Trailblazin Ministries Blog

Holy Hip-Hop

How Holy Do You Like Your Holy Hip-Hop?

Written by LaRosa Johnson
Thursday, 29 November 2007
Filed under: Holy Hip-Hop, Ministry

Simple question: How holy do you like your holy hip-hop?

On the one hand, it's a simple question with a simple answer; but, on the other hand, it's a complicated question that requires a complex answer. This is something that I've been pondering for a while now, a question that has been in my head even before I decided to remove holy hip-hop from Trailblazin Ministries. It is a question that has frustrated me to no end because the answer I come up with is the least bit pleasing and requires a great deal of humility and a loss of pride on the part of many people, myself included.

So, how holy do I like my holy hip-hop? As holy as God is perfect. Yes, those are lofty expectations, considering that we are dealing with a body that is prone to falling prey to that sin syndrome. Nevertheless, those are my expectations for the genre and that's how holy I desire for holy hip-hop to be. I want it to be a group that is truly set apart, since that is what holy means anyway. It is not my desire to merely see a Christianized version of something that the world offers, nor do I want it to be a microcosm of today's church with its innumerable denominations. I want and desire for something different: I desire for something biblical.

What I desire is something that will likely never be achieved while on this earth and housed in sinful flesh, but it is still something to strive towards, much like the process of sanctification that, when complete, ends in glorification. I want my holy hip-hop to be more holy than hip-hop. What does that mean? When I say that, I mean that I want this community of believers to truly be comprised of believers who are Romans 1:16 Christians that are unashamed of the gospel and living out 1 Peter 1:16 and being holy just as the Lord is holy. I want to see disciple makers who are making disciples (Matt. 28:19-20); teachers who are teaching; leaders who are leading; people who are doing without concern about the prestige; I want to see Jesus Christ lookalikes who are more concerned about serving than being served (Matt. 23:10-12). That is what I desire to see and that's how holy I want my holy hip-hop to be.

If that is how holy I want holy hip-hop to be, then the question then becomes what does it look like? In its simplest example, it should be a mirror of the early church that we find in the Acts of the Apostles. We should be believers who are devoted to prayer, dedicated to receiving sound doctrinal teaching (not the cotton candy messages, but that's a soapbox for another day), having all things in common, serving one another, and sharing the gospel so that we would continue to grow in numbers daily. Yes, that's what holy hip-hop should look like. Let me explain. 1) All believers should be in a constant state of prayer (1 Thess. 5:17) praying for their teachers and elders (in this case maybe emcees, producers, and label execs), other believers in the body, and the lost who need to receiving the Lord's saving grace. 2) Every believer should belong to a local body where they are being fed the Word of God and sound doctrine; how else do you expect to know the Word? Remember, you can't have a body with just a finger or an eye, it requires every part to make the whole. 3) Every believer should also be a servant who is ready to serve, no matter what that might be; there is plenty to be done in the body and everyone has their place, find it & start serving. 4) Evangelism is a no-brainer; if you're not willing to share the hope that is within you, then the good news that you have must not be that good. These are the things that need to be done if you're a part of the community, no matter if you're an emcee, deejay, or simply a fan.

Now, let me speak to the emcees and others who actually do music. Do not be quick to forget passages like James 3:1. If you're picking up the mic, then that makes you a teacher because you have your listener's attentive ear. With that in mind, if this is what you're going to do, then make sure that the message you're delivering in your music is one that lines up with the Word of God, whether it be doctrinal or party music. Nothing you spit over the mic should contradict the Bible, plain and simple. I have more to say here, but I'll leave it at that, since it's the key point I desire to get across at this moment in time.

This is my heart and I wear it on my sleeve. It's my desire for the entire community we call holy hip-hop to get up off their childish ways and grow into true biblical maturity. Let us put away our selfish ambitions and agendas and start striving for a holy holy hip-hop, and not just in our music. This genre of music will eventually fade away, but the community that is built should not; we should still remain steadfast as an example of Christ to this lost and dying world. Since we've decided to be a part of holy hip-hop, let's do whatever it takes to be holy and set apart for the Lord so that He can get the glory through our unselfish actions that are aimed at lifting His name higher.

That's all, end of transmission.