A Look at the Historical Conversation Between Hip-Hop and Christianity" (2020)

East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works 8-2020 Talk This Way: A Look at the Historical Conversation Between Hip- Hop and Christianity Joshua Swanson East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the African American Studies Commons, American Art and Architecture Commons, American Popular Culture Commons, Biblical Studies Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, Cultural History Commons, Ethnic Studies Commons, Ethnomusicology Commons, History of Christianity Commons, History of Religion Commons, Modern Art and Architecture Commons, New Religious Movements Commons, Other American Studies Commons, Other Arts and Humanities Commons, Other History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, Other Music Commons, Practical Theology Commons, Public History Commons, Religious Education Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, Social History Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons, Sociology of Religion Commons, United States History Commons, and the Urban Studies and Planning Commons Recommended Citation Swanson, Joshua, "Talk This Way: A Look at the Historical Conversation Between Hip-Hop and Christianity" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3810. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3810 This Thesis - unrestricted is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Talk This Way: A Look at the Historical Conversation Between Hip-Hop and Christianity ________________________ A thesis presented to the faculty of the Department of History East Tennessee State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in History ______________________ by Joshua Swanson August 2020 _____________________ Dr. Elwood Watson, Chair Dr. Daryl Carter Dr. Jennifer Adler Keywords: Hip-Hop, Christianity, African American History, African American Religion, Religion, American Religion ABSTRACT Talk This Way: A Look at the Historical Conversation Between Hip-Hop and Christianity by Joshua Swanson Christianity and Hip-Hop culture are often said to be at odds with one another. One is said to promote a lifestyle of righteousness and love, while the other is said to promote drugs, violence, and pride. As a result, the public has portrayed these two institutions as conflicting with no willingness to resolve their perceived differences. This paper will argue that there has always been a healthy conversation between Hip-Hop and Christianity since Hip-Hop’s inception. Using sources like Hip-Hop lyrics, theologians, historians, autobiographies, sermons, and articles that range from Ma$e to Tipper Gore, this paper will look at the conversation between Hip-Hop and Christianity that has been ongoing for decades. This thesis will show why that conversation is essential for the church and necessary for Hip-Hop artists to express themselves fully. This paper will show rap and Hip-Hop culture to be a complex institution with its own theology, history, and prophets – that uses its own voice to express how urban youth view not only their lives but also how God and the church are present in their lives. 2 Copyright 2020 by Joshua Swanson All Rights Reserved 3 DEDICATION This piece of work is dedicated to everyone that was ever considered to be on the outside. It is also dedicated to my grandparents, parents (biological), my nieces nand nephews, sisters, brothers, and my spiritual parents (the many I have). 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my wife, Antenia LaShay Swanson, parents, family, friends, and God. Those who encouraged me to finish this thesis when I was mentally through with it. Those who pushed me to finish this program when I had mentally checked out. I would also like to thank my thesis committee for helping me throughout my degree. More than just helping me on this thesis they guided me through this academic process. To Kieffer, Keri, Seth, Ryan, Jared, Dakota, Emily, Cameron, Jesse, Luke, Cavender, Erika, Haley, James, Kristen, Jordan, John, Samaria, Pastor Pete, Ketron Memorial, Ian, Lihle, Martin, Primo, Sunshine, my Ace, my Deuce, Hannah, Kristin, Dr. Dukes, Dr. T. Collin Cornel, and the many more who helped me through this I truly appreciate it. If you know me then you know this is turned in near the last minute, so if I didn’t name you charge it to my head not my heart. I love each of you. I don’t know if this is professional or not, but I did it anyway. A special thank you to Dr. Erika Gault for helping me in ways she did not have to. Lastly, I want to take the time to acknowledge Kool Herc and the fathers/mothers of Hip-Hop and those whose work I have built on. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... 2 DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................ 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 7 CHAPTER 2. A LOOK AT HIP-HOP HISTORY .................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 3. CRITICIZED AND DEMONIZED ..................................................................... 23 CHAPTER 4. A SHIFT BEGINS: A SEARCH FOR CHRISTIANITY IN HIP-HOP .......... 37 CHAPTER 5. HIP-HOP AS A TOOL FOR CHANGE ........................................................... 47 CHAPTER 6. THE GOSPEL BEAT ......................................................................................... 58 CHAPTER 7. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 73 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................... 76 VITA .............................................................................................................................................. 80 6 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Hip-Hop was first given birth to in the party scene of the Bronx. After its inception, the streets of New York City grew and molded Hip-Hop. There were many different periods and stages of Hip-Hop. Still, through each period, certain stereotypes remained fluid and ever-present in the eyes of mainstream American culture. These stereotypes made many see Hip-Hop as misogynistic, hyper-masculine, violent, drug-filled, and controversial. Critics of Rap often portray the genre in a negative light; therefore, Hip- Hop, as a whole, was hardly seen as compatible with Christianity. However, there are many examples of Christian influence on Hip-Hop and Hip-Hop artists that Christian often overlook. While negative stereotypes of the genre are not entirely unfounded, conversations between Hip-Hop and Christianity has led to great strides in the formation of the way people who identify with Hip-Hop culture view God, the church, and themselves. People must place these conversations must within the proper historical context. The public mostly misunderstood the art form, as the music genre continued to grow. The youth created Hip-Hop as an outlet. It helped them understand their place in the world, but also it helped them understand each other. Therefore, older members of communities where Hip-Hop was popular did not understand or respect the art form. This misunderstanding caused clashes between the dominant cultural expression in these communities, the church, and a new counterculture, which would be named Hip- Hop. These clashes would lead to misunderstandings and misrepresentations of the new art form by those who refused to take the art form seriously. Therefore, in chapter one explores the history and formation of Hip-Hop as a culture and art form. 7 As Hip-Hop grew in popularity, it gathered more attention from people far removed from the culture. As a result of this new popularity, Hip-Hop found itself becoming America’s scapegoat for what they saw as unruly behavior by followers of the culture. This demonization of the culture would further fuel the separation between mainstream culture and urban culture. Thus, it would also impact how the masses received Hip-Hop. Chapter 2 primarily focuses on framing this narrative. Demonizing Hip-Hop forced the outside world to see the culture as something in need of being saved or discarded. Many politicians, church leaders, and activists took strong stances against the emerging art form. Some believed that it could be saved and reformed through censorship; however, others believed that Hip-Hop was a culture sent from the devil to corrupt the minds of black youth. In demonizing the art form, the detractors also remove the agency of the art form. Detractors take this sophisticated culture and reduce it into loud, vulgar, and profane noise with little to no redeeming qualities. These attempts to silence Hip-Hop through court cases, protests, articles, and censorship provide ample evidence of the result of the demonization of Hip-Hop

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