Kendrick Lamar talks about many of his opinions in the video to your left, but also opens up about his belief that there is only one true God. This look into Kendrick Lamar's thoughts gives us a deeper view of his Christian beliefs. The more that we understand individual artists and their process and beliefs the closer we are to being able to understand the connection between rap and Christianity.
Kendrick has a lot of lyrics that refer to speaking to religious representatives, and God himself. These are his subtle ways of putting his Christianity into his music.
Brandon Apol of Cederville University published an article that focuses on the rap career of Kendrick Lamar. It studies his life events in chronological order of not only finding a career prospect in rapping, but also becoming a Christian. This article details Lamar’s writing process. The deliberate hidden messages of his songs are detailed, as well as the fact that “he is not known for his music or his message, rather...his lyrical powerfulness and depth in reflecting his daily life experiences” (7). The understanding of the writing process and connection to personal experiences in Christianity are crucial to understanding the connection that rappers feel to their music and religious relationship and this article serves to help with this understanding.
In Noel Erskine's article "We gon’ be Alright: Rap and Reggae as Black Sacred Space" he says, "Rappers and reggae artistes are at their best when they work on behalf of their communities, and when they become prophets and truth tellers who allow their music to become a medium of liberation for persons whose bodies are labeled property."
Many rappers have been said to be considered "prophets" within their communities, rapping about their beliefs in God and religion, and even about God speaking to them personally. Also, many have a very prominent presence within their communities. A large part of religion is the community aspect, which goes hand in hand with religious rappers.
"These songs of freedom and justice can also become instruments of liberation for many who are conflicted about themselves. Mr. Lamar speaks of himself as king, hypocrite, sinner, and prophet."
Kendrick Lamar uses his songs as an outlet of self expression. He has mixed emotions as many of us do. But mainly here, we see that he goes back and forth between believing he is a sinner and a prophet. His views of himself in a religious context jump back and forth, which is most likely something many Christians have in common.
President Obama referred to Kendrick's song “How Much a Dollar Cost,” as his favorite song of 2015. When asked to comment on the President’s love of his song, Kendrick pointed out that it shows Mr. Obama is more than a President. He is human and relatable. Not only are there religious themes within his music, there are themes that bring people of all cultures, races, life experiences, and social classes together.
