Let me ask: is there such a thing as gospel hip hop? I only ask because i came across a heated debate on the same topic. Someone said gospel should be worship or solemn music or hymns and not something you can mistake for a Lil Wayne song. Rap or Hip Hop is a controvertial genre that is mainly percieved to be violent and filled with drugs, sex and other negative things. So is there Gospel hip hop or we are just getting duped by the guys who have failed to make it in the mainstream secular cycles and the hide behind the brand of gospel ‘hip hop’?
Take for example, T-Bone, does that guy even look like he can inspire someone to go ku (to) church? He does what he calls ‘gospel hip hop’ yet his mannerism is that of bena (?) Fat Joe, Rick Ross or Ja Rule. Sometimes you even find abena (?) Lacrae rapping muli (in an) instrument yaka (made for) Kanye West or T.I and they insist its gospel just because they are mentioning God. 2 Pac mentioned and praised God in some of his songs but I wouldn’t call him a gospel rapper.
Coming home, some of the guys claiming to do ‘Gospel hip hop’ are doing so because they have failed to make it muli (in) zed hip hop period. That guy Magg 44 extensively featured on Slap D’s first album but he couldn’t make it music industry and now he claims he does ‘gospel hip hop’ which also sounds like he is singing for a girl. And he hasn’t even bothered to change his name, A Magg 44 is a gun. What kind of gospel artiste is he? There’s a reason why people in the Bible changed their names when ‘born again’. And we have Pompi my favourite ‘gospel rapper’; i like the guy, He is good and he would have made it in mainstream hip hop circles if only he had stuck in long enough. I like the music that he does but i don’t think its gospel either and he only went into that genre of music because of industry ukukosa (Toughness).
Exile oh sorry Izrael, for him i have no words. He made arguably one of the best albums of the 2000s ‘So Lucky’ he proved that he can hold his own in the secular sector and i am sure he can hold on even in gospel. My only complaint is that we needed him much much more mu (in) secular industry.
Jesus never changed his style of teaching to suit a particular group of people. Chains, sagging, bling and hip hop fashion is what most ‘church folks ‘ frown upon yet that’s what those artiste claiming to do ‘gospel hip hop’ are putting on. Some even imitating 2 Pac or Nas in their style.
I am sorry but thats just wrong.
(Article by Akatumwa S. Wabei)