Christian hip-hop

Christian hip hop music first emerged on record in 1982 with a track entitled "Jesus Christ (The Gospel Beat)" by Queens, New York artist McSweet.

[1] who have emerged recently on the mainstream rap scene along with American popular music figures DMX, Snoop Dogg, and Kanye West.

[10][11][12][13] The first commercially released and distributed gospel hip hop record was MC Pete Harrison of Queens, New York.

[23] CCM's first rap hit by a blue-eyed soul singer and/or duo, "The Wall" was later released on Gibson's successful album Change of Heart (1988),[24] and featured MC Hammer (previously as the Holy Ghost Boys).

ETW was led by producer/artist Mike Hill who went on to pastor one of the largest inner city youth groups in the country out of Tulsa Oklahoma.

Christian emcee Danny "D-Boy" Rodriguez was another well-known early Gospel rap artist, but was murdered in 1990 in Texas.

[30] Prior to his death, he helped launch the career of his sister, Genie Rodriguez-Lopez, known as MC GeGee – one of the first female Christian rap artists, by collaborating on her first album I'm for Real.

More Christian rap artists include Dynamic Twins, Freedom of Soul, IDOL King, Apocalypse, 12th Tribe, and Holy Alliance.

In 2004, the founding of the label Reach Records by the Americans Lecrae and Ben Washer also had a considerable influence in the development of Christian hip-hop.

[37] In 2019, Kanye West, a popular artist and producer, released his ninth studio album, Jesus Is King (shortened as JIK).

Although generally described to be Christian rappers, artists such as Lecrae, Andy Mineo, KB, Trip Lee, Tedashii, Social Club Misfits, NF, John Givez, Derek Minor and Propaganda describe themselves as hip hop artists who are expressing themselves, yet are openly Christian.

Members included: Apocalypse, Optixs, Blackseed, Lord Metatron, Righteous Knight, Kaoticgal (who later was known as Keturah Ariel), O.N.E., The Final Chapter, A.T.O.M.

Many agree that grime music originated in London's black community and is predominantly described as a secular genre.

[40] The GL Live music event 2010, held in the United Kingdom, included a fusion of Christian rappers (both American and British) celebrate their faith together whilst demonstrating their own unique styles.

King C) in conjunction with Terence A. Townsend, "Apostle T", founder of Save Our City Crusades and Conferences (SoCity) to reach the international community of holy hip hop with a message of encouragement, enrichment, education and unity.

Although postponed to July 2021 due to the COVID-19 Corona Virus pandemic, 20/20 Summer Fest gained national attention securing one of Los Angeles's most premium venue's Banc of California Stadium.

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 to reach him with the message of Christ.

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".

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.

[58] In 2003 DJ/Producer Vic Padilla shared his love for Christian Hip Hop with then KRUX FM Program Director Lee- and was subsequently asked to host a show he dubbed Holy Culture Radio.

In 2008, Holy Culture Radio partnered with The Corelink Solution, and James Rosseau (Trig), and a year later launched HolyCulture.net; a place where listeners could get the latest news, videos, and interviews from their favorite Christian artists.

[61][62] The win signaled a shift not only in gospel but radio as a whole, with more artists outside of Lecrae such as Andy Mineo, Gawvi, Wande, Shepherd, 1K Phew, Swoope, Bizzle, Derek Minor and others receiving commercial notoriety in film, television and gaming.

In April 2022, with the increased demand for Christian Hip Hop and Rhythm & Praise, Sirius XM announced the launch of Holy Culture Radio (www.holyculture.net/radio), where audiences could listen throughout the day to faith-inspired music and enjoy any of the fourteen shows within the channel.

[66] DMX incorporated prayers in many of his albums, and his 2006 song and music video "Lord Give Me a Sign", was highlighted by not only strong Christian lyrical content but actual scriptural quotes ("no weapon formed against me shall prosper and every tongue that rises up against me in judgment, Thou shall condemn") from the Holy Bible.

[67] On the other hand, "since the mid-1990s Michael Eric Dyson and others have pointed to some cultural sensibilities shared by Christian churches and hip hop music; namely male privilege, middle-class biases, sexism, and homophobia.

"Just as the MC slides into notes and dances around beats, "spirit" is not attacked straight on; it is courageously approached from below, from the margins, from youth, from uncertainty, through the structures of capitalism and mainstream media.

[72][73][74] Whereas many Christians hold that holy hip hop can be used to evangelize,[75] others disagree, arguing that the use of this style distorts the gospel message.

Gospel rappers view their music as divinely ordained, and believe their lyrics are a manifestation of the Holy Spirit speaking through them.