Prometheus 6

Quote of note:

Twenty-five years after rap emerged as the musical creed of the inner city, it is the nation's fastest-growing musical genre. Nearly 70% of its sales are to white and suburban listeners.

The New Rap on Jesus
December 10, 2004

Moral values are turning up in the strangest places these days.

Among the songs most honored in this year's Grammy nominations is a rap tribute to Jesus Christ — a catchy, beat-driven rhyme that has garnered unexpected critical and commercial success in a genre best known for its profane promotion of sex, money, drugs and lawlessness.

Music critics are hailing the author of "Jesus Walks," songwriter and producer Kanye West, as the hottest new voice in rap and suggesting that his in-your-face embrace of religion signifies a break with tradition and the maturation of a musical form that has been narrowly defined by its outlaw culture.

…Rap music has been blamed for everything from loose morals among teenage girls to the creep of thug culture in professional basketball. But its broadening appeal cannot be denied.

Twenty-five years after rap emerged as the musical creed of the inner city, it is the nation's fastest-growing musical genre. Nearly 70% of its sales are to white and suburban listeners. Even Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.), a former presidential contender, says he enjoys listening to rappers Nelly and Eminem — for the beat, of course, not their X-rated lyrics.

The popularity of "Jesus Walks" may well reflect an unheralded, if unfocused, spirituality among the genre's fans. It resonates, West told MTV, because "I'm expressing a lot which the regular person is going through." Its rough language isn't going to appeal to the Amy Grant crowd, but it may be a new expression for old musical roots.