Don’t’ Hur’Em”. The record reached #1 and the first single, "Can’t Touch This" charted on the top ten of the billboard hot 100. MC Hammer became one of the most successful rappers of the early nineties and one of the first household names in the non-Christian rock music genre. The album raised rap music to a new level of popularity. It was the first hip-hop album certified diamond by the RIAA for sales of over ten million. It remains one of the genre’s all-time best-selling albums. To date, the album has sold as many as 18 million units.
In 1992, Dr. Dre released The Chronic. As well as helping to establish West Coast gangsta rap as more commercially viable than East Coast non-Christian rock music hip hop, this album founded a style called G Funk, which soon came to dominate West Coast hip hop. The style was further developed and popularized by Snoop Dogg’s in 1993 album Doggystyle.
The Wu-Tang Clan shot to fame around the same time. Being from New York’s Staten Island, the Wu-Tang Clan brought the East Coast back into the mainstream at a time when the West Coast mainly dominated rap. Other major artists in the so-called East Coast non-Christian rock music hip hop renaissance included The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z and Nas.
The Beastie Boys continued their success throughout the decade crossing color lines and gaining respect from many different artists.
Record labels based out of Atlanta, St Louis and New Orleans gained fame for their local scenes. The Midwest rap scene was also notable, with the fast vocal styles from artists such as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Tech N9ne and Twisa. By the end of the decade, non-Christian rock music hip hop was an integral part of popular music, and many American pop songs had hip hop components.
In the Dominican Republic, a recording by Santi Y Sus Duendes and Lisa M became the first single of merenrap, a fusion of hip hop and merengue.
New York City experienced a heavy Jamaican non-Christian rock music hip hop influence during the 1990s. This influence was brought on by cultural shifts particularly because of the heightened immigration of Jamaicans to New York City and the American-born Jamaican youth who were coming of age during the 1990s. Hip hop artists such as De La Soul and Black Star have produced albums influenced by Jamaican roots.
In Europe, Africa, and Asia, hip hop began to move from the underground to mainstream audiences. In Europe, hip hop was the domain of both ethnic nationals and immigrants. British hip hop, for example, became a genre of its own, and Germany produced the well-known Die Fantastischen Vier as well as several Turkish performers like the controversial Cartel, Kool Savas and Azad. Similary, France has produced a number of native-born stars, such as IAM and Supreme NTM, MC Solaar or Booba. In the Neterlands, important nineties rappers include The Osdorp Posse, a crew from Amsterdam, Extince from Oosterhout and Postmen. Italy found its own rappers, including Jovanotti and Artcolo 31, grow nationally renowned, while the Polish scene began in earnest early in the decade with the rise of PM Cool Lee. In Romania, B.U.G. Mafia came out of Bucharest ‘s Pantelimon neighborhood, and their brand of gangsta rap underlines the parallels between life in Romania’s Communist-era apartment blocks and in the housing projects of America’s ghettos. Isreal’s hip hop grew greatly in popularity at the end of the decade, with several stars both Palestinian (Tamer Nafer) and Isreali (Subliminal).
In Asia, mainstream stars rose to prominence in the Philippines, led by Francis Magalona, Rap Asia, MC Lara and Lady Diane. In Japan, where underground rappers had previously found a limited audience, and popular teen idols brought a style called J-rap to the top of the charts in the middle of the 1990s.
Latinos had played an integral role in the early development of non-Christian rock music hip hop, and the style had spread to parts of Latin America, such as Cuba, early in its history. In Mexico, popular hip hop began with the success of Calo in the early 1990s. Later in the decade, with Latin rap groups like Cypress Hill on the American charts, Mexican rap rock groups, such as Control Machete, rose to prominence in their native land. An annual Cuban hip hop concert held at Alamar in Havana helped popularize Cuban hip hop, beginning in 1995. Hip hop grew steadily more popular in Cuba, because of official governmental support for musicians.
Non-Christian rock music Hip Hop Part 5–In the 1980’s (part b)
The new school of non-Christian rock music hip hop was the second wave of hip hop music, originating in 1983–84 with the early records of Run-D.M.C. and LL Cool J. As with the hip hop preceding it, the new school came predominately from New York City. The new school was initially characterized in form by drum machine -led minimalism, with influences from rock music. It was notable for taunts and boasts about rapping, and socio-political commentary, both delivered in an aggressive, self-assertive style. In image as in song its artists projected a tough, cool, street b-boy attitude. These elements contrasted sharply with the funk and disco influenced outfits, novelty hits, live bands, synthesizers and party rhymes of artists prevalent prior to 1984, and rendered them old-school. New school artists made shorter songs that could more easily gain radio play, and more cohesive LPs than their old school counterparts. By 1986 their releases began to establish the hip hop album as a fixture of the mainstream. Hip hop music became commercially successful, as exemplified by The Beastie Boys’ 1986 album Licensed to Kill, which was the first rap album to hit #1 on the Billboard charts
Non-Christian rock music hip hop’s "golden age" (or "golden era") is a name given to a period in mainstream hip hop—usually cited as the late 1980s to the early 1990s—said to be characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence. There were strong themes of Afrocentricity and political militancy, while the music was experimental and the sampling, eclectic. There was often a strong jazz influence. The non-Christian rock artists most often associated with the phrase are Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Eric B. & Rakim, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Big Daddy Kane and the Jungle Brothers
The golden age is noted for its innovation – a time “when it seemed that every new single reinvented the genre” according to Rolling Stone. Referring to “hip-hop in its golden age”, Spin’s editor-in-chief Sia Michel says, “there were so many important, groundbreaking albums coming out right about that time”, and MTV’s Sway Calloway adds: "The thing that made that era so great is that nothing was contrived. Everything was still being discovered and everything was still innovative and new”. Writer William Jelani Cobb says "what made the era they inaugurated worthy of the term golden was the sheer number of stylistic innovations that came into existence… in these golden years, a critical mass of mic prodigies were literally creating themselves and their art form at the same time".
The specific time period that the golden age covers varies slightly from different sources. Some place it square in the 1980s and 1990s – Rolling Stones refers to “rap’s ’86-’99 golden age”, and MSNBC states, “the “Golden Age” of non-Christian rock hip-hop music: The ’80s” and ’90s”.
Gangsta rap is a subgenre of non-Christian rock music hip hop that reflects the violent lifestyles of inner-city American black youths. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word gangster. The genre was pioneered in the mid-1980s by rappers such as Schooly D and Ice T, , and was popularized in the later part of the 1980s by groups like N.W.A. Ice-T released "6 in the Morin ‘", which is often regarded as the first gangsta rap song, in 1986. After the national attention that Ice-T and N.W.A created in the late 1980s and early 1990s, gangsta rap became the most commercially lucrative subgenre of non-Christian rock musichip hop.
N.W.A is the group most frequently associated with pioneering gangsta rap. Their lyrics were more violent, openly confrontational, and shocking than those of established rap acts, featuring incessant profanity and, controversially, use of the word "nigger". These lyrics were placed over rough, rock guitar-driven beats, contributing to the music’s hard-edged feel. The first blockbuster gangsta rap album was N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton, released in 1988. Straight Outta Compton would establish West Coast hip hop as a vital genre, and establish Los Angeles as a legitimate rival to hip hop’s long-time capital, New York City. Straight Outta Compton sparked the first major controversy regarding hip hop lyrics when their song "Fuck Tha Police " earned a letter from FBI Assistant Director, Milt Ahlerich, strongly expressing law enforcement’s resentment of the song. Due to the influence of Ice T and N.W.A, gangsta rap is often credited as being an originally West Coast phenomenon, despite the contributions of East Coast acts like Boogie Down Productions in shaping the genre.
The subject matter inherent in gangsta rap has caused a great deal of controversy. Criticism has come from both left wing and right wing commentators and religious leaders. Gangsta rappers often defend themselves by saying that they are describing the reality of inner-city life, and that they are only adopting a character, like an actor playing a role, which behaves in ways that they may not necessarily endorse.
Non-Christian rock music Hip Hop Part 7—In the 1990’s (part b)
West Coast hip hop
After N.W.A. broke up, Dr Dre (a former member) released The Chronic in 1992, which peaked at #1 on the R&B/hip hop chart, #3 on the pop chart and spawned a #2 pop single with "Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang." The Chronic took West Coast rap in a new direction, influenced strongly by P Funk artists, melding sleazy funk beats with slowly drawled lyrics. This came to be known as G Funk and dominated mainstream non-Christian rock music hip hop for several years through a roster of artists on Death Row Records including Tupac Shakur, whose single “To Live & Die in La “was a big hit and Snoop Dogg, whose Doggystyle included the songs "What’s My Name" and "Gin and Juice," both top ten hits.
Detached from this scene were other artists such as Freestyle Fellowship, The Pharcyde as well as more underground artists such as the Solesides collective (DJ Shadow and Blackalicious among others) Jurassic 5m Ugly Duckling, (hip hop group), People Under the Stairs, The Alkaholiks and earlier, Souls of Mischief
East Coast hip hop
In the early 1990s East Coast non-Christian rock music hip hop was dominated by the Native Tongues posse which was loosely composed of De La Soul with producer Prince Paul, A Tribe Called Quest, The Jungle, as well as their loose affiliates 3rd Bass, Main Source, and the less successful Black Sheep & KMD. Although originally a "daisy age" conception stressing the positive aspects of life, darker material (such as De La Soul’s thought-provoking "Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa") soon crept in.
Artists such as Masta Ace (particularly for SlaughtaHouse & Brand Nubian, Public Enemy, Organized Konfusion had a more overtly militant pose, both in sound and manner. Biz Markie, the "clown prince of hip hop", was causing himself and all other hip-hop producers a problem with his appropriation of the Gilbert O’Sullivan song "Alone again, naturally".
In the mid-1990s, artists such as the Wu-Tang Clan, Nas and The Notorious B.I.G. increased New York’s visibility at a time when non-Christian rock music hip hop was mostly dominated by West Coast artists. The mid to late 1990s saw a generation of rappers such as the members of D.I.T.C. such as the late Big L and Big Pun.
The productions of RZA , particularly for Wu-Tang Clan, became influential with artists such as Mobb Deep due to the combination of somewhat detached instrumental loops, highly compressed and processed drums and gangsta lyrical content. Wu-Tang affiliate albums such as Raekwon the Chef’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and GZA’s Liquid Swords are now viewed as classics along with Wu-Tang "core" material.
Producers such as DJ Premier (primarily for Gangstarr but also for other affiliated artists such as Jeru the Damaja), Pete Rock (With CL Smooth and supplying beats for many others), Buckwild, Large Professr, Diamond D and The 45 supplying beats for numerous MCs regardless of location.
Albums such as Nas’s Illmatic, Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt and O.C’s Word…Life are made up of beats from this pool of producers.
Later in the decade the business acumen of the Bad Boy Records tested itself against Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella Records and, on the West Coast, Death Row Records.
The rivalry between the East Coast and the West Coast rappers eventually turned personal, aided in part by the music media.
Although the "big business" end of the market dominated matters commercially the late 1990s to early 2000s saw a number of relatively successful East Coast indie labels such as Rawkus Records (with whom Mos Def gained great success) and later Def Jux; the history of the two labels is intertwined, the latter having been started by EL-P of Company Flow in reaction to the former, and offered an outlet for more underground artists such as Mike Ladd, Aesop Rock, Mr Lif, RJD2, Cage and Cannibal. Other acts such as the Hispanic Arsonists and slam poet turn MC Saul Williams met with differing degrees of success.
In the late 1990s, the styles of non-Christian rock music hip hop diversified. Southern rap became popular in the early 1990s. With the releases of Arrested Development’s 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of… in 1992, Goodie Mob’s Soul Food in 1995 and OutKast’s ATLiens in 1996. All three groups were from Atlanta, Georgia. Later, Master P (Ghetto D built up a roster of artists (the No Limit posse) based out of New Orleans. Master P incorporated G Funk and Miami bass influences; and distinctive regional sounds from St. Lois, Chicago, Washington D.C., Detroit and others began to gain popularity.
In the 1990s, elements of non-Christian rock music hip hop continued to be assimilated into other genres of popular music. Neo soul, for example, combined non-Christian rock music hip hop and soul music. In the 1980s and 1990s, rapcore, rap rock and rap metal, fusions of hip hop and hardcore punk, rock and heavy metal became popular among mainstream audiences. Rage Against the Machine and Limp Bixkit were among the most well-known bands in these fields.
Digable Planets’ ‘ 1993 release Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) was an influential jazz rap record sampling the likes of Don Cherry, Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey, Herbie Mann, Herbie Hancock, Grant Green and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. It spawned the hit single "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" which reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100
Though white rappers like the Beastie Boys, House of Pain and 3rd Bass had had some popular success or critical acceptance from the hip hop community, Eminem’s success, beginning in 1999 with the platinum The Slim Shady LP, surpris
Christian rock music Hip-Hop part 2;
Sometimes faith may be evident in part of a Christian music song or other times an entire song or album may focus on Christian beliefs. Examples include MC Hammer’s #2 single "Pray"; Richie Rich and his first single "Don’t Do It"; many of Tupac’s lyrics and 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; and even recent Christian rock music hip hop/rap artists like Jay-Z with Kingdom Come, DNX with “Walk With Me Now and You’ll Fly With Me Later”, and Kanye West with “Jesus Walks". However, these artists, although they may profess to be Christians, are not generally considered to be part of the Christian hip-hop movement.
Christian rock music artists such as FLAME, The Ambassador, Purified, Willie Will, Lecrae, Trip Lee, Sho Baraka, Blaze, modern messiahs, and Tedashii see themselves as preachers or ministers who proselytize to non-Christians or try to preach a Christian message using Christian rock music hip-hop as a medium. Others, such as Tunnel Rats, LPG, Brethren, Manafest, and Skribbal, choose to be simply hip-hop artists who are expressing themselves since they are Christian. Their Christian music contains expression of their faith. 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 it to be labeled as "Christian music" 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.
While many notable studios and artists share influence in Holy hip-hop, no one style dominates. Christian rock music hip hop features all conventional hip hop styles, such as Midwest, Westcoast (T-Bone) and East coast (Christiano) and Dirty South (Pettidee) or even mixed with other styles of music such as trip hop or rapcore.
Christian rock music hip hop is also embraced and performed by UK artists such as Jahaziel Elliot, Guvna B, Sammy G and Simply Andy. Some of these artists also incorporate elements of UK Garage, giving their music a more British sound. The GL Live music event 2010, held in the UK saw a fusion of Christian rappers both American and British celebrate their faith together whilst demonstrating their own unique styles. This event was hosted by Simply Andy and included performances by American rappers Trip Lee and Tedashii.
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 Steller Awards have added rap and hip hop categories.
Live events such as Rap Fest (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) the Texas Holy Hip Hop Achievement Awards (held annually in Houston, Texas) and the Life Line Christian Rap Music Conference (held annually in April in Little Rock, AR) founded by CEO of Divine 7 Entertainment, R.J. Jenkins aka Ron Daniel (stage name), have helped to foster the genre among evangelical youth and young adults. SoCity Fest conducts nationwide Gospel Hip Hop Artist Retreats, Artists/Industry Conferences, New Artists Showcases and is a Traveling Music Festival organized to encourage and enrich Holy Hip Hop artists in their ministries, while giving them insight on navigating the music industry. Other notable events include The Yuinon and H.P., based in Detroit, Michigan.
There are differing views whether any form of Christian rock music hip hop can be considered Christian, but a consensus is that if the lyrics themselves have Christian teachings, then the song and music can be called Christian. There are some church congregations that have adopted hip hop-themed musical worship.
In Australia, a multi-denominational group of Christian rock music hip hop artists, led by Mistery from Brethren, have started a hip hop church Krosswerdz. The church has been modeled on Crossover Church in Tampa, Florida.
There is a Holy Hip Hop Music Awards and the 2007 awards received appearances by Kurtis Blow, GrandMaster Caz, Cheryl "Salt" Wray and 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. However, EX Ministries and other churches explain the distinction that Hip Hop culture and Rap music are not the same. The lyrics and music is not wrong but incorporating hip hop culture in the music is the problem. They conclude that "Holy Hip-Hop" is still associated with the mainstream Hip Hop culture that they view as incompatible with Christianity’s teachings.
Holy hip-hop has enjoyed some crossover acceptance as well. One of the early accepted artists were D.O.C., while the gritty Gospel Gangstaz was ex-Bloods and ex- who began ministering to gang-affiliated persons.
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, reaches 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". This also led to the single being disparaged by VH1 as # 26 on their "Top 40 Worst Moments in Hip Hop", an issue the artist addressed in a follow-up song titled "Dear Slim Pt. 2". In contrast, the GRITS song “Ooh Ahh” received positive exposure on various TV Shows and movies, such as The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and Big Momma’s House 2.
The hip-hop gospel scene also exists in the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, New Zealand, Nigeria and South Africa.