Call for Chapters

Call for chapters for the forthcoming volume “Hip Hop Spirituality and Urban God Talk.”

As framed and constructed by the media and even some practitioners, hip hop culture is considered a hyper-violent, misogynistic, and materialistic culture devoid of anything holy, sacred and good. Indeed, many spiritual leaders of all faiths indict the entire culture of hip hop and promote it as the work of the devil (or Evil One). However, we suggest that a different reading of hip hop culture will allow one to discover a profound; yet diverse spirituality emanating throughout the culture. While not orthodox by typical religious standards and traditions, hip hop culture, like any other culture, finds hope, joy, comfort, relief, and understanding, through the practice(s) of its worship and spirituality.

Therefore, I am interested in compiling and editing a book of original essays on hip hop’s spirituality. Essayists in this volume hope not only to contribute to the lack of scholarship that focuses on hip hop’s spirituality, but we are also interested in examining how discourses concerning hip hop could change if a reading of hip hop included its spirituality. In addition, we hope this book begins an interdisciplinary dialogue that provides a rigorous, creative, and critical examination that encourages others to take up this exciting field of study. Essays in this volume will cover all aspects of spirituality and hip hop.

Please submit a 300-500 word proposal and CV to me at aejohnson762@bellsouth.net by July 31, 2010

Losing My Religion

When I was a teenager, during one of my bouts of depression, I wandered about the streets of Wilkes-Barre in tears. I felt unloved, unwanted and totally friendless. I wanted comfort, security, some form of relief from my misery. I was ripe and ready to be approached by a cult.

And I was. Several members of a cult known as “The Family” approached me and tried to convince me that they were my friends. I wanted them to be, but all I heard were the same empty promises that I heard on Sunday at the church I attended.
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Post Soul Theology: Reversing The Hermeneutic with Tupac Amaru Shakur

Tupac died September 13, 1996. His death was in no way short of controversy—as was almost his entire life. Yet, in death, his message became even stronger and global. Tupac has touched the lives of many and, as many people that I have interviewed told me, brought them closer to an understanding of who God was, is, and can be. Tupac presented a conundrum of sorts. On one hand, he represents the hope, vigor, and excitement of a post soul generation. Yet, on the other, he represents the despair, depression, and marginalization of several generations all gathered into one person. Tupac presented both sides. His half brother asserts that he represented both the good and evil in people.
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Pastor Tim Interviews Lecrae from Re:Sound on Vimeo.

Features : Minister Sharrieff Muhammad: On Rappers, Responsibility and Religion

Features : Minister Sharrieff Muhammad: On Rappers, Responsibility and Religion

Hip-Hop and Islam: Intersections and Parallels

There are a number of profound parallels between Hip-Hop and Islam. Both are in the ‘hoods as well as the suburbs. Both are in jails as well as the free world. Both are in the community. Both are in rap music. Both offer a colorful display of personality, hues, and cultural varieties. Both are ways of life embraced by millions the world over.?
Hip-Hop and Islam intersected early on in rap’s history when the young poets began to embrace the teachings of Malcolm X (also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz). Rakim was the first and most widely recognized rapper to outwardly profess the teachings of Islam, and at one time, he even rapped under the moniker Rakim Allah (or “Sun God”). Public Enemy name-checked Minister Louis Farrakhan on songs such as “Don’t Believe the Hype”: “A follower of Farrakhan / don’t tell me that you understand / until you hear the man.” And, KRS-One emulated a famous “guarding the house” photo of Malcolm X on the cover of Boogie Down Productions’ “By All Means Necessary” in 1988.
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Hip-Hop Has Saved My Soul (and Spirituality) by BYC

I know this is long but I hope everyone tagged will read this and forward if they want.As insomnia kicks in, another profound post (I hope) is produced. I only get exciting ideas to write about in the middle of my sleep- surely, it’s divinely inspired. It’s like the Tupac line from Ghetto Gospel, “Never forget, that God isn’t finished with me yet//When I write rhymes, I go blind, and let the Lord do his thing.”I dedicate this entry to all my friends and family from Seattle Chinese Alliance Church. It’s hard to write this and not think about the past five years of what could have been had I continued ‘growing in Christ’ with you all. I ask that you will be patient as you read this, as I’m sure much if not all of this note will provoke some kind of offense, and genuinely welcome and encourage your comments at the end.A second audience I want to address here are some of my progressive friends who do listen to hip hop, but intentionally limit their listening to ‘underground’, ‘political’, and ‘socially conscious’ rap—artists like the Blue Scholars, Immortal Technique, Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, Mos Def.I think the title of this note is really fitting, because I wish to say that hip hop, in its entirety, including its most violent incarnations (i.e. gangsta rap, horrorcore), has rekindled my spirituality when I had completely abandoned God by providing me an alternative conception of Christianity and faith that was understood and embraced by people struggling against a system that had marginalized them from the political process and from economic opportunities. Hip hop has also taught me so much about the world and has given me so much purpose to what I do as a community organizer.
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Bringing Hip-Hop to Church

Hip-Hop is here to stay. Pastor Efrem Smith not only understands this, he embraces it. And he believes other leaders in his position also must learn to embrace it if the church is going to do its job in urban communities.
Smith is the senior pastor of The Sanctuary Covenant Church in Minneapolis and coauthor, with Phil Jackson, of The Hip-Hop Church: Connecting with the Movement Shaping Our Culture. It's been said that jazz and hip-hop are cut from the same improvisational cloth, so it seems fitting to have UrbanFaith's resident Jazz Theologian, Robert Gelinas, interview hip-hop pastor Efrem Smith.
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The Soul of Hip Hop Part 1 Toward A Missiological Gospel of A Culture

Hip Hop is larger than the radio, larger than commercialized artists, larger than record industry branding. It is a culture, a people, a movement, a growing community of people that live, breath, eat, love, hate and work just as anyone else does. Hip Hop cannot be easily understood or defined. It is complex and full of narratives that would blow away many of the strongest anthropologists. But as I always tell my students, we have to discuss the obvious to get to the obscure. I am suggesting we begin to deconstruct parts of Hip Hop as a larger phenomenon in order to understand the whole—in this case, its theology.
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