I just want to get this out there. I've never been "into" rap. My pop-music education comes from having friends at school who like to listen/dance to this kind of music. Otherwise, I go with classic rock, varieties of Christian music and non-pop contemporary artists like Josh Ritter. Recently, though, I was introduced to an artist that got me into a new genre. Christian rap.
Lecrae. This guy is awesome. He's a Christian rap artist who is really straight up with the Gospel in his music. So- for lyrics, I give Lecrae 5 stars. Serious Gospel, he raps about morals, dying to the flesh and Christ's sacrifice. A big change from the rap that I'm used to hearing. The other great thing about Lecrae- his music/rap sounds good!! KJ-52 was nice, but I just didn't want to listen to his songs. Lecrae is great to run or work out to and to show friends who like to listen to rap. So far my friends have loved his stuff, though they have been surprised by the lyrics. Especially for women who find most rap demoralizing, Lecrae is a great alternative. As a Christian, his music is also very encouraging.
Here's a link to two of his songs. Enjoy, tell me what you think!
Identity, and
Live Free.
Do you know any good Christian rap? Can rap be worship to God?
Recommend
Comments (39)
I like Grits and some KJ-52
There are things about rap that (in general) I don't think serve the Gospel very well. The high emphasis on rythm is sensual, and the liberties taken with language in both slang and influx are overly familiar, which is about 'presentation.' I think there's pride in that.
Lacrae and the Reach Records crew....
yes... Christian rap can be worship... rap is a musical form... music is a form of expression... God created music therefore it can be used to give Him worship... Lacrae IS doing that...
Stephen the Levite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0US6OojnQOE
aaaand...
Something of my own!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=462GNf0nl4c
I absolutely LOVE LeCrae! If you like him, you may like Grits, too! :)
check out
trip lee's song: lookin for love [and i know he's got others, but that's my fave]
mr. j. medieros: her wings
Tobymac, man. ALL the way! :D
@NaitoOfNarnia@xanga - agreed!
I played these songs for my 2 year old and he turned into a toddler-dancing-machine!
It was too cute!
Of course rap can be worship! Ever watch Sister Act 2? (ha ha kidding.. well kind of..my son's favourite movie at the moment). Anyway i don't think its the genre of music that makes it "worship" or not.. its the heart of the person singing/raping/playing the song that makes it Worship.
@LadyGwenivere@xanga - SA2 was definitely better than the original, I though. The ending was FANTASTIC!!!! And you're right. God created music and NO form of music is evil. It's all in its use. Otherwise, things like sex, food, and so many other useful and needed things would be bad JUST because it's been misused. :P I hate it when people claim that rap or anything else is BAD just because it's been a tool to further bad things. We may as well ban air because it's been poluted with smog.
all music is christian.
trip lee and lecrae!!!! im seeing lecrae next saturday hopefullyy!!
I'm surprised more people don't know about good rappers like LeCrae.
better than anything on the radio.
Even I like Lecrae, and I pretty much shunned Christianity a few years ago. Although that fact makes it hard to sing along with things like "I live to tell the world His message/Romans 1:16 "I'm not ashamed""
It's great music for Christians. I think he definitely filled a gap in the Christian music industry.
@wyrdkismet@xanga - How is that? Are you using the argument that God created everybody so that means anything created by man is created by God, thus making music God's creation?
I haven't listened to any good Christian rap as of late. Most of what I have is probably a decade old or more.
But there is definitely some great stuff out there, I think it is probably one of the best genres within the Christian music world. And it definitely can be worship. Some of it is more outreach/evangelism oriented. I don't think that rap has inherent properties that keep it from honoring God.
I used to be into Cross Movement, Peace 586, Dynamic Twins, King Shon and the SSMOB, ETW, T Bone, A-1 Swift, Gospel Gangstas, Antonius, LG Wise. And a lot more.
@Shy___Away@xanga - actually i heard a sermon on that at my church back at school.
I LOVE LECRAE.
have you ever heard of trip lee , or tedashii. flame, the grits, toby mac, family force 5, eowyn, 38th parallel, plumb, lifehouse, skillet, falling up, kutless, superchick, 116 clique, group 1 crew
some of these are rap, the others are just christian music, Its like christian rock, pop, hiphop, etc.
its tight music
@wyrdkismet@xanga
not all music is christian your sooo wrong about that. There is satanic music, pagan music and much more.
"Ready to Meet Him" and "Lord Give Me A Sign" by DMX. He may not be the most moral person, but the message gets across loud and clear. "Jesus Walks" by Kanye West is decent too.
@wyrdkismet@xanga - That's one of the stupidest things I've ever seen as a comment on Revelife. And that's saying a lot. I'd like to hear some kind of argument for it from you so I can even understand where that idea would come from.
TobyMac is pretty awesome! I don't know if he totally counts as rap, though, which is probably why I like him!
@Poetic_Prayer@xanga - (and everyone else w/ music ideas)- will listen! i love getting new music. this is great, i do have some trip lee! 116 clique is the other christian rap i have, also really good (i think it features trip lee?)
Lecrae, Flame, Shai-lin [probably spelled some wrong] have more good theology in their lyrics than come from most pulpits in North America. I'm older,but I don't mind listening to my daugters music when what they are saying is so glorifying to God.
@Poetic_Prayer@xanga - To that I'd argue that it is not the music that is any of those things, but rather the lyrics or the message, or however you'd rather describe it.