As an individual within the Christian culture of Hip-Hop, the redundance of the conversation deliberating between the idea whether artists should be considered "Christian Artists" or "Artists who are Christians" has grown to be quite overwhelming. Honestly, in my opinion, I feel the topic, or subject, has been approached at the wrong angle. In this blog, I desire to share my views on this very matter, while offering a thought-provoking change in approach to the conversation. Personally, aside from song titles and lyrics, if I have to verbally shout and scream for someone to know I'm a follower of CHRIST, I've already done a disservice to both my faith, my community of brothers and sisters in CHRIST, and the world in which I live in. Now, I'm not talking about the professing of the faith, in general. We all know the great commission! However, at the ground level, if no one knows, or can even hint, that I'm a Christian without me telling them, what is that really saying about my lifestyle? If I'm merely a moral individual, what, in that alone, separates me from a Jehovah's Witness, or a Muslim, a Hindu, etc? And of course, the question arises, "Well, why do I have to separate myself, or seem different?" Well, to answer that easily, it's because you chose to proclaim JESUS as LORD. In that statement and choice of lifestyle change, you are agreeing that HE is the only way to the FATHER. Therefore, with that belief, how could your life look like others who don't share in that faith? Furthermore, when we read about David, Elijah, Moses, Joseph, John the Baptist and so many other pioneers in the faith, it is so easy to see their distinction. They weren't merely outstanding due to the skills and abilities they possessed, but by the tangibility of what followed their lives! It was evident that Heaven had made its entryway into the earth through their existences. You may be wondering, now, what this all has to do with the main focus, but, don't worry, I'll answer that for you right now. What happened to the anointing? The sheer, tangible, Glory of GOD? When did dope beats and lyricism become the standard? Not that I feel, in any way whatsoever, that we should sell less-than artistic tracks and downplay our skillsets. However, much of the music we create and listen to merely substitutes the worldly music we once kept highlighted in our playlists. It's still a feeding of the flesh. It's more of a "what I want to listen to" and "my personal taste for music" as opposed to "what I feel HIS Glory Presence upon." So here we are, at my title statement. I really don't care what a Christian recording artist's title is, even if they leave the "Christian" aspect off altogether, for the genre purposes. However, what I do have an issue with, first, is that there's such a lack of Glory in our music that people can't decipher whether it's Christian or secular. There's still a hint of compromise or rebellion lying within the sound that, though I can't voice it or pinpoint it, it sometimes causes me to wonder whether there's a consecration present. And, of course, why does this matter? Well, as musicians, whatever is on our lives, we bring our fans and listeners into. If we have open doors, and sin, and compromise in our lives...well, so will those who come into agreement with what they listen to from us. Which brings me to my second issue with the way we seem to phrase how to identify ourselves within the genre. The proclaimed statement: "I'm an artist who just happens to be 'Christian.'" As though our salvation was by happenstance! Christianity should never be molded for Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop should be molded for Christianity. (Although, we understand that, since satan created nothing, the culture of Hip-Hop and the genre of rap was never his to control or own, but it was merely perverted because of the Church's lack of revelation to act upon it when CHRIST released it to us. Whew!) With that being said, when we take note of the Faith's pioneers again, we see the same values, principles, and earth shaking ministries, though through different vehicles. Abraham was a business man. David was a king. John the Baptist was a preacher. Nehemiah was an armor bearer. However these men, and the women in Scripture, bore a burden for THE LORD and they were anointed to carry it out. Even nonbelievers had to proclaim, in fearful trembling, that those individuals served our GOD! Where is that nowadays? Is Two Chains afraid to allow me to open up for him because he knows I just may start a crusade of people who can no longer stomach the demons in his music? Is Drake afraid that while I'm invited to his studio set, that he just might get convicted and transformed to the point that he can no longer make a living on the product he's sold for years? That's what happened when Paul got encountered. Not that I think anything of these guys whatsoever, other than THE LORD of Glory not being glorified through their lives. They have a destiny; they have a calling. It's just been perverted, just like much of ours before HOLY SPIRIT finally drew us into HIS proximity. I've just seen what the anointing can do and manifest. So, the one thing which must be addressed, no matter what our stance is on the title, which should never get us in a bunch either way, is that our Christian values come first. I'm not an artist who "happens" to be a Christian. My desire for rap, rock, whatever, could die out tomorrow if THE LORD desires such, but I would not stop being a Christian. Whether I'm a plumber, gardener, CEO of a company, a lawyer, whaaaatever, I'm still a Christian. I must carry HIS Presence. And if I can do nothing else, I can pay the price to be anointed in my generation. The world has to know that. Though we are to be innocent as doves and shrewd as snakes, people in the world must know that they are about to come into our momentum in the Gospel, and not us into theirs! That's my take. Forget the title of the artist or the individual. Worry whether THE LORD JESUS's Presence is tangibly present in our music. That's what's going to change people. Not our concocted plans of how to be divisive in our approach. But, literally, how HOLY SPIRIT will encounter our listeners.
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