“Let It Be Glorious”: Sunday Night Worship With Chance and Bey at the Grammys
When I listen to these albums, it feels like church, it feels like home.
Read Morerap
Repurposing the Gospel Aura: Eminem’s Chrysler Ad Borrows Some Spirit
So, about that Chrysler “Imported from Detroit” Super Bowl ad with Eminem. Not too long after I first saw the spot on the internet, I started thinking about how the pop-culture ubiquity of the black gospel choir belies its complicated cultural capital.
Read More
Why All the Silly Devil Talk Should be Taken Seriously
Conspiracy theories ebb and flow in waves associated with how confident people feel about their social environments. When times are hard and unemployment rates are high, individuals get creative in where they look for explanations. It is no accident that talented, powerful, popular, and rich African American male rappers, along with female artists, are being targeted by these claims.
Read More
Hip-Hop Religion and Spiritual Sampling in a “Post-Racial” Age
A new book by an iconic rapper, the Wu Tang Clan’s RZA, told in the voice of a street sage, tells the story of his ascent from the mean streets of Brooklyn to the pinnacle of success, and shows him to be the quintessential postmodern American spiritual seeker.
Read MoreRap Guide to Evolution Show to Make NYC Debut
Readers in the New York City area have an opportunity to attend a unique performance of evolution’s premiere hip hop act Baba Brinkman, who will be giving a special performance in the Village Thursday and Friday night.
Read More