theology of hip-hop: questions.

i got halfway through this post on friday morning, but then i deleted it because it wasn't taking form the way i wanted it to. but when my bro CDoubleDizz over at justbeingchristian.com posts on the theology of kanye's "jesus walks" just three days later...well, i just can't help myself.

i grew up in suburban kansas city. most of you know this. if not, welcome to my blog. when i was young, i thought hip-hop was evil. i based this on the fact that rap used cuss words and was nothing but the sex-drugs-cash trifecta. i decided that DC Talk was a better route - meet rap halfway, i guess. wouldn't want to fill my mind with unholy filth. i have an inkling that this thought process was (and would still be) supported by the church i grew up in and am now employed by. this isn't a dog on my church - but more a truth about the western suburban church in general: act like life is perfect. don't doubt God. hide your sins, etc. the church isn't a place for hip-hop.

i supposed this may be partially true - guys like snoop dogg and soulja boy likely have very little to say regarding theology, faith and spirituality - but a strong collection of the rap/hip-hop artists have a great deal to say. it's honest, and that honesty makes the christian world uncomfortable. but if we were as honest as the rappers out there, i think we'd would realize that the hip-hop community has just as much (dare i say more) to say about life and theology than the white suburban culture that i've been raised in.

where does rap and hip-hop come from? it comes from the ghettos and the public housing systems - well, at least the honest stuff does. it comes from the 12 year old drug hustlers who have dreams of getting out of life they've been handed. it comes from the kids who didn't have a shot at "the good life" that i was raised in.

they're telling their story.
and their story is what frames their theology.

it's no wonder the suburban church struggles with concepts like "hope" and "mourning" and "doubt" - our theology has been framed by simplicity and ease, comfort and shelter. we avoid the challenging questions and speak in generalities like "Jesus help me to trust you more." we don't ask questions like...

"Jesus, why was there another earthquake in Japan last week?"
or
"Jesus, why was i born into an upper middle-class home and not into a slum in india?"
or
"Jesus, why do so many people have to suffer so greatly?"
or
"Jesus, why don't my parents love each other anymore?"
or
"Jesus, if you're so great, why couldn't you heal my friend's dad?"
or
"Jesus, why don't i even remotely feel your presence?"

and even when we ask these questions, we give answers like, "well, we live in a fallen world," or "we don't understand God's plan," and immediately extinguish a legitimately terrific theological question. a question that we ought to wrestle with, but instead we can forget about because of the ease of the culture that defines our theology.

hip-hop does not forget about these questions. why? because it can't.

the artists and musicians that feed hip-hop culture has defined their theology in a culture that isn't allowed to ignore those questions because they live it. it is their story. the people of Japan aren't allowed to ignore the answer to the "why was there another earthquake?" question. if someone from the Indian slums asked me, "why was i born here and not where you were born?" and i answered, "we just don't understand God's plan," then i would hope they would slap me. cause the next question would be "so God's plan involves me growing up on pennies a day?"

hip-hop is a voice for the oppressed, for the less-fortunate, for the marginalized.
it's a voice for the people who never had a chance at a different life.
it's a voice for the individuals who wrestle with the toughest of questions.

hip-hop is truer theology than most people realize - or maybe better phrased, than most people allow themselves to realize.

listen: The Roots - Dear God 2.0

-apc.

galactic empire state of mind.

chalk that title up for the next "before and after" category on wheel of fortune.

this is genius and hilarious. i just watched this 3 times in a row. i really wish they'd called jay-z and alicia keys to see if they'd do it themselves. talk about epic.

-apc.

somewhat immediate thoughts on the 2009 VMAs.

okay. so i first started writing about the VMAs in my facebook status, but then i started getting carried away and started writing paragraphs in the tiny little "What's on your mind?" box and decided i ought to just write it on my blog.

there are a few things that need to be addressed in regards to the VMAs. ready break:

number 1: kanye west is a jack hole. i mean, we were all thinking it 'ye - taylor swift is a no-talent clown who has somehow made it big in a questionable genre (in the VMAs eyes...also my eyes) - but you didn't have to go and throw her under the bus in front of the entire nation. she's 19 bro. just cause she makes millions of dollars she may or may not deserve doesn't mean you have to destroy her self esteem for years to come. do i agree that beyonce's video was better (and that this dude's was even better), but that's low. even for you.

number 2: empire state of mind is the best track jay-z has released since the black album. kingdom come and american gangster...not hov's greatest work. not that they weren't dece - they were - but blueprint 3 is the first album since 2003 that i've really been stunned by. more about BP3 in another post probably - for now, it is suffice to say that he and alicia keys'* performance in the VMAs tonight was absolutely bonkers. i literally jumped out of my bed and started pumping my fist before jay even uttered a syllable. i had a lump in my throat the entire performance. good grief.

* - again...possessive names ending in "S"...possessive of "keys"? keys's? keys'? keyses? this language is so stupid.

number 3: beyonce is a robot. when i consider each of the following - her voice, her body, and her dance moves - this is the only solution i can ever arrive at. no real person should be capable of being...that. she is powerful and, like her husband, absolutely killed it when she performed "all the single ladies (put a ring on it)". i mean seriously. she has to be a robot. i challenge you to derive a better conclusion. until i hear one i will continue to believe that jay-z is married to a machine.

number 4: the grammy for best hip hop album of 2035 goes to: shawn carter, JR!!! i'm telling you, if beyonce is indeed a human being and is capable of reproduction, and she and jay-z have a couple kiddos - you better believe that my offspring will be obsessed with anything and everything they do. you wait and see. those kids are destined for greatness. there is nothing they could do to screw it up.

number 5: lady gaga is a freak. also her performance was lip synced for sure. sounded pretty tight though. i have a history of liking freaks as long as they put out good music. the verdict is still out on LG.

number 6: the michael jackson tribute was perfect. oh my goodness. the most synced and beautifully immitated dance routine i've ever witnessed. music videos are impressive - MJ's especially - but they're still videos. you can take 5- 10- 20 takes before you get the perfect choreograph sequence down, but to watch the sequence perfectly matched live on stage?! brilliant. absolutely brilliant. and when janet -ahem- busts out of the background! i literally gasped and clapped. i don't think a better tribute could've been done...maybe if they played more quincy jones tracks. but that's just me getting greedy.

okay. i think that pretty much covers all my immediate thoughts. just had to get it all out of my system before i went to sleep. otherwise my heart would be racing and i'd toss and turn all night. but now i can go to bed in peace. except that 'all the single ladies' is rolling through my head. worth it.

best VMAs i can remember: kanye made a fool of himself, MJ was honored, and the shawn carter family have totally got some chops. definitely some chops indeed.

-ap.

december 4th.

there are certain days where you simply must respect certain musical artists by dedicating the day to listening to their music. however, it is rare for these days to manifest themselves as an annual event. usually it's just phrased "today is a (insert artist here) day."

however. today is a jay-z day. as is every december 4th. there is a point during every december 4th when i remember jay-z's mother on track 2 of the black album: "shawn carter was born december 4th..." and my day is immediately altered.

example: i'm currently at my favorite manhattan coffee shop (the one that didn't screw me out of a job) writing a paper. i was listening to johnny cash and just chuggin along without any idea how my day was about to change. then i went to read my introduction and realized i hadn't included the date in my header at the top of my essay.

12/4/08.

and i realized it. oh goll. 'shawn carter was born december 4th.'
later jc*. hola hovito.

im not sure if there is any other artist that constitutes an annual musical adjustment to my life than jay-z. good thing i have 212 different jay-z items in my itunes on 8 albums, 1 accapella album, 5 mash-up albums and an additional 23 tracks as a featured artist. this translates to 14.2 hours of audio. ought to be plenty of time to get me through a day packed with article reading, studying and paper writing.

i'll leave you with three of my favorite jay-z tracks.
minority report - jay-z (feat. ne-yo)
produced by dr. dre
album: kingdom come (2006)


heart of the city (ain't no love) - jay-z (feat. bobby bland)
produced by kanye west
album: the blueprint (2001)


dear summer - memphis bleek (feat. jay-z)
produced by just blaze
album: 534 (2005)


also shawn wears scarves. i don't have one. sigh. yet another great reason to go get one.
my list of reasons include:
- they're awesome looking.
- karlie likes guys in scarves.
- it's freaking freezing outside and i have to walk to campus.
and now
- jay-z rocks a scarf.

ugh. thats it, i'm getting one.
have a gay jay day.

-ap.

* - in this situation "jc" equals johnny cash...not jesus christ. also, listening to rap/hip-hop does not mean i am forsaking my Savior and following the devil. on the contrary, it brings me closer to Him. but that is for another day and another post - just turn on minority report and listen for Jesus' voice. he is there.

the evolution of 'heart of the city'.

where did this come from? who would've thought that at the end of the day i'd be hooked on bobby "blue" bland? well, dear readers, let me tell you how it happened...

september 11, 2001. while most conversations surrounding this exact date are dismal and depressing, there is one bright spot: the blueprint. jay-z released (what i think) is his best album. some may argue the black album (i think thats the only other contender, though i have a soft spot for kingdom come), but my top vote goes to the blueprint. my all-time favorite jay-z track, "heart of the city (aint no love)" resides on the heart of the album. it's amazing how one track can change your musical perspective. this song is a perfect example.

i discovered at a much later date - we'll say a year or so ago - that it was produced by mr. kanye west. it's no wonder i love it. this has caused me to dabble in his other produced work (common, john legend, talib kweli, pharrell, selected jay tracks). turns out, if kanye produced it, i basically love it to bits*. i had never really understood the concept of a producer before this song. what a revolutionary moment.

however, there was more. this song was much more than just a sick beat kanye came up with and threw behind something s. carter spit out - the thing i think i liked MOST about this song was the sample that kanye used (sample is an extremely loose term here - there is so much sampled here that you could basically consider it a remix). so a while after i started researching everything kanye had produced, i started checking out all the samples he'd used. both on his own albums and on the other tracks with other artist he'd with whom he had collaborated. being a limewire enthusiast at the time (this is about 6 months ago now - soon after kanye released graduation), i promptly downloaded "aint no love in the heart of the city" by bobby "blue" bland. aaaaaaand boom goes the dynamite**.

at the time i didnt know what i'd uncovered. since the 'remix' had relied so heavily on the sample, it wasn't really a shock that i liked it, but i had no idea that it was just the tip of the iceberg. i've been sitting here for months with a bobby bland track; i never thought to dive deeper. it was like i'd been holding an unopened Wonka Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight with a golden ticket waiting inside forever. this evening, jon managed to open that fudge bar from across the pond***.

around 7:18 pm CST (2:18 pm CET) i was sent the full album. oh. my. goodness. my musical mind has just transcended the genres to which it was previously attuned. suddenly i'm hooked on a blues artist from the 50s, 60s and 70s. suddenly i want to make a trip to 18th and Vine in downtown kc. i want to hit up the blue room. i want to tour the negro league hall of fame. i want to sit in a smokey lounge and soak in an hour and a half blues set that only consists of one song. i want to understand this genre of music that i've somehow missed.

and if that wasn't exciting enough - get this - i cashed in a border's gift card for joe posnanski's book The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America (more to come on this incredible book/man - everyone can learn a thing or two from buck o'neil). but this book totally encompasses the same time period, music, and overall idea. in a chapter early in the book, posnanski writes about what 18th and vine (the location of the negro leagues hall of fame) was really like back in the days of blues. back when every bar and lounge in the jazz district was exploding with heartfelt, soul-filled blues. apparently after the bars would close up, the bands would just move it out into the street, and the different players from the different establishments would compete, collaborate, steal each other's sounds, listen to each other, tweak their own sounds and wouldn't charge a penny. what a scene.

anyway. now that i'm on my 11th trip through dreamer i feel like i've got a decent grasp on how great this sound is. bobby sings about jilted love mostly. which is beautiful for so many reasons, but most of all, i think, because it can encompass a dozen different emotions which quickly can be turned into an album with so much contrasting emotion its hard to handle at times. sorrow, confusion, anger, glimmers of hope, disgust, jealousy and mistrust. killer piano, passionate brass and saxophone, and some serious electric guitar all they're mixed and matched with varying tempos and so much vocal emotion that you can't help but wonder why the h adam paul cooper hasn't dabbled in it before now. what a schmuck.

and why, pray tell, do people no longer dress like bobby b? where can i find a shirt like that? hawt. that nearly puts justin timberlake to shame...eh.

-ap.

* - what a queer phrase. not queer meaning peculiar. see definition 2.
** - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W45DRy7M1no
*** - referring to the atlantic ocean. apparently.