Hip Hop is the most influential and widely accepted art form. This culture, which started as a primarily African American expression, has proven that music is truly a universal language. I am from the Hip Hop Generation and I can confidently tell you that Hip Hop is more than music. It has effectively influenced the way I dress, the cars I drive, and even the way that I think.
Somewhere in-between the pioneers of Hip Hop launching an underground movement with DJ turntables, B-Boy Dancers, and Graffiti art, Hip Hop became a cesspool of promoting sex, drugs, and material gain. Although Jay-Z is one of the longest running forerunners of the culture, he is NOT Hip Hop’s savior.
It is my opinion that the leaders in our communities and churches have also failed with the Hip Hop generation. Many churches have adopted a subculture of Hip Hop, now called Holy Hip Hop or Christian Rap, which is displayed like a second-class “B” team effort in reaching the urban population.
Do you continue to speak when no one is listening; or if something has proven ineffective, do you change the method? I believe the church has lost its influence in the community. There was a time when a preacher spoke to a village; the weight of his words alone challenged the community to strive towards communion with God. Unfortunately many have and continue to manipulate the message of the gospel for power and selfish gain, consequently causing the majority of the flock, who recognize the trickery, to become disenfranchised from the house of worship.
It is a miserable truth; however, many church and community leaders have become ineffective in communicating with urban youth because of old school and religious methodologies. Like it or not there is a clear “New vs. Old” way of thinking that separates the generations.
The way someone thinks about any given topic is based on his or her experience, environment, education, and the diversity of things they have been exposed to. Today’s youth and young adult’s experiences differ greatly from previous generations; so to think the same “gospel message” that helped you, will in the same way help them is an uneducated and foolish idea.
How is it that Hip Hop has transcended ethnic and culture borders, but yet the community and church is still divided and segregated? I believe that while the church was playing church the devil was building a kingdom.
The Hip Hop culture has a way of relating to and reaching its audience through auditory frequencies and visual imagery. The creative nature of the art form challenges warfare towards who or whatever stands in its way. The image of a bad boy or gangsta’ has effectively convinced this generation that to “Get Rich or Die Trying” is in fact part being a man.
The message of rage and promiscuity has infiltrated the urban communities while many of the church and community leaders wait for the victims to come into the church and ask for help. However, we are living in a time where going to church or asking for help is deemed weak as described by gangsta rap artist Ice Cube in his single “Go to Church” which stated “If you scared muthafucka go to church!” It is because of this message, which has proven effective, which should awaken the community and church leaders into understanding that the previous “build it and they will come” idea will be unsuccessful towards a Hip Hop generation. They are not coming!
I use to think that Holy Hip Hop or Christian Rap was a viable solution for the harsh language and perverted message of rap lyrics. I now believe the mission of Holy Hip Hop has also failed in its approach. The early stages of Christian Rap were completely disconnected from the very thing that Hip Hop was all about. Someone must have thought that by replacing the word “devil” with “Jesus”, they would in turn have the same effect as the original record. Though this idea was honorable, it was clearly irrational. As Holy Hip Hop progressed, the production quality and lyrics amplified. The new Holy Hip Hop culture even created a following of like-minded people who believed in the genre. This developed in church and remains in the church today but has yet to affect the community.
Is this effective evangelism or good entertainment? Based on the results, this is definitely good entertainment. In fact, there has been tremendous growth and development in the Christian industry. From billboards, to television, and now on the big screen the religious business is bursting from every seam. In my opinion, this area of entertainment unquestionably has its share in the marketplace; however, mainstream media continues to influence cultures and create a dozen new trends daily.
Many community & church leaders have fallen asleep at the wheel. While the culture continued to change, they continued with service or business as usual. With the leaders of our communities being unconscious to the reality of Hip Hop and its massive evolution, what was once collectively intolerable is now socially acceptable. The efforts of positive initiatives continue to be defeated by the aggressive negative ingenuity from record labels and networks that do not possess or share the same values that you have for your children. These moguls spend billions of dollars and countless hours of research trying to figure out how to influence the generation. It is without a doubt that their hard work has and will continue to pay off.
The imaginary leadership torch has been publicly handed off to Hip Hop celebrities. Many people in urban communities listen to and embrace the message of Hip Hop in hopes of a personal Rag to Riches story for themselves. The hope for a better life is not coming from a socially conscious preacher or community leader; consequently, musicians who live their personal lives with a “do as thy wilt” mentality are delivering a false message of hope to the inner-city neighborhoods. Youth and young adults across the world clinch onto these idols only because of the lack of leadership in their own community. With this huge gap and disconnection between mentors and students, the life educating of the Hip Hop generation is headed towards destruction. If a new way of thinking does not emerge from those who run the pulpits and offices in our communities, we will completely lose the future generation.
We have too many churches and not enough charity. I am proposing that we evaluate our church ministries and civic programs and base the effectiveness on their results. If you are not effecting positive change in your community consider a change in method. The best runner is in the front of the race, so I am also proposing that leaders need to run toward the real issues in our communities and effect change; however, many leaders will hide from issues like racism, poverty, crime, social injustice, and many other topics that directly effect inner-city neighbors because of their lack of connection to the generation.
Is it possible that the power of the gospel message is losing to the power of the Hip Hop message? Maybe not losing, but maybe a more appropriate question would be, who is delivering their message more accurately? I believe the message of gospel needs to be resuscitated for the benefit of the community. Hip Hop has found its way into the everyday lifestyles of our children. It has adamantly stated, “fuck the world”, by multiplatinum recording artist Lil Wayne, and as I look across the streets of urban America, this message has been heard and received loud and clear.
The only way to affect a community is to first understand the people in it. Hip Hop is the voice of this generation and if you want to positively influence the culture you should first attempt to understand the core of its belief system. So now, what do you say to a generation with no hope for the future? How do you preach an ancient message to a person who is living for the moment? The answer is simple, you can’t and you don’t!
The reality is the message of the gospel needs to be revitalized and translated into real life for real people. A wise man once said “preach the gospel and if you have to use words.” I believe a more accurate approach to influencing this generation is to use fewer words and show more action. Many of our community leaders have found comfort in preparing a sermon or speech every Sunday and Wednesday for an audience who is accustom to the ways of their religion. I believe that many speakers have mastered this approach. With illuminating lights, beautiful backdrops and thunderous sound systems, these presentations are very attractive and elaborate. Many of the mega churches spend thousands of dollars a service in order to produce this wonderful experience for its members. It is not the life of the service that perplexes my understanding, because it is wonderful to have a well-produced worship service; however, the core of every philanthropic effort should be saving the lost and reaching out to a community in need.
The foundation of every society is communication. The same influence that Hip Hop has seduced this generation with should be a vehicle of winning them back. By resisting the communication of the culture you also resist the very solution to its success. Finding a way to relate to a person will in turn open the windows of interaction. Once the platform has been set for genuine conversation, positive relationships can emerge.
I believe we should find our “outside” voices. I don’t mean the expressed volume of your vocal chords. I simply mean, find your voice outside of the four walls that have created a barrier rather than a bridge. The message of the gospel needs to be heard but not in a traditional sense. Be as creative and clever as a Hip Hop artist would be with his words. No, I am not saying that everyone should rap, but even Jesus spoke one way to his disciples and another way to the general public. Try to find a voice that they will respect and understand.
Hip Hop can be used as a vehicle to reach the culture in a positive way. Hip Hop is music, fashion, dance, poetry, literacy, and swag. Understanding and embracing the reality of Hip Hop will make you more effective as a communicator of whatever message you desire to share with Urban America. Creating subcultures only create blockages and barriers from the very community that need to hear the positive messages. Go into the world and speak from your experiences, environment, education, and all of the diversity of things you have been exposed to. Turn your problems into your purpose. Turn your creativity into cash flow. Remain quiet until you have something to say. Talk about the real issues and make change. Take your message everywhere you go. Faith builds through learning what works. Wherever Hip Hop is, the Gospel should be also!
