Call for Chapters: You Gon’ Learn Today: The Aesthetics of Christians in Hip Hop

Last updated on: June 20, 2016 at 9:34 pm by blog admin

Call for Chapters: You Gon’ Learn Today: The Aesthetics of Christians in Hip Hop 2016-06-20T21:34:38-05:00 blog admin

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In the first full length book dedicated to examining Christians in Hip Hop, “You Gon’ Learn Today,” aims to offer a new ‘learning’ of Christians in Hip Hop. In the rap song titled “Learn Today,” emcee Bizzle asserts that the past perception of Christian rap as ‘whack’ or ‘soft’ is inaccurate. The rap’s lyrics are telling of the broad brush that has been used to characterize all Christian rappers, as well, the attempt by Christians in Hip Hop to redefine their own identity in the wider world.

When Bizzle first joined the self identified Christian Hip Hop community, he identified as a Christian who raps as opposed to a Christian rapper. Additionally, emcee Sevin, also featured on the song is a former gang-member. Sevin now lives a completely different life in which he aims to glorify God in his music. The rhetoric used by rappers like Bizzle in defining themselves, as well the authenticity of Sevin’s story evinces the growing aesthetics of the group known as Christians in Hip Hop. However, this is a group with deep historical roots.

Christians have been actively involved in Hip Hop since the 1970’s. A notable early Christian in hip hop is Sylvia Robinson. In an interview with James Spady, Robinson shared that: “I felt chills all over my body, like the Holy Spirit overcoming me” when discussing why she decided to record rap music (Spady, Street Conscious Rap, 87). The most well known “Christian Rap” album, Bible Break by Stephen Wiley, debuted in 1985. This sparked the beginning of the self identified “Christian Hip Hop” community.

Although Christians were involved several years before Wiley’s album, popular notions of “Christian Hip Hop” from both its practitioners and the music industry still focus on Wiley. Scholars have provided very little attention to the phenomenon of Christians in Hip Hop. They have not provided a detailed examination of Christian’s involved in Hip Hop’s history, what it means to be Christian and Hip Hop, and the many contributions that Christians have made to Hip Hop. There are no books fully committed to analyzing the scope of such a vast field of study.

You Gon’ Learn Today addresses this lack in scholarly attention with a number of inquiries. Such inquiries point to new possibilities for understanding Hip Hop and Christianity yet to be uncovered. How many more Christians were involved in Hip Hop’s beginning in addition to Robinson? How would a scholarly understanding of the very terms “Christian rap,” “Gospel rap,” “Holy Hip Hop,” “Christian Hip Hop” and the other terms used to identify this musical genre shift with a more thorough analysis?

An in depth analysis of Christians in Hip Hop will address topics and additional inquiries such as:

Borders and boundaries – who should be considered a member of “Christian Hip Hop”
What is “Christian Hip Hop” – following up on boundaries, how do peripheral figures challenge the very name of the group? Also, should scholars even use that term?
What is “Christian” in Christian Hip Hop?
What is “Hip Hop” in Christian Hip Hop?
Theories and methods to the study of Hip Hop when considering Christians in Hip Hop
History of Christians in Hip Hop – Who else may have been involved during its inception in addition to Robinson?
Beyond Rap – essays on performance, deejaying, b-girling/boying, producing and graffiti artists are some examples
Capitalism – What are the ways in which Christians in Hip Hop profit and/or challenge capitalism?
Resistance – What are the ways in which Christians in Hip Hop resist oppression?
Freedom – What are the ways in which Christians in Hip Hop theorize about freedom or are involved with the Black freedom struggle?
Theology – What theological views do Christians in Hip Hop offer?
Religion – How do Christians in Hip Hop contribute to a scholarly understanding of religion?
Church – How do Christians in Hip Hop challenge the church?
Rhetoric – In what ways is language, new media and/or other forms of communication implored in the creation of community and/or identity for Christians in Hip Hop?
Technology – The use of new media tools among Christians in Hip Hop
Social Identities – In what ways do social identities like race, gender and/or sexual orientation and their intersectionality figure into the artistic expression and aesthetics of Christians in Hip Hop?

We are seeking submissions from scholars and practitioners of the self identified Christian Hip Hop community. Please send a CV and 300-word abstract to co-editors Erika Gault and Travis Harris, at [email protected].

Abstract and CV submissions are due August 30, 2016.

If selected, the article submission deadline is January 28, 2017.

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Call for Chapters

Erika Gault

Hip Hop

Travis Terrell Harris

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