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The Conducive Nature Of Hip Hop Culture For Missional Praxis

One of the most unique, creative, and influential cultures in not only North America but throughout the world is hip hop culture.  Hip hop’s appeal can be seen locally and globally as its style, music, and attitude continue to spread fast through various mediums.  In the midst of this culturally explosive movement, we also note that the North American Church is struggling, as its popularity and draw fades with each passing year.  However, rebirth is found as thousands of Christians are taping into the fountains of biblical wisdom that are redirecting them back to God’s Mission.  A movement known as the missional church, is pleading with the body of Christ to be the Church, and to bring the gospel of Christ in a relevant and contextualized fashion to all peoples.  One would be wise to advise the missional church to take very serious the opportunities that hip hop culture brings to the table.  For it is this papers intent to show that the very nature of hip hop and its cultural norms are extremely conducive for missional praxis locally and often times even globally.

Before exploring why hip hop and missional theology would go together well hand in hand, one must first grasp what hip hop culture and missional ecclesiology are first.  To the misunderstandings of many, hip hop is another word for rap music.  This confusion draws from a lack of engagement from those outside the hip hop community with those inside.  In reality rap is just one aspect or cultural artifact that has come out of the hip hop community.  “The hip-hop subculture manifests itself in people, and as people identify the needs in their life that hip-hop meets, the culture is sustained. To minimize hip-hop by saying it is just rap is to disrespect it, because hip-hop is life” (The Hip Hop Church, 66).  Hip hop is a culture, it is a world view, it is a way of life.  “Hip-hop is about dance, art, expression, pain, love, racism, sexism, broken families, hard times, the search for God and overcoming” (The Hip Hop Church, 61). 

For this work, we also make the point that hip hop at its core is urban youth culture, especially culture representing African Americans and Latinos.  In the book, The Hip Hop Church the author agrees that “it encompasses the culture of African Americans, Latinos and urban America more generally” (63).  Now as we will point out later, the influences of hip hop have crossed these racial and geographic boundaries; nonetheless, we attest to its cultural roots and authenticity found in mostly black and brown urban settings.  From the beginning, hip hop has found its birth from the African diaspora.  And then grounded itself in the urban experience largely of the northeast and west coast.  “True Hip-hop is a term that describes the independent collective consciousness of a specific group of inner-city people” (The Hip Hop Church, 63).  And so it is the people’s mundane life activities that make and produce hip hop culture.

The missional community, on the other hand, represents a theologically diverse community who are committed to pursuing God’s Mission.  It seems at this point, that the missional movement (or at least under the title missional) is a mostly white upper and middle class theology.  However, a homogeneous group is not the goal, nor desire of those within that theological framework.  In fact they represent the opposite, a community that wants to cross all boundaries as God does.  They claim that God has and continues to interact in human history, and chooses to use people, specifically the church, to be his hands and feet in this world.  And so according to John 20:21, just as Jesus has been sent into this world,  followers of Jesus likewise are sent into this world.  They are called to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to represent the reign of God here on earth.  Practically speaking, they believe that to do this we are called to cross racial, ethnic, demographic, and cultural boundaries.  At the same time we are not to force any particular culture or practice for every context.  In Missional Church it is explained this way,  “to be faithful to its calling, the church must be contextual, that is, it must be culturally relevant within a specific setting.  The church relates constantly and dynamically both to the gospel and to its contextual reality” (18).  And so the charge is to bring the good news of Jesus and his coming Kingdom to a world that is broken, sinful, and in bondage.  Relevance is a key word for this community as they are sent out into the world.  Engaging cultures and recognizing that every culture can have the gospel applied to it is core teaching within the missional community.  “The gospel is always conveyed through the medium of culture.  It becomes good news to lost and broken humanity as it is incarnated in the world through God’s sent people, the church” (Missional Church, 18).  Therefore no culture is beneath redemption, no culture is so lost that it cannot be saved.

It is with this background of missional theology and hip hop culture that we begin to lay foundation to who these communities, cultures, and movements are, as well as why they may go well together; for both are fascinating movements that have deep impact for the world in which we live.  We must begin to acknowledge that while they do not necessarily overlap in terms of human population and demographics, ideologically the two would go hand in hand very well.  We will begin to unpack this further.

Within the hip hop community, there is a debate going on as to what is authentically hip hop, and what is a bi-product of the commercialization of rap music.  Within the confines of rap as a genre you find underground and socially conscious emcees as well as rich and famous rap pop stars.  The Hip Hop Church breaks it down like this, “a rapper is for the industry or produced by the industry; they rap about whatever is popular, and they give the culture of hip-hop a reputation of only being about materialism and sex” (83).  Yet there is another definition for the conscious rapper, or as they call him the emcee.  Here they say that “an emcee, on the other hand, seeks to keep the purity in hip-hop and stays away from the entertainment, performance-only view that rappers consistently have.  The emcee is considered to be a lyricist with something to say that’s for your heart, your soul or your intellect.  They don’t rhyme about what is popular or important to the materialistic hip-hop head because they are stewards of the culture and hip-hop’s message.  Emcees are seeking to drop some knowledge about life and how best to live in this world” (84).  It is this stewardship and consciousness of hip hop that I would like to explore some more as it relates to missional praxis. 

Michael Eric Dyson, a leading black intellectual states in his newest book Know What I Mean? that “conscious rappers are lauded as much for what they don’t say as for what they spit on record. They don’t brag about exorbitant jewelry, excessive women, or expensive automobiles.  Conscious rappers do talk about racial injustice, police brutality, over-incarceration, political prisoners, rampant poverty, radical educational inequality and more” (66).  There is a deep critique of the injustice and white supremacy that has pervaded the United States way of life within the hip hop community.  Dyson reminds the reader that there is plenty of “rap that is socially aware and consciously connected to historic patterns of political protest and aligned with progressive forces of social critique” (64).  No one is safe from the rhetorically resistant hip hop community.  All aspects of life are under the microscope and are seen as fair game for critique.  “Hip-hop, in fact, calls attention to the failures of government, schools, police, preachers and churches, bringing them to light while shaming them at the same time” (The Hip Hop Church, 81).  The rules of American life have never proved itself to be true for the urban youth, especially those who are black and brown, and therefore critique is the natural response from this otherwise powerless and voiceless community.  Hip hop will question “everything from whether the American dream is attainable for urban youth to whether the police force and the national government are systems that can be trusted” (The Hip Hop Church, 106).  Some conscious emcees have gone beyond just the struggles of the ghetto, to tackle more national and global problems that might not benefit them directly.  Dyson explains that “they have also occasionally linked their work to quests for social justice, whether making a song to galvanize social response to police brutality or to dramatize and inspire social outrage against an unjust war” (Know What I Mean?, 64-65).  And so we see a powerful and strong voice critiquing the injustice that dares try to oppress them.

The hip hop generation are the kids of those who lived through the sixties and seventies as adults.  Yet the approach from the hip hop generation is different, they are even more resistant to the status quo.  “Civil rights folk said, ‘We’ll dress up and play the rules the white way and cross over.’ Hip hop seized the reins of its destiny and insisted that it make music its way, and white folk could cross over to them” (Know What I Mean?, 56).  The Hip Hop generation wants to stand its ground and demand that they be recognized with human dignity, and that they will not be forced to assimilate anymore.

This very resistance and social critique arguably goes great with the missional churches social engagement and prophetic voice to oppressive systems.  Preaching the gospel is important for the missional church.  The gospel can be summarized by Jesus’ first teaching in the book of Luke, which states, “the Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (TNIV, Luke 4:18-19).  Freedom and liberation from oppression and poverty become crucial elements to the gospel for those within missional communities.  “Jesus further believed it to be his mission to exhibit the signs of the presence of the reign of God by exercising its authority over brokenness, domination, oppression, and alienation” (Missional Church, 104).  And as they see Jesus throughout the gospels disarm “the powers and authorities” mentioned in Colossians 2:15, the missional community also sees that as apart of the body of Christ’s calling today.  In response to  Jesus’ example may lead Christians to “engage the complexities of corporate modern living: pressuring governments and corporations for the sake of the disadvantaged or the ravaged earth, lobbying for just laws, solidarity with oppressed peoples, initiatives to cease hostilities among nations, care for marginalized peoples and the creation, or compassionate remolding of socioeconomic structures” (Missional Church, 106).  The opportunities and philosophical overlaps are there for missional minded people to take advantage of hip hops similar goals and interests.  For there are few influential cultures that have at the heart of it a passion for justice and truth.  One would be foolish not to benefit from the hip hop culture with its “new voice of resistance for a disenfranchised group of people” (The Hip Hop Church, 68).  For the goals of hip hop and the missional church are both, at least in part, to fight for oppressed people.  Why not recognize that “a voice of a generation is being heard in order to empower an otherwise powerless class of people” and that the goals of the missional church are also to empower the weak, the oppressed, and the poor (The Hip Hop Church, 72).  Seems like a potentially great alliance.

The missional church has also made claims to the value of diversity both racially and ethnically.  I believe that the multicultural pursuits of the missional church again could benefit when engaging in hip hop culture. For while I did mention that hip hip culture at its core is the culture of black and brown urban youth, I must also address the boundary crossing influence hip hop has had thus far.  We must note that “hip-hop is a major cultural force and influence among young people regardless of race, demographic or religious background” (The Hip Hop Church, 36).  For it is definitely not just African American and Latinos who listen to rap music, nor love the style of the culture.  Rather the largest consumers of rap music are actually white.  They are the ones who actually put the money into the industry which makes it so successful.  “As the top consumers of its music, white teenage males in America do a great job of keeping hip-hop culture in business” (The Hip Hop Church, 105).  For about a decade now, hip hop has crossed just about every racial and ethnic boundary imaginable.  Kids from every race and from every geographical location are listening to what is stereotypically thought of as black music.  When this shift happened for many inner city kids “it felt like the voice of urban youth culture, especially those of color, were finally in the mainstream” (The Hip Hop Church, 64).  And so hip hop as a medium by nature will cross racial and cultural boundaries in ways that most cultures cannot.  One must understand that hip hops influence has infiltrated in some way almost every area of American life.  “Hip hop culture is all over the place -movie soundtracks, marketing strategies, music award ceremonies, video games, professional sporting events and of course the radio” (The Hip Hop Church, 37).  For this reason alone, whether or not a community is urban, suburban, or rural, it seems very wise to at least engage hip hop culture on some level to take advantage of its multicultural nature.

Now the boundary crossing nature of hip hop extends pass the national lines.  Hip hop is currently a global phenomenon.  Its music can be found pumping in clubs all over Europe, Asia, and Africa.  “The global impact of hip hop is being studied by scholars like Deborah Wong at the University of California-Riverside, who covers Asian hip hop, and Marcyliena Morgan at Stanford University, who researches hip hop in Cuba and England” (Know What I Mean?, xxvii).  There seems to be no limit to the influence hip hop is having around the globe.  Just as McDonald’s and Pepsi have become global markets so has rap music.  One would wonder why such a despised and feared group of people (African American males) could have such an influential global voice.  Carl Ellis might have the answer in his book Going Global, in which he argues that the African American experience of slavery and oppression has been recognized globally.  He contends that many people around the world actually have a soft spot for the African American community, because they either empathize or can relate to the sufferings black people are overcoming.  He states, “it is astonishing to see how people throughout the world seem to have positive feelings toward African Americans” (Going Global, 85).  Given the global awareness of the African American experience, it makes perfect sense why hip hop, a product of the African American community has become a global favorite.  Therefore, if the missional church plans to be “a blessing to the nations” according to Genesis 12, it would be right on point to align itself at times with the global influence hip hop has.  In the words of Michael Eric Dyson, “I maintain that we should be willing to take a scholarly look at hip hop for no other reason than it has grabbed global attention and sparked emulation in countless different countries and among varied ethnicities” (Know What I Mean?, xxv).

Finally, it would be an incomplete study if one did not look at the soul and spirituality of the hip hop community, and its importance for missional praxis.  For there are plenty of artists like Lauryn Hill, Common, Talib Kweli, and Mos Def to name a few, who along with their social critique also bring a deep sense of spirituality and soul to their music.  It is a music that uplifts the people and encourages them to have hope despite the harsh realities in which many people live.  Each and every word from these cultural prophets are powerful and inspiring, and often times even point the listener to God in the midst of their suffering.  “Words are important, as a means of upward mobility, or as a means to escape suffering, especially by exposing its horrible intrusion into one’s group or neighborhood, or to grapple with a white supremacist society that refuses to acknowledge our fundamental humanity” (Know What I Mean?, 76).  And as these musical movements of hope and truth move forward, they inevitably are at the least in participation with God’s plan of liberation to oppressed peoples.  When one engages with the actual music of some of hip hop’s most conscious and prophetic artists, they will see that “hip-hop spirituality has connections to liberation theology” (The Hip Hop Church, 118).  Hip hop at the heart is a child of R&B, which is a child of Jazz and Blues, which is a child of the Negro Spirituals.  And throughout the history of soul music, there has always been a core element that proclaimed liberation, and recognized it to be of God.  This spiritual side of hip hop is a powerful alliance for the missional church.  For just as Paul was able to go into Athens and notice the altar with the inscription “To an unknown God” and used that sense of spirituality within that context to proclaim that “God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him.”  Likewise, the missional church can also use the deep sense of spirituality and liberation theology found within hip hop culture as a starting point to revealing the one true God  in whom we “live and move and have our being” (TNIV, Acts 17:27-28).

In conclusion, it is clear that there are plenty of areas in which hip hop culture is conducive for missional praxis.  Its social consciousness, multicultural nature, global influence, and soul and spirituality line up well with the missional churches desire to socially engage society, to reconcile across all racial and cultural boundaries, to take the gospel to the whole world, and to encourage faith and spirituality in Jesus Christ.  Other areas one might be interested in looking at are their postmodern approaches, their understanding truth, their authenticity, and their  opposition to too much hierarchical leadership.  Also, it is important to note that while hip hop has many positive norms that lend itself well for missional engagement, it also is a human culture and therefore fallen.  One must beware of some aspects of hip hop culture that have patriarchal tendencies, sexism, materialism, and violence as part of its message.  Nonetheless, it is contended that hip hop culture is indeed extremely conducive for missional praxis because of its cultural norms.  It would be foolish for anyone who seriously engages with missional theology to not at least experiment with the possibilities it can have when allianced with hip hop, no matter where you find yourself.  Most likely wherever you are, aspects of hip hop are there as well.

References:

Dyson, M. E. (2007). Know What I Mean?: Reflections on Hip Hop. New York, NY: Basic Civitas Books.

Ellis Jr., C. F. (2005). Going Global Beyond the Boundaries: The Role of the Black Church in        the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. Chicago, IL: Urban Ministries, Inc.

Guder, D. L. (Ed.). (1998). Missional church: A vision for the sending of the church in

North America. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Smith, E. and Jackson, P. (2005).The Hip Hop Church: Connecting with the movement shaping our culture. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press.

(2005) Today’s New International Bible: The Holy Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: The Zondervan Corporation.

About the Author

Drew Hart is a pastor and dwells in the city of Philadelphia. He writes for freestyletheology.wordpress.com and enjoys engaging both faith and culture deeply and critically. As a student from Biblical Seminary with a Urban focus, he believes that we are called to join and participate God in His mission of reconciliation of the alienated and liberation of the oppressed.

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