The constructs, motifs, and tropes available in hip-hop provide an unique tableau for creating poetic art. I applaud hip-hop artists like Propaganda, Shai Linne, and Trip Lee for doing a great job to redeem hip-hop for the Kingdom of Jesus. I want to put a hermeneutical bug in your ear. I am going to positContinueContinue reading “The Gospel of John According to Hip-Hop”
Category Archives: Music
“Whoa!” Is the New “Hallelujah!”
I’ve heard people riff on “___________ is the new ___________” in many different ways, but today I’m applying it to the positively pragmatic approach of many worship song writers. You see, they have realized that “Whoa!” is the new “Hallelujah!” Allow me to explain. For years the word “hallelujah” has been a mainstay of theContinueContinue reading ““Whoa!” Is the New “Hallelujah!””
Gender-bending Hymnals: Old-Fashioned Dualism and LGBT
I was reading J.D. Greear’s most recent post, What’s the Deal with the “T” in LGBT, and I couldn’t help but think about a comment that one of my close friends made a couple of weeks ago. As we were listening to a performance of the song, “I’ll Fly Away”, he leaned over to meContinueContinue reading “Gender-bending Hymnals: Old-Fashioned Dualism and LGBT”
Bad News: Compared to Deadmau5, Worship is Boring.
The other week, I logged into Spotify, and on the main page they were live streaming the Made in America concert hosted by Jay-Z. I watched for a few minutes at the bizarre display. Deadmau5 was performing–a DJ who makes dance/trance music for the mainstream. As a DJ, the main draw of his performance wasContinueContinue reading “Bad News: Compared to Deadmau5, Worship is Boring.”
Give Music Back to the People
In Martin Luther’s day, no one sang in church. Correction: no one sitting in the pews sang. Singing and praising God was restricted to the priests. Congregational worship is a Reformational concept that we take for granted today, though perhaps not for much longer. As church worship services become more and more about the mesmerizing lightContinueContinue reading “Give Music Back to the People”
Why Many Worship Leaders Would Make Lousy Music Critics
When you utter the words “christian” and “music” consecutively, you can mean so many different things. Do you mean music that is “Christian”? Do you mean the music that plays on CCM radio stations? Do you mean music appropriate for worship? Do you mean music that Christians have on their IPods? Whatever you mean, aContinueContinue reading “Why Many Worship Leaders Would Make Lousy Music Critics”
There’s a Little ‘Yeezus’ in Each of Us
Kanye West just released his highly anticipated album Yeezus this past week, and what more can I say–he’s still rapping about money, women, and excess. However, unlike the tracks on previous albums that dressed this depravity in the bright sounds of the big brass band, the crooning of R&B featured artists, and the throwback of oldContinueContinue reading “There’s a Little ‘Yeezus’ in Each of Us”
AFTER+MATH 