Comments for Holy Hip Hop’s Civil War at http://www.rapzilla.com/rz , comment 1 to 42 out of 20 comments http://www.rapzilla.com/rz Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:12:44 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2600 This "debate" has bothered me for some time now, because I don't see how many can't see that both sides serve the same purpose, just a different way. I first got into gospel or christian hip hop with S.F.C., P.I.D., Apocalypse and so on. back then, everybody was coming pretty much straight from the bible. I was a young Christian back then, and really liked the "preachy" rap. It helped me grow in my spiritual walk, and it gave me an alternative to LL cool J and Run DMC. I now attend a multicultural church, and our Church mission is to be a crossing point where diverse people become devoted Christ followers...In other words, a bridge. THAT is how I look at Sev static, Playdough, sintax, tunnel rats and others. They can be (and are) a bridge to people who wouldn't ever listen to Trip Lee, or CM, or Flame. I've had many, many people come up my driveway while I was detailing my truck, asking me what I was listening to...most of the time, it's Mars ILL, or Playdough, or TR'Z. this gives me a chance to open up conversation about Christ. Both sides of this issue are valid, and serve a purpose. I listen to artists on both sides of this issue, and it's sad that there is a "civil war". - John Robinson Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:51:28 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2576 I am not one to discuss these topics outwardly becuae of the way people like to draw lines. I will say that I have seen it myself. I believe there are different genres inside of our culture. There is a standard that has to be met to be a Christian artist. One does not fall into a catagory by accident. If a rapper is a Christian rapper then that is what he/she is and the goal should be obvious. The goal is to perserve the church, reach outside the church and bring testimony. I know we can add a whole lot more, but basically it is bring God to the people. If your rapping for the church than that is what God called you to do..If your rapping the work to the streets than that is what you are to do. Everyone gets so caught up on what they think is correct, but where is God in all this? I do not think there is a civil war but a change. I think the music is growing into new ministries and reaching further. With that being said the devil is going to try to break our unity. I know that some take this music a little to far..we have to real them in, but the bottom line is we need to reach the streets, we need to keep our youth in the church strong, and we need to remember that the music is not about our own image but Jesus's image. I really do not know how else to say it.. God bless Doc - DOCWATSON Fri, 23 May 2008 10:12:12 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2483 It is very important that Christian rappers that profess the Gospel, live it as well. We are in the last days people...IMHO, I truly believe, there is no time for "Soft" or "Fence-sitting" Gospel or Christian Rap..We were created to praise HIM! Not ourselves!!! Now, while I believe that CMR shouldn't be the ultimate standard or all Christian rap artists (God and Jesus Christ should be the standard of all doctrine), CMR and other artists out there that speak of a conservative Christian rap doctrine only request that the fence sitters and the Neutral Christian rap artists need to FULLY embrace The Gospel of Jesus Christ's life, death and resurrection...what's wrong with that? One of the great prophets in the Old Testament said "Chose ye this day, who you will serve...". God also said in Isaiah..."I will not yield My glory to another..." I implore all those rappers who profess Christ to be Lord and Savior of their lives to stop creating "Neutral" rap songs in order to satisfy the neutral crowd... Just one Christian man's opinion. Peace and God Bless - Crusader918 Mon, 05 May 2008 12:08:48 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2401 Rappers should not be classified as Holy Hip Artists if their music is not christianlike. Some rappers call themselves holy hip hop artists whose lyrics don't contain christian lyrics aren't really christian rappers. - Matt C Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:27:05 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2399 yeah, i have actually been on both sides of the debate. but i have concluded that there is unity in diversity. as long as a person is not promoting sin and rebeling against God i do not see the problem. We have to remember that there is one body and many parts. It would be something else if the hand got made at the foot because it was not able to pick things up or grab things correctly. I think that is the good thing about holy hip hop or life music. It is so broad and diverse. sometimes i honestly dont feel like hearing theologically deep songs. I just want to hear stuff that i can relate to. Then again sometimes i need to be feed some spiritually deep concepts so i can better my walk with Christ...I think as a body we should see the value in everyones gifts and bring it all together....... Dueces - intense Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:27:00 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2386 why do we fall into the trap of division the enemy sets? if who ever aint your cup of tea, dont buy it. we should be lifting each other up, praying for each other and understand that people are at different levels spiritually. heck im sure a lot of the rappers that dont say Jesus but consider themselves christian dont even have a good church home that teaches the word. they just doing what they know and what they believe to be right in the eyesight of GOD. we should pray for them and believe that GOD would draw them closer. if such and such dont say Jesus and it's good clean music, it should not be a problem. just accept it as it is (good clean christian entertainment) and pray for the fellow. the same folk dissing who ever for not being Jesus Jesus Jesus in their raps will take their righteous tails to a secular movie and enjoy it or watch some secular tv and enjoy it. aint that backwards? "i diss such and such for being a christian rapper who has clean raps not necessarily saying GOD all the time, but i love that secular movie or tv show!" bottom line, if you feel such and such aint up to par, they dont say jesus enough, pray for them. it's your duty. the problem GOD allow you is the one HE wants you to pray for. - dino Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:37:05 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2353 As a spirit filled believer, I don't depend or look to HHH to 'hear a word from the Lord, or instruct me on…well anything.’ It’s great to hear a cd that edifies my spirit, unlike most of the secular garbage out their. And it’s good to sing & make melody in my heart unto the Lord w/ Christian music too. I would like to remind everyone of the fact that the gospel has the power to bring ppl to salvation, not the music. If you survey ppl who listen to HHH, how many get saved bc of the music? Probably not many. Reaching the lost world is in giving the gospel & how we live our lives, not just bc we can rap & put Christ's name in their. I think Christian artists should overtly speak of God at least sometimes in their music. If an artist does not do that, then to me that artist just happens to be a Christian, not a Christian artist. I appreciate some of those types of artist too (i.e. Switchfoot). If an artist who happens to be a Christian wants to sing/rap about things that aren't conflicting with God, or don't make Christ look bad, then that's fine too (i.e. Switchfoot). It’s the heart of the message, & how it’s delivered. As far as calling ppl out, CM didn’t speak out against a particular artist or group to my knowledge & I’ve followed them since Heavens Mentality. I did notice a major shift in their lyrics from Christ to pro Hip Hop (that’s another subject). Next, w/ Sup The Chemist, I heard a few songs featuring him years ago & saw a documentary w/ him as one of the guests speaking there. It did absolutely nothing for me. Just that name Sup The Chemist make me not wanna think twice about listening to him. If somebody else likes him, hey to each his own. When it comes to artists calling other artists out, that's ok. Ppl are ppl, rather their well known or not. In the scriptures Paul called out may ppl. As long as things are done properly I'm not tripping Music is not my pastor, my God, or anything close to that, nor should it be anyone else's. Let’s keep this thing in perspective. It's just music folks, why make it anymore than that. - God'sMan Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:33:33 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2350 All I can say is this, don't be fooled by familiar spirits. If the Holy Spirit had fueled this article then there would have been no reference to a civil war (CM never called out any names, as a matter of fact no Christian artist has). Congratulations on being the first. Instead the author of this article did exactly what the secular media did in the Biggie/Tupac fued. He or she took advantage of the carnal nature of the readers, the nature that has a lust for blood and conflict, and promoted it for selfish gains while in the process creating a riff in something as minor as a difference in the application of the Gospel. And the readers ate it up with statements like "this is the best HHH article that I've read". Christian people don't be so foolish. Study the Word of God and pray so that you can see the false prophets and familiar spirit and discern what is the Will of God and what is not. The devil will come as an angel of light. Therefore, just because someone mentions that they are a Christian doesn't mean that we should take what they say, or in this case what they write, as God's Will. Tell me, what is the difference between what CM is doing and what the pastor at a church does when the Holy Spirit prompts him to speak on being bold as Christians and preaching the gospel in and out of season. I know that I've heard that sermon many times and never did I get offended, even when it pertained to me. Nor would the Holy Spirit prompt an attack on CM or any other MC that raps the uncut Gospel. I've read some of the comments here and most of you are easily decieved. We cannot afford to think like those who are dead in their sins. In other words, He is coming back soon and that is the way we should approach this thing. Christian people don't believe the hype. Christ will return soon and we as the Body of Christ are responsible for reaching out to any and all that will listen. Therefore, we do not have the time to preach a watered down gospel. Give them the Gospel and don't be ashamed. Now for the writer of the article to compare the book of Ruth with CM and artist like them is unnerving. The Bible is the Bible. We are the Body of Christ. We were commissioned by Jesus Christ himself to preach the same un-cut Gospel that Paul, James, Peter, etc. preached. They preached Jesus un-cut, not "This is what I did before I got saved". To do that is to put the focus on you and not him. What happened to being sold out for Christ? I agree that there is a difference in approach since all don't have the same gifts but our jobs as his people is minister first and rapper second. Not rapper first, minister maybe. - Crosseyes Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:14:31 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2347 I believe there is a lack of definition for the genre. Holy Hip Hop seems to be in civil war because it has groups with different opinions about what they should do to fit into the genre. I believe that one could be a Christian and an emcee, or one could be a Christian emcee that makes music for the Christian hip hop genre. If you are a Christian and an emcee, you could be making music about your life, having fun with words, or just expressing yourself artistically. I do not believe that this kind of music fits into the Christian hip hop genre. If you are a Christian emcee, who makes music for the Christian hip hop genre, I believe you should have topics relating to Christianity in your songs. If you do not, I do not think you should be categorized into Christian hip hop. I would say that both kinds of music are necessary. An emcee that is Christian would make music refreshingly clean and easy to listen to (for Christians and unbelievers). It would not be preachy to unbelievers, possibly making Christianity more acceptable. Christians might not want to listen to something that is overly preachy or perhaps addressed to someone else, while wanting to listen to 'clean' music. A Christian emcee would be necessary to provide "spiritual encouragement and edification" to other Christians, and possibly act as a evangelical tool to unbelievers. A group with Christian members does not make their music Christian and does not - well, should not - place their music in the Christian music genre, unless I am mistaken. - Somethin' Fishy Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:33:13 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2330 There are three types of MC's. Secular (which we're not discussing), Gospel Hip-Hop, and Christian MC's. There is a difference between the two. The first, Gospel Hip-Hop uses the scripture of God to teach, preach, and evangelize. If If there is no Gospel in your rhyme, then you are an MC who is a Christian and not the other way around. There is no justification. No word of God= No truth. Straight up. I mean, really...Just because Kanye says "Jesus walks...God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down"...does that mean that he is gospel hip-hop? Absolutely NOT. But we pray for his walk. The Word is true and uncompromising. Every MC has to ask him/herself, "What am I putting in the atmosphere?" If my spiritual gift of Hip-Hop is not edifying the Kingdom of God and utilizing spoken sword, do I deserve to call myself Gospel Hip-Hop? Each man has to reconcile his own conscience. If there is no Christ in your rhymes, who are you representing? Wishing you peace and salvation. - ADVICATEGRL Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:43:13 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2325 DS5, Lightheaded, TRz, Cross Movement, Lecrae, etc ARE BOTH spreading the gospel and have dope skills. Remember, we were not born saved. We all have fallen short of the glory. Some drop bars on His holy word and some on their experiences which led to them devoting themselves to Christ. I am a Heavy hip hop(music period) head and have rhymed, battled, etc for years. Having faith, but not really being heavy into the church, albums from all these Mcees have satisfied my taste for intricate sixteens, ill beats, food for the soul and ammunition to walk through the world while maintaining my faith. - Nhexsoul Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:11:34 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2305 it ain't gospel if there's no gospel in it. Christians need to stop trying to get out from their responsibility to evangelize. Dude who wrote this is a hypocrite - mike24 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:50:44 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2291 wut. good article. i've had this conversation many times and have written 1000 bars for it. i wouldn't say we've "wasted" the bars we wrote on this topic. if that was the case i guess this article would be a waste as well. expression is a good thing. I mean, it IS a topic to be discussed and thought out. One thing i find kinda odd is that people always put DS5 or even Tunnel Rats on the oppossite end of the spectrum from Cross Movement. That bothers me to an extent because I think TRs and DS5 offer such a well balanced message to reach the lost and feed the Body of Christ at the same time. It kinda makes us look like the rebels inside ministry when heads describe us "not so preachy". I think CM does a great job at reaching the street and the church as well. what's not for the church is for the streets and vice versa. also, i think some fans (of both groups) fan the flames even more on msg boards with their opinions on music they haven't really listened to. i KNOW for a fact there's heads out there commenting on DS5 and TR's that haven't really listened to our music and are spraying opinions based on other opinions they've read about us. so all this feeds the fire of this topic and makes it grow. i know a few of us have met up w/ CM at events and we've always shared respect and support for each other like brothers should. - SEV STATIK Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:10:40 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2274 Great article, bro. You said what the majority of us were thinking. - Re:Flex the Architect (Scribbling Idiots) Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:46:11 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2271 What I believe it all boils down to is this;well we know the word says in proverbs that the power of life and death is in the toungue,so speak life...right?only two things come out our mouths life and death.So does what we rap about pushes us away from God (death means also seperation from God) which is what most secular music does,or is it bringing us closer,is it edifying us?.Also God is not the author of confusion,if someone unsaved had two unmarked cds one christian,the other being secular and played them back to back would they be able to tell the difference? - big phil Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:01:11 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2270 I believe that when we as disciples of Christ use our gifts to communicate a message we should use it to promote the gospel and the lifestyle change that takes place after redemption. We are ministers in that space because the attention is centered on what we are saying or doing. We are obligated present Christ at that given moment.Our lifestyles should line up afterwards without question. The gospel sets us apart from the world. Grace and Peace - d-live-rinse Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:09:39 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2269 {Love will see us through} ~V7 & The Kingdom of Heaven~ 1 Corinthians 13 - Victorious7 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:12:06 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2256 Bro, u hit the nail on the head with this article. The division in Christian hip hop has bothered me for years. I believe that Christian hip hop has the potential to be tremendously more effective if each side of the spectrum would realize that the different approaches to expressing our faith are equally valid. As the article says not all rappers have the same gifts. - Erik Zero Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:58:23 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2254 I must say that i have some repenting to do towards some christian artist, i'm the type of dude who feels the more word based hip hop,being a person who is more into the word and a Youth leader but lets all realise that we all need what appeals to our spirit...This hating is just not needed in this already divided Kingdom of Christ...I challenge both parties of this movement to write something positive to the opposite camp in a true display of character..."OOhh how hard it is to Love those who are skilled in your area of lack?"Dany V - Dany V Mon, 10 Mar 2008 04:05:38 +0100 http://www.rapzilla.com/rz/content/view/727/83/#comment-2250 I've always disliked artist that don't mention God because they weren't front line rappers and I thought they sugarcoated the message. The truth is though, they're just spitting what is true to them. I rap and was thinking of learning doctrine so I could put that all in my raps like the cross movement but for what? I mean yeah, I'm gonna learn doctrine, but as far as in my raps, I'm gonna spit what I know and what God speaks to me and I'ma express my talents and if i can't reach the lost that way, then it's no biggie because I'll be in the streets or somewhere else sharing the truth with my words or my lifestyle. So thanks, this is very true. - Enoch "Tha General" Shisso Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:08:48 +0100