Compare And Contrast Christian Hip-Hop Vs Secular Hip Hop
Christian Hip-hop VS Secular Hip-hop
Donald Payne
COM/170
6/12/12
Faith lbarra
Christian Hip-hop VS Secular Hip-hop
Hip-hop is a form of popular music that’s comprised mainly of emceeing and deejaying. As hip-hop continues to evolve into a successful enterprise, it has emerged into trends, such as clothing styles, improper dialogue known as slang, and an overall general mindset. While the secular industry of hip-hop promotes sex, drugs, and violence, to name a few; the Christian objective of hip-hop is to encourage you to devalue the idolization of these things, and look to your creator rather than “creation.”
The very word “hip-hop” was used by African Bambatta, the pioneer of the culture and professed a zulu nation god, to identify the parties that he was hosting in clubs across New York City …show more content…
in the early 70’s. Since then, he has developed a religion that has rested upon this culture. A product of cross-cultural integration, rap is deeply rooted within ancient African culture and oral tradition. Hip-hop is believed to have originated in the Bronx by a Jamaican DJ named Kool Herc. His style of deejaying involved reciting rhymes over instrumentals. At house parties, Herc would rap with the microphone, using countless in-house references. Duplicates of Herc’s parties soon drifted through Brooklyn, Manhatten. Herc and other block party DJ’s helped spread the message of hip-hop around town and attracted many followers.
Since its creation, Hip-hop has introduced many new trends, from shell-toed Adidas to iced out jewelry. These have been represented by one of hip-hop elements, the rap genre. In this new era of hip-hop it has taken on a new persona, which has become quite “cultic.” Hip-hop, has been using occult symbolism as a form of stylistic creativity. These symbols are visible via music videos and fashion statements. In particular, “the eye and pyramid”, secret hand gestures, the goat’s head (better known in the occult as the “baphomet”) and one symbol that is being heavily used-the skull and crossbones. Christians artists, however, do not support these symbols.
As a people living for the Kingdom of God, no virtues or values are shared with what are considered to be godless rappers, of the secular world of hip-hop. When we live like the rest of the world, following its trends and thirsting for the things it prizes, listening to the music that sings the praise of empty pursuits, we not only risk conforming to the patterns of the world, but also representing Christ badly before non-believers. Christian rap group; The Cross Movement, says in a song “On Right Now”: When a believer sins you better believe it’s in contradiction to his divine commission and his God given position it’s hard pickin’ the Christians they’re living like the planet is real scandalous like Jerry Springer panelist time to switch the channel it’s the God who handle this he’ll unscramble this, he knows the game like an analyst it’s sad that we say we love God yet the bad acts the world does we do too, and God gets a bad rap has that caused you any pain, if not I ask, “why?” “The world’s better!” you mean you believe that lie?
When you’re not living right you’re giving Christ a “black eye.” Hip Hop music is now growing in leaps and bounds within the civilized world as well as worldwide. Its influence has spread from the civilized world towards the eastern world. Popular artist such as Lil’ Wayne, Jim Jones, and Jay Z can be considered icons in the hip hop industry. They have recently been associated with what is known as a “secret society” or “occult,” revealed to many as the “illuminati.” This word “occult” by standard definition means “hidden from view” or “secret.” So, for example if someone is hiding secrets from you, he or she can be said to have “occult knowledge”. Back during the twelfth century, there was a cabal that consisted of nine men who were known as the Knights Templar. This “secret society” became extremely wealthy due to their protection services which were used by Kings and Popes. They held unusual rituals to initiate new members into their organization, which comprised of blood sacrifices, sodomy, and one that even promised resurrecting a comrade who died during battle. To this day, there are organizations that claim to be
descendants of the Knights Templar, such as the “freemasons” and the detestable Yale University fraternity group which, by no coincidence, is named “Skull and Bones.” Skull and bones is a secret society referred to by some as the American version of the “illuminati”. It is rumored that they make the same unusual rituals for new initiates. The skull and bones symbol was adopted first by heavy metal/rock bands. Recently, one of Jay Z’s videos “On to the Next One,” there is a person dressed in an all-white costume holding swords representing a Knight Templar maybe? Another occult symbol displayed in hip hop is the “all seeing eye” and pyramid. Jay Z’s Rocafella records hand gesture turns out to be a representation of a pyramid with the person using the left eye to look through it. The “all seeing eye” can also be found on the back of the one dollar bill and on corporate logos as AOL Time Warner and Columbia Broadcasting Station. In ancient Egyptian mythologies, the eye is present in the stories of Isis, Osiris, Set and Horus (also known as Ra). It was also used in secret societies such as, Freemasons, the Ordo Templi Orientis, the order of the Golden Dawn, and the illuminati. Even rap artists that are not affiliated with Jay Z’s record label implement this hand gesture. Even those not affiliated with hip hop throw up this gesture, such as Bill Gates and Madonna. Aleister Crowley, the most famous occultist, has a well-known quote- “Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law”- printed on the hoody Jay Z wore on a set of his video at Yankee stadium. Crowley work also displays these different and profound symbols. The secret is not the symbols themselves but it’s the meanings behind these symbols that are most important. Surprisingly, it may not be intended for us to know. Like Jay Z has said, “it’s a secret society; all we ask is trust…” In conclusion, the long history of hip hop can be very deceiving, and take you for a long ride, but still can be a vehicle to impact our nation positively, if put in the right hands of God inspired believers who in vision hip hop as a tool not an advantage.
References
Hip-hop-occult-and-whats-realy-going.htlml, commoneronline.org, home.messiah.edu/SecularvsChristianThemes.html
Donald Payne
COM/170
6/12/12
Faith lbarra
Christian Hip-hop VS Secular Hip-hop
Hip-hop is a form of popular music that’s comprised mainly of emceeing and deejaying. As hip-hop continues to evolve into a successful enterprise, it has emerged into trends, such as clothing styles, improper dialogue known as slang, and an overall general mindset. While the secular industry of hip-hop promotes sex, drugs, and violence, to name a few; the Christian objective of hip-hop is to encourage you to devalue the idolization of these things, and look to your creator rather than “creation.”
The very word “hip-hop” was used by African Bambatta, the pioneer of the culture and professed a zulu nation god, to identify the parties that he was hosting in clubs across New York City …show more content…
in the early 70’s. Since then, he has developed a religion that has rested upon this culture. A product of cross-cultural integration, rap is deeply rooted within ancient African culture and oral tradition. Hip-hop is believed to have originated in the Bronx by a Jamaican DJ named Kool Herc. His style of deejaying involved reciting rhymes over instrumentals. At house parties, Herc would rap with the microphone, using countless in-house references. Duplicates of Herc’s parties soon drifted through Brooklyn, Manhatten. Herc and other block party DJ’s helped spread the message of hip-hop around town and attracted many followers.
Since its creation, Hip-hop has introduced many new trends, from shell-toed Adidas to iced out jewelry. These have been represented by one of hip-hop elements, the rap genre. In this new era of hip-hop it has taken on a new persona, which has become quite “cultic.” Hip-hop, has been using occult symbolism as a form of stylistic creativity. These symbols are visible via music videos and fashion statements. In particular, “the eye and pyramid”, secret hand gestures, the goat’s head (better known in the occult as the “baphomet”) and one symbol that is being heavily used-the skull and crossbones. Christians artists, however, do not support these symbols.
As a people living for the Kingdom of God, no virtues or values are shared with what are considered to be godless rappers, of the secular world of hip-hop. When we live like the rest of the world, following its trends and thirsting for the things it prizes, listening to the music that sings the praise of empty pursuits, we not only risk conforming to the patterns of the world, but also representing Christ badly before non-believers. Christian rap group; The Cross Movement, says in a song “On Right Now”: When a believer sins you better believe it’s in contradiction to his divine commission and his God given position it’s hard pickin’ the Christians they’re living like the planet is real scandalous like Jerry Springer panelist time to switch the channel it’s the God who handle this he’ll unscramble this, he knows the game like an analyst it’s sad that we say we love God yet the bad acts the world does we do too, and God gets a bad rap has that caused you any pain, if not I ask, “why?” “The world’s better!” you mean you believe that lie?
When you’re not living right you’re giving Christ a “black eye.” Hip Hop music is now growing in leaps and bounds within the civilized world as well as worldwide. Its influence has spread from the civilized world towards the eastern world. Popular artist such as Lil’ Wayne, Jim Jones, and Jay Z can be considered icons in the hip hop industry. They have recently been associated with what is known as a “secret society” or “occult,” revealed to many as the “illuminati.” This word “occult” by standard definition means “hidden from view” or “secret.” So, for example if someone is hiding secrets from you, he or she can be said to have “occult knowledge”. Back during the twelfth century, there was a cabal that consisted of nine men who were known as the Knights Templar. This “secret society” became extremely wealthy due to their protection services which were used by Kings and Popes. They held unusual rituals to initiate new members into their organization, which comprised of blood sacrifices, sodomy, and one that even promised resurrecting a comrade who died during battle. To this day, there are organizations that claim to be
descendants of the Knights Templar, such as the “freemasons” and the detestable Yale University fraternity group which, by no coincidence, is named “Skull and Bones.” Skull and bones is a secret society referred to by some as the American version of the “illuminati”. It is rumored that they make the same unusual rituals for new initiates. The skull and bones symbol was adopted first by heavy metal/rock bands. Recently, one of Jay Z’s videos “On to the Next One,” there is a person dressed in an all-white costume holding swords representing a Knight Templar maybe? Another occult symbol displayed in hip hop is the “all seeing eye” and pyramid. Jay Z’s Rocafella records hand gesture turns out to be a representation of a pyramid with the person using the left eye to look through it. The “all seeing eye” can also be found on the back of the one dollar bill and on corporate logos as AOL Time Warner and Columbia Broadcasting Station. In ancient Egyptian mythologies, the eye is present in the stories of Isis, Osiris, Set and Horus (also known as Ra). It was also used in secret societies such as, Freemasons, the Ordo Templi Orientis, the order of the Golden Dawn, and the illuminati. Even rap artists that are not affiliated with Jay Z’s record label implement this hand gesture. Even those not affiliated with hip hop throw up this gesture, such as Bill Gates and Madonna. Aleister Crowley, the most famous occultist, has a well-known quote- “Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law”- printed on the hoody Jay Z wore on a set of his video at Yankee stadium. Crowley work also displays these different and profound symbols. The secret is not the symbols themselves but it’s the meanings behind these symbols that are most important. Surprisingly, it may not be intended for us to know. Like Jay Z has said, “it’s a secret society; all we ask is trust…” In conclusion, the long history of hip hop can be very deceiving, and take you for a long ride, but still can be a vehicle to impact our nation positively, if put in the right hands of God inspired believers who in vision hip hop as a tool not an advantage.
References
Hip-hop-occult-and-whats-realy-going.htlml, commoneronline.org, home.messiah.edu/SecularvsChristianThemes.html