Conrad Bennette Tillard (born September 15, 1964) is an American Baptist minister, radio host, activist, politician, and author.

Tillard was in his early years a prominent minister of the black nationalist organization the Nation of Islam (NOI).

During that campaign, he became the subject of renewed controversy over his past history of antisemitic, anti-abortion, and anti-LGBTQ remarks.

[17][23][24] New York Magazine reported that sources said that some within the NOI became jealous of his ascent, and others disliked what they saw as a streak of moderation on his part.

[10] He was stripped of his position in 1997, reportedly after internal politics and threats of violence by NOI officials, or disagreements with Farrakhan, or over charges of financial mismanagement.

"[14] Tillard became known as the "Hip-Hop Minister," as he both criticized hip hop lyrics, and defused potentially violent feuds between rappers.

[29] In the 1990s and early 2000s, Tillard was an outspoken critic of hip hop lyrics that he perceived as degrading and dangerous to Blacks.

"[17] He believed that in seeking to emulate the lyrics in gangsta rap, young Black Americans became victims of mass incarceration, violence, sexual exploitation, and drug crime.

He feuded with Def Jam founder Russell Simmons in 2001, accusing him of stoking violence by allowing the frequent use of words such as "nigga" and "bitch" in rap lyrics.

[14][17][31] Tillard became a fixture in hip-hop after he arranged a meeting and a truce in a feud between rising bands Wreckx-N-Effect and A Tribe Called Quest.

[32][18][14][19] Tillard also counseled Sean "Diddy" Combs during his feud with rival Suge Knight, and criticized him for what he saw as his mistreatment of Shyne Barrow.

[25] He invited rap group A Tribe Called Quest, Chuck D with Public Enemy, Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, model Bethann Hardison, actor Malik Yoba, Bad Boy Records president Sean Combs, and rapper The Notorious B.I.G.

[19] In 2001, Tillard criticized the Reverend Al Sharpton and other civil rights leaders, calling them "hired guns" for not condemning rappers Sean Combs or Shyne Barrows.

[37][38][39] Tillard organized another summit in Harlem at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building on 125th Street over what he perceived as negative imagery in hip hop.

Def Jam Recordings founder Russell Simmons organized a counter-summit, urging the public not to "support open and aggressive critics of the hip-hop community".

[26][40] In 2002, having reverted to his birth name, Tillard sought to run for U.S. Congress in New York's 15th congressional district in Harlem in Manhattan against 32-year incumbent Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel.

[13] After Tillard returned to Christianity, he began working on a book about his early life and ministry, titled In My Father's House: The Spiritual and Political Memoir of the Man Once Known as the Hip Hop Minister, Conrad Muhammad.

[7] In 2022, Tillard launched a campaign for New York State Senate in District 25 (covering part of eastern and north-central Brooklyn, including Fort Greene, Boerum Hill, Red Hook, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Sunset Park, Gowanus, and Park Slope) against freshman State Senator Jabari Brisport, a member of the Democratic Socialists.

[13][19] When his son Barack was born three months after President Obama's inauguration in 2009, Tillard said he and his wife were very excited, and "we couldn't think of a better name.