Hip Hop’s Hostile Gospel

Book excerpt: In this book, Hodge takes into account the Christological, theological, and ecclesiological ruminations of a selected group of Hip Hop and rap song lyrics, interviews, and interviews from those defined as Hip Hoppers. The aim of this examination is to ascertain what a Hip Hop theology of community might entail, how it may look, and what it could feel like. The central premise are questions: does a Hip Hop ‘theology’ even fit? Is there an actual motif which Hip Hoppers are espousing within the supernatural realm? This study concerns itself with just over 8,500 songs. Its timespan is between 1987-2011, and it contains interviews from those in the Hip Hop community.