This is an ongoing conversation about Hip Hop's theological message. You can read part 1 here.

We have a hostile Gospel. We serve a Jesus that was, and still is in many facets, hostile. In order to move forward in our Christian theological development, we must confront both of those elements within our Christian Bible. For most Christians, Jesus is looked upon as a mild, gentle, all loving, peaceful man who just loved everyone in some neo-60’s, post hippie sort of way. When I read the Gospel of Jesus, I do not see that most of the time. I see a Jesus that caused much trouble, created a movement that has changed the world, spoke up for the marginalized, in essence brought a very contradicting economic message to both His context and ours, and left more questions than He did answers. Jesus also took on the form of humankind, when He could have stayed in His own “luxury” and “comfort.” Jesus embodied hostility everywhere He went. His very language of “viper” and “dogs,” in response to religious officials, was in fact a profane statement within His context.

In John 6: 52-68 we see Jesus telling his followers that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood, but we must remember, that within a Jewish context doing this would constitute a “sin” and was considered extremely unclean and at times blasphemous—especially for a Jewish teacher.^[1] I begin this discussion because it is extremely important that we conceptualize our rich Christian heritage in relation to Hip Hop’s theological message.

As a result of this discussion, we can begin to see Hip Hop in relation to Jesus because there are strong connections to His own hostile message of the Gospel and Hip Hop’s own “hostile gospel.” Here are the similarities:

· Jesus’ message of salvation through Him and only Him without having to go through the priests and religious institutions. Hip Hoppers like Tupac argue for this. While Tupac made no claims that he himself was a “savior,” he continually pointed to Jesus as the way and not the institutionalized church.

· Jesus had strong words for those who were in power and in control. Especially if those systems or people oppressed people. Hip Hop and rap’s message is no different. Ice Cube challenges the notion that we go into every other country that needs help, but we cannot provide aid for our own within the inner city. Jesus would be right there with Cube.

· Jesus called out injustices. Without going deep into this, this is a key element of Hip Hop and provides positive outlets for young rappers who would otherwise not have an outlet for those injustices. Dead Prez, Common, KRS-One, Paris, and Tupac all call us to understand the social injustices which exist within our borders here in the U.S.

· Jesus chose to roll with cats that were dangerous, crude, mean, and in essence the “thugs” of his day. I mean come on, this is Hip Hop. Many Hip Hoppers have an “eclectic” past and if given the chance, could actually do something with their lives. While most of Hip Hop is not concerned with the literal definition of “thug,” there is that element of Hip Hop that presents a troubling question, “What do you do with the Pookies and Shaniqa’s who just love to scrap?” Jesus worked with individuals like this in His crew as well.

· Jesus often times chose not to use His “power” when he clearly could have. We see this clearly on the cross, and we find Jesus choosing to allow His disciples to “get it” when He could have just implanted His message within their minds. Hip Hop, in its purest form, empowers and rises up[2] its members from the ground.

· Jesus died an innocent man on the cross for the sins of humanity so that Humanity would know salvation and the “good news” about His life. Hip Hop begins to point to this in many ways. Again, Hip Hop is not a “Jesus” per say and there are very few artists who would actually say they are the “savior.” This still does not negate the fact that rap music is transcending in many ways (dance, concerts, and poetry readings) and brings uplifting messages regarding injustices and wrongs done in people’s lives.

Carter Heyward, in her amazing book Saving Jesus from Those Who Are Right, has a statement that I feel captures the essence of this hostile Gospel Jesus carried with Him. Heyward states:

Most Christians expect Jesus to be all good, completely good, perfect, “without sin,” as the tradition has taught us. Either we overlook and ignore things that he did and said about which, if it were anyone but Jesus, we might complain (cursing and killing a fig tree?), we learn to rationalize away the biblical record (he didn’t really do this), or we find positive ways of looking at what only appear to be negative images (he’s not really belittling his mother at the wedding; he’s just trying to stretch and re-image his friends’ understandings of “family”). We cannot seem to bear the notion of a Jesus who didn’t always do or say the right thing (1999: 144-145).

I use Jesus as the prime example in connection with Hip Hop’s hostile Gospel because there are so many similarities. Heyward has it right; we cannot imagine Jesus doing anything that does not fit into our “boxed theological paradigm” of who we think He is. Hip Hop theology is just that. It is new. It is creative. It is Holy. It is prophetic. It is controversial. It is about love. It is about anger. It is about community. It is about Jesus and His message. It is hostile. It is part of the narrative that we all find ourselves in and that is the narrative of the Bible.

As I’ve stated here before, if we are to move forward in our dance with popular culture, then we cannot avoid Hip Hop.