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What is Gospel rap? Is it another form of the devil's music, as some black preachers contend? Is it a sinister attempt to camouflage gangsta rap in a Christian costume, as some televangelists claim?

Though short-sighted and naive believers may think this way, Christian rap has become as popular as video games. It weds secular rap to black Christianity. It takes rap and uses Christian themes and lyrics to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Poets have contrasted secular and gospel rap in emotional and highly descriptive ways. One anonymous writer describes the contrast this way: "When secular rappers jam, there are no fireworks bursting atop skyscrapers or amid monuments. But when Christian rappers rap, comets and meteors streak in the hood, among playgrounds and moon pies, on their way to the kingdom of heaven."

Gospel rap is sometimes referred to as Christian rap, Christian hip hop, holy hip hop and Christ hop. The audience for gospel rap is generally Christian, but it reaches the secular crowd through missions, evangelism and Christian outreach. Many gospel rappers are professed Christians who use their culture, background and experience to spread the message of Christ.

The first artist with a commercially released and distributed gospel rap cassette was Stephen Wiley. In 1985 he burst on the Christian music scene with his tape "Bible Break." The Rev. DeWayne GoLightly, known musically as Rev. Rap, also began writing and sharing the gospel in rap in 1985. His first cassette was titled "The Word." Today, Rev. Rap is considered the longest performing Christian rapper.

Imitating secular rappers, the now overcrowded field of gospel rap is full of rappers with unusual names. Better known gospel rap artists include Danny "D-Boy Rodriguez, Preachas in Disguise, Gospel Gangstaz, The Cross Movement, Lecrae, KJ-52, Pettidee, BB Jay, Japhia Life, Thi'sl, K-Drama, R-Swift, Canton Jones, 116 Clique, The Ambassador, Soul P, Da' T.R.U.T.H., FLAME, Everyday Process, Precise, T-Bone, Mr. Del and Shai Linne.

So, what is gospel rap? Well, it certainly isn't wicked and destructive like the devil's music and definitely isn't sinister and senile like gangsta rap. It is a genre as influential as any other form of gospel music and as overwhelmingly satisfying to the spirit as the Word of God is to the soul.

Learn more about this author, James Strong.
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