A discussion about “Talented Xth”, race, & faith

On Monday night I was honored to be a part of an online discussion about rap, race, and faith.

It was hosted by author Seth Tower Hurd and included hip hop artist/urban missionary Kareem Manuel and Ta-Tanisha Jordan, a Chicago-based actress who will be opening up a Children’s Theater Company this fall.

Our talk was sparked by the release of Sho Baraka’s Talented Xth album (which hit #3 on iTunes’ Hip Hop/Rap charts yesterday) and his “Jim Crow” song that uses the “n-word” and “b-word” – something that surprises and shocks people given Sho’s past affiliation with one of  Christian hip hop’s most visible record labels.

Our hour long conversation covers:

• The “Jim Crow” song and its “controversial” language
• Whether or not Christians (particularly rappers) can use the “n-word” and “b-word” in their lyrics
• How music like this can motivate others toward positive action
• How this type of music compares to hip hop pushed in mainstream media
• What happens when marriages between Christians get strained
• Whether or not music by Christians that uses strong language should carry parental warnings or offer “clean” alternative versions

NOTE: It’s challenging to talk about these issues (particularly which terms are okay and which are not) without using the actual language. 

So heads up that the “n-word” and “b-word” are spoken in this video.

 

Is the ‘n-word’ off-limits for Christian rappers?

Today, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, marks the release of Sho Barka‘s Talented Xth album.

The well-produced and though-out project comes from an artist who used to be signed to the biggest Christian rap label around (Reach Records) but who now says that, although he’s still firmly a believer in Jesus Christ, he’s no longer interested in making music for the “Christian market.”

It’s also garnering some buzz for the song “Jim Crow” that was previously titled “N—a Island” and uses that term within its hook.

The subject matter tackles the narrator’s frustration about what constitutes blackness in America – a topic publicly discussed as recently as last month when an ESPN personality called former Baylor University quarterback Robert Griffin III a “cornball brother.”

I talked to Sho Baraka about the song and its title a few months ago at the release party for Lecrae‘s Gravity record here in Houston. In our conversation, he explained why he changed the title and even gave a parental advisory that this particular song may not be one you want young children repeating.

You can stream the album in full with the player below. I’m also told there are edited versions (aka “Colored Island”) available on the physical CD format.

And while this song/album are buzzing because it’s being released today, it’s not the first time a Christian rapper has used the “n-word” on his record.

Plenty of MCs fresh off the street continued to use the term in an affectionate tone on their post-conversion albums and 20 years ago the group S.F.C. (Soldiers for Christ) featuring the Alliance of Light who would later be known as top-selling rappers Gospel Gangstas) even tackled the entire notion of the word on the song “Kill that Spirit.”

Question: Is the “n-word” off-limits for Christian rappers?