So the black guy likes rap

So I’m going to perpetuate a stereotype, I like hip hop. If you just shrugged your shoulders than maybe you can’t tell that a black man is writing this. Now that that awkward moment has passed we can get into some embarrassing details. I was a nerd, (still am a nerd but that’s not the point) I grew up in the church, and early on music was not a large part of my life. It was either the southern gospel I heard at my church or the Gospel songs my mother would play around the house. If your not sure why I wrote that twice it’s because there is a difference. So for some reason, I had a negative view of rap music. I didn’t come from a household that condemned it necessary, I was sheltered to a degree but it was my own mother that first tried to get me to listen to my first cassette tape. The latter part shows my age a little but the former is just embarrassing. See I told you. What black kid needs to be convinced by his own mom to listen to Rap music. I passed on it at first because I thought it was too worldly or “sinner music” I guess? To be honest I struggle now to know where my head was back then. 

Now for reference, my mother got the tap (yes that’s what we called it) from someone at our church. A close family friend who was a few years older than me, and who I looked up to as a cool older brother. So if he liked it then it couldn’t be that bad, right? What happened next was falling in love with the music itself. And whatever I was afraid of not only wasn’t present but the opposite was true. It was men rapping about Jesus and I loved it. I had just been introduced to Christian Hip hop. 

Fast forward to today and my love of the movement has only grown. I truly believe it is one of the most authentic art forms of our time. I have seen this reach multiple nations, just recently I encountered someone from Hungary who’s music playlist was very similar to mine. There is something about music in general that can speak to someone’s heart without having to deal with there defences (for the most part) so when a lover of Christ composes a song, there exists an opportunity for vulnerability and truth to reach someone who may be resistant to the gospel message.

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