Mr. Rebel, Mr. Gravity, or both? A must-read book for CHH fans

With the recent release of Church Clothes 2, I can’t help but remember the hype and controversy surrounding Lecrae’s last two releases, Church Clothes and Gravity.

The debates made Lecrae the poster child for discussions centered on the gospel, hip-hop and cultural engagement. Songs were recorded. Response songs were recorded, too. Blogs were posted. Thoughts were tweeted. Disagreements occurred.

Then one Christian hip-hop legend decided the topic was too big to cover in a song or a blog. Phanatik, a Grammy-nominated emcee from the pioneering group Cross Movement, wrote an entire book around the topic of Christianity in the arts.

Here are three reasons to read Phanatik’s latest book, From Hip Hop to Hollywood: The Art of Christianity.

1. Phanatik helps us think deeper about the issues. Before reading the book, I used to think artists had to be in one category or another. Either Mr. Rebel or Mr. Gravity. In actuality, Phanatik lays out a case of four different categories in which a Christian doing hip-hop could position himself or herself. And rather than giving you the “this is right” or “this is wrong,” he lays out all four positions along with the positives and negatives of all four.

2. Phanatik is up on his hip-hop. Normally, if you were to read a book on Christianity and the arts, you would have to substitute in hip-hop examples where the author used more broad general examples. This book is written for the hip-hopper wrestling through arts and cultural engagement for the gospel’s sake. Phanatik even uses Church Clothes and Sho Baraka’s Talented X as talking points. For those of us who have been up on Christian hip-hop for a minute, there’s even some brief nuggets from the Cross Movement thrown in there.

3. Phanatik’s writing is all rooted is solid biblical theology. I had heard Propaganda mention in a song that excellent art is crucial for communities, and in this book Phanatik lays out the biblical reasons why God-glorifying art is important. After establishing the importance of the arts, he then applies the principles to Christian hip-hop and also briefly addresses contemporary gospel music.

As one of the gatekeepers of Christian hip-hop, I appreciate the unique place Phanatik’s writing plays in the movement. He’s a key link between the seminary and the boom box. This book will help readers navigate the gospel, hip-hop and cultural engagement topic well.

Jam The Hype wants to hear from you. How do you navigate through hip-hop and cultural engagement?

Writer’s note: I reviewed this book on my own. I was not sent a copy for review and the author did not ask me to review this book for publication.