Tag Archive | "hip hop"

Gimme That Hip Hop Religion?

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Hip Hop is a religion? KRS-One says it is.

This is supposed to be a "spiritual manual for citizens of Hip Hop Kulture that combines classic philosophy with faith and practical knowledge.

This is supposed to be a "spiritual manual for citizens of Hip Hop Kulture that combines classic philosophy with faith and practical knowledge."

His new book, The Gospel of Hip Hop: First Instrument, not only focuses on the origins of Hip Hop and its signature cultural components– break dancing, graffiti art, rapping and deejaying—but also explores the spiritual side of Hip Hop.

According to the book publisher’s Web site, “Set in the format of a self-help holy book, this 800-plus-page opus is a spiritual manual for citizens of Hip Hop Kulture that combines classic philosophy with faith and practical knowledge, for a fascinating, in-depth exploration of Hip Hop as a life path.”

Though The Gospel of Hip Hop: First Instrument looks like a Bible and is intended to be a life manual for HipHoppas (KRS-One’s term for followers of Hip Hop culture), the similarities end there.

First off, the book’s philosophy is less like the Bible and more like Rhonda Burn’s The Secret in that the book’s goal is very humanistic; its primary purpose is to change the lives of its believers from whatever they are or were to lives of Health, Love, Awareness and Wealth (H-LAW).

One of the biggest differences between The Gospel of Hip Hop as espoused by KRS-One and the Gospel of Christianity as espoused by Jesus Christ and the apostles is simple– in KRS-One’s religion, there is no need for a mediator. 

 “I think I have the authority to approach God directly,” said KRS One. 

“I don’t have to go through any religion or train of thought. I can approach God directly myself, and so I wrote a book called The Gospel of Hip Hop to free us from all this nonsense garbage going on right now,” he said.

The obvious question is if a person does not have to go through any religion to get to God why make one up?

Furthermore, which God is KRS-One really referencing?

KRS-One graffitiCould it be the god to whom he made reference on his 2002 song, “God is a Spirit?”

Yeah, actually.

Though the song, which featured Holy Hip Hop artist B.B. Jay, quoted the Bible, made references to being “Christ-like” and used a refrain from the book of Revelation, the song isn’t about Christianity at all.

First, referencing Christ overturning the money changers’ tables in the temple saying, “Mine will be called a house of prayer,” and immediately following those lyrics with “Mine is called the house of Hip Hop,” it is here that we begin to see whose gospel KRS-One is preaching — His own.

The house of Hip Hop that KRS-One made reference to is, no doubt, his own Temple of Hip Hop.

The Temple of Hip Hop started out as a music preservation society, but has grown into a ministry, archive, school and society (M.A.S.S.)

In 2000 KRS-One, speaking of his Temple of Hip Hop and members, Lauryn Hill, Kid Capri and Busta Rhymes said, “We believe that not only is hip hop divine, but the temple is divinely ordained, because we accept it as that.”

Under this rationale we may accept anything as true and proclaim it so because we “accept it as that.”

Though KRS-One’s thought process here seems wanting and juvenile, it bears out KRS-One’s belief that in 100 years, Hip Hop will be a new religion on earth.

And as Hip-Hop’s self-appointed prophet, it’s only fitting that KRS-One would set out to write its “holy book.”

Paul Brunton, a renonwned British philosopher and the first person to write accounts of what he learned in the East from a Western perspective once warned, “Those who find their fulfillment in any form of the arts and who look to it for their highest satisfaction may become, and often do become, attached to it in such a way that it blocks their way to the still higher level where all attachments, including this one, must vanish.”

Were Brunton alive today, KRS-One’s efforts to peddle music as religion would be met with Brunton’s words, “Even the highest art is only a means to an end– it ought not to be made an end in itself.”

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Underground Friday: C.O.G. – A ‘Child of God’ on a mission

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C.O.G. (Child of God) Samad Bilal grew up in a Muslim household in Raleigh, N.C. He prayed five times a day facing Mecca, abstained from pork and shunned the Christianity the culture tried to foist on him.

When Bilal came of age, he joined the Navy.

During his stint in the armed forces, he served his country faithfully, but realized he wasn’t a “lifer,” so he got out.

He was 23 years old, the world was in front of him, but he didn’t know whether to turn to the right or to the left.

“After getting out of the Navy, I was really lost and confused as to what direction my life was to go in,” he said.

Then a coworker became a minister and teacher to Bilal.

“A friend at work began to minister to me about Christ, and I accepted Christ on the job in a restroom.”

“The fact that Jesus Christ died for my sins…In Islam, I was taught to ‘atone’ for my wrong doings, yet, no matter how much I could atone, I would STILL fall short of God’s glory and be unworthy,” he said.

“When I heard that JESUS died for all of that? WOW!”

As Bilal grew in his Christianity, he realized that he wanted to give back; he wanted to affect change within his community.

Blessed with musical ability, Bilal decided that the best medium to reach the most was hip-hop, so C.O.G. (Child of God), his rap alter ego was born.

Recently, I spoke with the National Independent Gospel award-winning rapper to discuss his music, life and everything else.

—-

Tiff: Did you expect your life to radically change after accepting Christ?

C.O.G.: I did expect a radical change in the beginning. I had always heard or seen part of what ‘traditional’ church would do. You know, the tongues, the dancing, the shouting. I never felt that, so I never felt I could have that unless I did those things.

Tiff: A lot of Christians think people will reject the simplicity of the Gospel or think it’s foolish, but you heard it and it made sense.

C.O.G.: When it was taught the actual simplicity of the Gospel, it really was and is easy. When a man or woman is down, with nowhere else to turn, the Gospel is very simplistic, necessary and welcomed.

Tiff: So going back to your story post-Navy, and post-conversion…was it easy for you to find a church or Christian community in which you could learn about Christ or were you still put off from "church folk?"

C.O.G.: It was very difficult. Having not been a part of the church community, the things that I had always heard, seen or read about in church were the first things that I witnessed. It wasn’t until I met Pastor Leroy Staley in Forest City, N.C. that I saw different.

Tiff: How did Pastor Leroy change the way you viewed things?

C.O.G.: He didn’t come across as pushy or arrogant. He was truly concerned for my salvation. He always taught me to keep the Gospel elementary. “Just love people,” he would say. That’s all I’ve ever known him to do. He didn’t come at me with too much theology. For a new convert, that can be too much too soon.

Tiff: Is he still your pastor today?

C.O.G.: He will always be “my pastor.” I’m in Raleigh now and Rodney Finch is my pastor; but there will always be a very special place in my heart for Pastor Staley and New Bethel.

Just like Pastor Staley, Pastor Rodney doesn’t push. He teaches the Bible verse by verse, allowing us all to grow. That’s the most important key to becoming a better Christian: Growth.

Tiff: It’s interesting that you say that. At what point did you grow enough in the faith that you decided to become a musician?

C.O.G.: Well, that was a part of me before becoming a believer. I sang in night clubs, was in a couple of groups, etc. When I got saved, I took time to learn the Word and grow. There was no point of growth, when the Holy Spirit said to go back to music, I just did. At first, it was very difficult. I was not accustomed to the type of music the group I was with was singing at the time. We were a quartet group, and that was something a bit new and very different for me.

Tiff: How did you come up with your rap persona?

C.O.G.: By that time, I was a Sunday school teacher and a youth pastor. I was singing and teaching, but it didn’t feel right. It seemed like I was just going through the motions, not really making a difference. The very children in my youth ministry were still turning to the music of the street, hip hop. I wanted to do something to win them back.

I believe that turning point came when I heard my daughter listening to some rap that I didn’t approve of. I told her that I didn’t want to hear that music in my house, and she said, “Daddy, make something I can listen to then.” I started that day.

Tiff: You just started writing raps, just like that?

C.O.G.: Just like that. Went in the studio and wrote my first CD in two weeks. That’s how I know it was God, not me!

Tiff: When did you first step out as C.O.G.?

C.O.G.: My daughter started sharing the music with her friends and the local paper heard about it and wanted to do a story on me. This little old lady asked me what my rapper name was, and I told her I didn’t have one, I’m just a child of God. She said, “That’s it! Your name should be Child of God.” And that’s how C.O.G. came about.

Tiff: How did people receive you?

C.O.G.: People at first did not like what I was doing. People would say, “God don’t need no hip hop music to save souls.” And I would agree and say, “He don’t need no quartet music, choirs, organs either!”

I’ve been doing this now for almost six years. I’ve been extremely blessed that no matter where I’ve been, people have LOVED my music. I believe the music should remain fun, only the message should change.

There’s a way to deliver the Word without it being boring, docile or too dark. So many young people think serving God is a drag, but that’s just because of the way tradition has caused it to be delivered. For way too many years, preachers have preached, hell, fire and brimstone and that’s not a very pretty picture.

If you’re already in a bad situation, why would you want to join something that seems so grim? Being a Christian is fun! You have the freedom to just be you. No peer pressure, no pressure to do drugs, drink alcohol, curse, etc.

Tiff: So what kind of message would you say you "preach" through your lyrics?

C.O.G.: I keep it very simple. I truly believe why my music has been so well received. Little children to grandparents all seem to appreciate what I do. That’s a true blessing.

I try to reach a broad range of subjects in my music, but the most consistent message I try to deliver is that Jesus Christ died for your sins; forgiveness of sins is yours if you’d just believe, repent and turn away from sin.

Tiff: Okay, so tell me about your latest album. What’s the name of it?

C.O.G.: The latest CD is entitled Ghetto Hymnbook. The CD is a very easy listen. The songs are fun, the hooks are catchy and the Word is evident. Oh, and the beats-oh my goodness! I have the very best producer in Gospel music on this project His name is Spec (www.spechousemedia.com), and he used to be a big producer in the secular realm.

Tiff: So it’s music that young people won’t be ashamed to bump in front of their friends?

C.O.G.: Actually, they will want to bump this in front of their friends. I know a lot of people say that type of thing, but listen for yourself and see.

 

Buy C.O.G.’s music here:

· http://www.pdsoulwebsite.com (Digital download only)

· Send $7 to Ghetto Hymnbook, 1225 Delham Road Knightdale, NC 27545 (Hardcopy)

 

Check out C.OG.’s music and get in touch with him at the following sites:

· http://www.pdsoulwebsite.com

· http://www.myspace.com/pdsoul

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Life your Life, Dead and Gone reflect ‘spiritual’ side of T.I.

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398px-T.I._van Sometimes things have to happen before you turn your life around.

For T.I., the “thing” that made him change was a felony weapons charge, resulting in one year and one day in prison for the charges.

As he sat a home under house arrest awaiting his report date, T.I. took out his notebook and started writing.

As he wrote, he thought about his past. He thought about his future.

When he couldn’t write any more, he hit the studio and recorded some 100 tracks for his latest release, Paper Trail.

Like anything T.I. releases, the album is an able collection of Southern rap, but two songs on the album stand out: Dead and Gone and Live your Life.

Both of these songs reflect T.I.’s increasing maturity. They also reveal a side of T.I. that may have been invisible to many of his fans: His spirituality.

On the surface, Live your Life is your typical club banger, It even features “it” girl, Rihanna, on the hook.

Underneath, however, the song is reminiscent of the Bible’s wisdom literature.

In Ecclesiastes, the preacher tries to teach people about life. He recounts his experiences, and records them so that you can learn.

That’s exactly what T.I. does in Live your Life.

He’s learned from experience that it’s not good to be morally bankrupt.

“Your values is in disarray/prioritizin’ horribly
Unhappy with the riches/ ’cause you’re piss poor morally
Ignorin’ all prior advice and forewarnin’
And we mighty full of ourselves
All of a sudden, aren’t we?”

He’s also learned to “ignore the haters.”

In the Bible, “haters” are known as the scornful. These are people who are jealous on a different level. They don’t have what you have, and they don’t want you to have it either.

T.I., says these people make him want to react,

“I pray for patience but they
Make me wanna melt they face away
Like I once made ‘em spray
Now I could make ‘em put the K’s away”

But like a wise man (Proverbs 29:8), he keeps his peace.

If Live your Life is something out of Ecclesiastes, Dead and Gone, another single on T.I.’s Paper chase, is definitely a Proverb.

Proverbs, though on the surface they seem disjointed, are actually one to two line portable “nuggets” of truth.

The wisdom in this song transcends most of the categories into which we lump ourselves—race, ethnicity, socio-economic status.

Specific truths in this song are:

· Pride causes people to make deadly decisions;

· Think before you act;

· Even if you’ve made a mistake in the past, move on, but don’t return to your folly.

LYL is also a coming of age song with obvious allusions to 1 Corinthians 13.

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”

As a man, T.I. let’s things go. No more squabbles over frivolous things—like dope money and dice games gone awry.

“No more stress, now I’m straight,
Now I get it now I take
Time to think
Before I make mistakes
Just for my family’s sake
That part of me left yesterday
The heart of me is strong today
No regrets I’m blessed to say
The old me dead and gone away.”

Themes from Romans 6-8, chapters of the Bible that have been described as the power of Christian living, also seems to be evident in the chorus:

“I turn my head to the east
I don’t see nobody by my side
I turn my head to the west
Still nobody in sight
So I turn my head to the north,
Swallow that pill
That they call pride
The old me is dead and gone,
The new me will be alright.”

Chuck Swindoll said, in his Bible study, Old Testament Characters, “Too often, if God’s name isn’t billboarded in front of us, we can’t see Him…can’t feel the warmth of His breath. But God doesn’t always advertise His presence. Sometimes He only whispers it.”

Though Live Your Life and Dead and Gone are “secular” songs, Christians can take a thing or two from them as well, namely the deeper truths about humanity, and truths about how God wants man to live.

That makes these songs bright spots and contemplation points for those who may hear the edited versions on local radio.

Watch Dead and Gone

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Michael Jackson is alive … or so some people want people to think

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The Michael Jackson life-after-death machine has officially kicked off.

Like Elvis, Tupac and other icons who died before their time, people have started saying that Jackson faked his death.

Though Michael Jackson died on June 25, and his death has since been ruled a homicide, videos like this one proving that MJ’s death was a hoax have been popping up all over the Internet:

These videos claim that Jackson, faced with billion-dollar debts, decided to just drop out of sight for a while, leaving his family, friends and fans behind.

Conspiracy theories aside, people around the globe, from Spain to Dubai, have also reported seeing Michael Jackson.

Most recently, a video posted on LiveLeak.com  purportedly shows the King of Pop  jumping out of the same van in which his dead body was hauled away.

Though some people will immediately scoff at the “silliness” of these conspiracy theories and sightings, as a Christian, I understand why people would come up with such things: People need something in which to believe.

However, as G.K. Chesterton said, “When people stop believing in God, the problem is not that they will then believe in nothing, it’s that they’ll believe anything.”

For a segment of the world’s population, Michael Jackson is that “anything” of which Chesterton spoke.

I’m sure there are benefits for those who worship MJ–His music and legacy makes them feel alive; he represents the last vestige of goodness in an increasingly cruel world.

Since MJ was world-renowned, those devoted to him also have an opportunity to make fast-friends who share their devotion and love of the icon… sort of like being a member of a church.

Though faith in Michael Jackson sounds promising, the only problem with it is that it probably isn’t what Michael would’ve wanted.

Michael Jackson knew that he was just a man. As such, I don’t think he’d want his fans deifying him in death, as I also believe MJ knew that every talented celebrity owes his ability to God.

Michael’s friend Rabbi Shmuley Boteach reportedly said, “Our favorite stars might light up the crowd, but their glow is a mere reflection of a more infinite radiance.”

If Michael’s most devoted fans would put their energy into seeking after the source behind Michael’s talent, instead of trying to lay the foundations of the Church of Michael Jackson, they’ll have a greater treasure–God.

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Underground Music Friday — Mr. John Duncan

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Guess what today is… Drum roll please. Today (and every Friday) is Underground Music Friday.

A lot of Underground Christian musicians have been contacting me, asking me to give them a platform to share their music ministries, and I’m gonna give it to them.

This week’s artist is Mr. John Duncan.

Mr. John Duncan isn’t new to the music industry. He recorded secular music for nearly a decade, recording five albums. Then, with encouragement from his mom, he recorded his first religious song. After recording that song, he knew that music with a message was the way he should go.

Since some rappers sound alike, sometimes it’s hard to know who is spitting 16 bars over the tight beats coming from your speakers.

Thankfully, that’s not the case with Duncan.

That’s because nobody sounds like him.

His voice is earthy, and his delivery is sort of an hybrid between rap and gospel. The way he enunciates puts you in the mind of Scarface, but the way his rapping blends with the way he sings the hook, is reminiscent of Bone Thugs and Harmony.

His first Gospel project, “The Prodigal Son,” was released back in April and has already been an underground success according to his label One Way to Go Entertainment.

“I am proud of each and every [song] from my album because each one is a reference to my life story,” he told Gospel Synergy.

Enough for Me is [the song I’m most proud of] because of the impact that it has already made.”

“When I perform, seeing the people singing along and getting out of their seat to dance… it’s a wonderful feeling.”

Watch his latest single, Enough for Me here:

Connect with Mr. John Duncan here: http://www.myspace.com/mrjohnduncan

Buy his cd here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mrjohnduncan

If your music is good, you are an Underground Christian musician and you’d like to be considered for my Underground Music Friday feature, contact me.

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Christian rapper gets jail time for Myspace rant

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Florida-based Christian rap artist, Illyte, is headed to the big house.

Christian rapper Illyte gets two years in prison for threatening cops

Christian rapper Illyte gets two years in prison for threatening cops

The rapper, whose real name is Antavio Johnson, pleaded no contest to two counts of corruption by threat of public servant on July 24, for which he will receive two years in prison.

Johnson’s charges stem from a song, “Kill Me a Cop,” that was posted on his Myspace page earlier this year.

The song has since been removed from his page.

With lyrics such as “Call me crazy but I think I fell in love with the sound of hearing the dispatcher saying, ‘Officer Down,” as well as a mention of two officers, including a deputy who was murdered in 2006, a sheriff with the Polk County gang squad decided to investigate.

His search led him to Johnson, who was already in jail for violating his probation on a 2007 cocaine possession charge.

According to Illyte’s brother, Gerald Johnson, Illyte wrote the song when he was still a teenager as a way to protest the ill-treatment he felt that he had received at the hands of police officers.

According to Hip Hop Database, Johnson, who also goes by “T.O” released his first Christian mixtape, “The Life & Rhymes Of Antavio Johnson Volume 1″ in 2006.

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Love John Calvin? Show it off in these tees

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Perseverance of the SaintsThis month marks the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’s birthday.

People from around the world are celebrating the 16th century reformer and his contributions to Christian religious thought.

Born in 1509, Calvin was one of the most important theologians during the Protestant Reformation.

One clothing line, Christed-Out Always Apparel (COA Apparel) has decided to mark the occasion with a series of Calvin-inspired T-shirts.

The shirts outline the Five Points of Calvinism, better known by the acronym TULIP.

Limited Atonement

TULIP breaks out like this:
T — Total Depravity (also known as Total Inability and Original Sin)
Yes, people are bad, and they do bad things, but that’s not what this means. Total depravity means that sin is inherent in all of us because of our forefather Adam. Because of our inherent sin nature, we are unable to save ourselves.

U — Unconditional Election
God chooses to save people without a thought to personal works.

L–Limited Atonement (also known as Particular Atonement)
Christ did not die for everyone. Christ only died for those God chose from the beginning of time, AKA the Elect.

People tend to have the biggest problem with this tenet of Calvinism because it attempts to refute the popular notion that Christ died for everyone. See my article on Holy Hip Hop and Calvinism.

Total Depravity

I — Irresistible Grace
God will save those whom He has chosen to save. There’s no getting away from God when He calls you to be one of His own.

P–Perseverance of the Saints (also known as Once Saved Always Saved)
Those who God chooses cannot lose their salvation. If they seem to fall into sin, it’s only for a short while.

For more info: The shirts are available at http://www.zazzle.com/coa_apparel and range in price from $21-$41.

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The Second Coming of Tupac Shakur

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Tupac - The Passion Of Tupac (DJ Critikal) On Sept. 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas.

He died seven days later of internal bleeding at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada after his mother Afeni told the doctors not to resuscitate him.

Or did he?

If you believe what you read on the Internet, Tupac is alive.

And like a Hip Hop messiah, he’s coming back in 2014.

He’s not coming to usher his people into his version of paradise—Government housing projects, police sirens, and 40’s.

He’s just coming back chill and what not –maybe release a few albums, smoke a few blunts.

Before Tupac died, he seemed to be heavily influenced by the teachings of 16th Century Italian Prince Nicolo Machiavelli, even changing his rap name to Machiavelli.

The real Machiavelli supposedly wrote about faking one’s own death in order to fool enemies and to gain power and wealth.

People claim that Tupac followed Machiavelli’s advice. And that’s why he’s coming back in 2014.

The faithful claim that Tupac has left them signs to prove that he is coming back.

These include his cremation without an autopsy; the fact that he continues to release posthumous albums; and a myriad of signs and symbols in his videos and album artwork.

His latest release is purported to be a song where he raps about Obama and Hillary Clinton.

But wait.

Wasn’t Tupac supposed to come back in 2003?

According to John Kattzenstein, he was supposed to return seven years after his death.

The Seven Day Theory, went something like this according to Kattzenstein:

Tupac was shot on Sept. 7 and survived for seven days. He was shot seven days after releasing “All Eyez on Me;” The title of one of his post-death releases is ” Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory.” And a vocal on one of the tracks on Don Killuminati says, “And if the Lord returns in the coming seven days, then we’ll see ya next time.”

It’s kind of amazing that 2,000 years after the real messiah came to earth, that people are still looking for another.

In Matthew, Jesus warns his followers that there will be false prophets in the last days. These verses are actually often quoted— especially when some Jim Jones or Marshall Applewhite-type guy leads people on a suicide mission.

The reason people have elevated Tupac to the status of Hip-Hop Messiah is because, as Jesus said, “The love of many wax cold.” People try to fill their God-shaped hole with Tupac and Elvis and many-armed, multi-colored deities.

Christians let Jesus fill their emptiness, and are satisfied.

Though they still await the return of their Messiah, at least they can be confident that He will return as Jesus is the only one who rose from the dead, and He’s the only one who CAN come back again.

–Tiffany Orr, the Underground managing editor

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Corey Red: Crashin a party near you

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Crashin Da Party isn’t veteran MC Corey Red’s latest album, I am Legend is, but I never got a chance to review this one, so here goes.

Many people think life is just a joke or a game–a big party. Corey Red released this album to pimp smack them back down to earth.

He’s like the Aesop of rap. He gives you a story and a lesson, but everything is designed to change how you live.

Through realistic lessons over beats, Red shows that life is nothing to play with. There are consequences for having a Hedonistic philosophy, namely HIV, death, murder, self-hatred… real issues affecting the Body of Christ, and this pagan culture we are called to influence.

Sounds like: Himself. He’s probably the realest MC you’ve never heard.

Stand out tracks: All of them. The whole album is bangin.

Get it here: coreyred.net

Learn more about him: http://www.myspace.com/therealcoreyred

Upcoming releases: A five-track EP entitled, Public Relations and a mixtape. In the meantime, download this free mixtape @ http://www.datpiff.com/Corey-Red-Precise-Street-Prophecy-Volume-3-mid3021.html.

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Black Jesus: It’s Getting Old

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black-jesus

I’ve always had the desire to know things. With the Internet, I can know things right away. I like that. However, there are times when I wish I could unlearn things. Today is one of those days. I was just surfing and minding my own business, then I saw what promised to be a link to an interesting video.

It was called: Black Jesus: It’s Getting Old.

I should have known that it was going to be crazy because it’s by Aaron McGruder. Some of you might be familiar with his work from the Boondocks.

Anyways, I watched the video and I really didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know whether to be offended or to commend McGruder for his insightful satire.

After all my thinking, I decided that it’s okay to be offended and to commend McGruder. This video is an indictment on society, as well as a reflection of it.

I think the video is meant to be offensive. First off, the video features a non-Caucasian Jesus. This flies in the face of everything we’ve been taught. I’m not trying to start a debate on Jesus’ skin color, but we know for a fact that he wasn’t Caucasian.

The video portrays Jesus as a profane caricature of who He is. The way Jesus was portrayed will be shocking to a lot of people, but when I thought about it a little more, I realized that that’s how society as a whole treats Him. As John Calvin said, man is “fabricum idolarum,” an idol factory. So, we always make God into our own image. Some people think Jesus is fun and games, so they actually relate to a false Jesus, who is an exaggeration of the true Jesus.

The other thing in this video that got me thinking was the occasion for Black Jesus being on the scene. Jesus is talking to some thugs in their SUV. He’s trying to get them to give him something.

He says, “Did I not lay my life down for you?” And the thugs reply, “Yeah, we know that, but it’s getting old Jesus.”

For me, that exchange was profound. Because we have been glutted with the Christian message, so many people in the Western world think that the message of the gospel is “old.” All of us know people who don’t care if a Savior died and shed his blood for them. It’s pretty sad.

To wrap it all up. McGruder was wrong for making this video. Jesus is holy, and He is God. He will judge the living and the dead. Most will see this video and laugh or run away. BUT I’m glad he made this video. Because some people will see the deeper meaning (their hypocrisy), and turn to the Truth.

Watch: Black Jesus: It’s Getting Old

This video features profanity. Watch it at your own risk.

–Tiff, The Underground editor

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