Modern rap is sinful?

[Nick_Alexander]

How funny. Today I’m working out with my iPod, and I have it set to a playlist that occassionally plays some s-l-o-w songs, like John Michael Talbot. And yet I found myself so very pumped, because the lyrics themselves were most appropriate to working out to. It was surreal, working out to “God Alone is Enough”.

Taste is something that can never be argued for. Apparently you like any kind of music, and perhaps you feel that you can listen to this music even though it specializes in lyrics that run contrary to the dignity of women and endorses violence. Just the sort of thing you’d want stuck in your head all day…

The thing is, Christian rap is so expansive, it will shock you. Just check out the artists that constantly line up for the Cornerstone festival… an event I went to one year and fully enjoyed. In fact, Christian rapcore actually pre-dates the rapcore in the secular scene, with groups like Circle of Dust and Sheesh (not to mention P.O.D.) predates Korn. (Google God-Core).

Not all of this is good, some of it is tacky… and this is what you get when major labels interfere with artistic creativity. But the underground scene is another story altogether (most prominent at Cornerstone, HM Magazine, and Tooth&Nail Records) and it’s as authentic as they come, and you get the double-dosage of great music AND great lyrics to better inspire you internally.

Why settle?

 

[Ilroy]

Now heavy metal on the other hand seems to focus on hating God.

Actually a huge variety of lyrics in metal…some good, some bad, some neutral…
If you want a serious beat to work out to, try Gwar or Sepultura…you can’t understand what they’re singing anyway so should be no problem…

 

[Mirdath]

Gwar or Sepultura…you can’t understand what they’re singing anyway so should be no problem…

Another GWAR fan?! :bigyikes: This is about the last place on earth I expected to find one!

And, uh, I can understand what they’re singing… and, well, I guess it isn’t ‘hating God’, but it ain’t the Psalms either, so caveat emptor to the rest of you…

 

[Meathead]

GWAR isnt hating God… They are just disturbing. Still love them anyways.

I find that the best workout music is Judas Priest, or Amon Amarth.

 

[AndrewLong]

GWAR isnt hating God… They are just disturbing. Still love them anyways.

I find that the best workout music is Judas Priest, or Amon Amarth.

Love em. :bowdown2:

 

[Ilroy]

GWAR isnt hating God… They are just disturbing. Still love them anyways.

I find that the best workout music is Judas Priest, or Amon Amarth.

Hadn’t heard them before…just listened to em on utube…now that’s the kind of stuff I could work out to!!!

 

[Naztakuan]

You’re referring to “Gangsta rap” which was made popular in the 80s when the crack epidemic first struck urban neighborhoods. Rap was originally and still continues to be the art of revolutionaries. If you want to hear some good rap, may I fuggest moving away from the mainstream rap towards the underground rappers. They tend to actually have something of substance to say. Most mainstream rappers just rap about girls and things they own. Look up Celph Titled, MFDoom, Common, Apathy,
EL P.

 

[pac]

I do think rap is at times very unhealthy for the mind…that being said I rarely go a day without listening to my man Pac…but you have to take the good with the bad…there are a lot of uplifting songs too

 

[ragdollheart]

I think that if you’re calling it into question yourself, you may already feel it is somehow bad for you. I’ve had to reexamine my music choices before for this same reason. Some bands you cut out completely; some, you avoid certain songs … It’s important to listen to the message, I think, but then, I tend to focus on the lyrics of a song just as much as or even more than the music.

My friend, who is currently in seminary, had an interesting “homily” (that’s what he called it) for this. It involved peeing, so I’ll change it up a bit. What you put into your body influences your health, right? Lots of water keeps you hydrated and vegetables keep you happy and feeling good, but lots of candy and greasy food can make you feel a little bleh. Well, the media and entertainment you put into your mind can sometimes have the same effect.

Personally, I find modern rap unappealing and sometimes downright disgusting – I don’t really like the style and I definitely dislike the lyrics some of the famous songs have. I’m also not really drawn to a lot of contemporary Christian music, so I can relate to you there, but I have a lot of it, and at least the message is good! And some bands are really good, too.

I don’t know if he would get your blood pumping for exercise like other rappers do (I don’t really know much about the genre), but have you heard Fr. Stan? I have a CD of his and it’s really good. Not “hard” rap, though, so I dunno how it would be to work out too. Certainly a good message, and the only rapper I listen to.

I’d recommend thinking hard about the artists you listen to and avoiding their … less-uplifting tracks. Listen to the inspiring ones and, if the artist has few songs with a good message, find someone else to support. It comes down to your decision on what is good for you – if you pray about it and seriously consider it, I don’t think you’ll make the wrong decisions.