Jesus Rap Starter Pack

I've been listening to "Christian rap" since at least 2001 when I bought the CD "The Last

Street Preacha" by the rapper T-Bone. And I loved it! As someone who had barely heard rap music before I was immediately hooked.

Over the years I remained the only person I knew who listened to Christian rap. My non-Christian friends didn't listen to it of course, and neither did my Christian friends! It's a niche genre within a niche genre. Whenever I played it for my Christian friends they thought it was cheesy, weird, or just plain-old not good music.

Although I didn't quite get it at the time, looking back with hindsight I can't blame them! A lot of the Christian rap that has been made is not good! Oftentimes Christian rappers put effort into making holy lyrics more than quality beats. They essentially wrote sermons that rhymed and then put a beat to it. Sometimes it was a competition who could have the most JPMs (Jesus's Per Minute) in a song!

But it's my belief that things have improved. The songs have become less sermon-y and more enjoyable to listen to. I've put together a playlist of 100 of my favorite rap/hip-hop songs done by artists who follow Jesus. These are songs that I personally enjoy listening to just as much as any other rap that's out there.

I encourage you to give it a listen!

I suspect that for many people they will just never be able to get over the obstacle of hearing "God" or "Jesus" in a rap song. When so much of rap music is about partying, guns, girls, cars, etc., it can feel jarring to hear someone rapping about faith. And for many of us faith has become so associated with seriousness, holiness, guilt, or boredom that we can't imagine bobbing our heads to it. And all of this is understandable!

But for others of you this might be a whole new world of good music to listen to - even around your family!