5 Christian Rappers for fans of Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar has inverted from the balancing act of exalting culture, and excellence in art to the self-examining of the inner being. This is most evident in his most recent work, Mr. Morale in the Big Steppers. His recent back and forth with his rap peer, Drake, demonstrates his persistent skill of high-concept delivery. All of these elements combined, speak to the multifaceted skillset of many Christian emcees. Here are five rappers for fans of Kendrick Lamar.
1. Jackie Hill Perry
The effortless polymath, that is Jackie Hill Perry, began her stint with a prolific run as a spoken word artist. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, she transitioned into a boom-bap samurai that is one part Black-Thought, two parts Lupe Fiasco, and one whole Lauryn Hill (don’t check my math on that).
*More like Jackie Lauryn Hill Perry.
2. KB
While at times stunted by his need to serve a more Christian radio-friendly audience, there is an undeniable wealth of soul-piercing songs within every KB record. His highly energized and aggressive conviction of seeing reform on a political, cultural, and spiritual level radiates through a colorful array of trendy production. If nothing else, his music is very palatable for a day of calisthenics.
3. nobigdyl.
Self-described as “Wayne meets K.dot” his low profile demeanor gives him the unsuspecting approach of being able to deliver a high-concept idea in a concisely written song. A good time to be engaged with this music as he finds the middle ground between a modern sound and experimentation.
4. Swoope
Similar to Kendrick, Swoope’s discography is a heightened-interconnected autobiography with recurring characters and themes. Each record takes on a different sound which expresses another facet of his journey. So much could be said about Swoope, but just know his pen game and song composition are unmatched by many of his peers.
Just listen to how this song builds…
5. Beleaf (yes, the Youtuber)
So much to be said…
I love Beleaf. He has maybe the most perfect 3-album run in Christian Rap, starting with Theo’s Gift, the legendary classic Red Pills & Black Sugar, and finally ending on Fatherhood. For now, let us bypass his excursions with his rap collectives theBreax and Dream Junkies. We will also not mention his writing credits on the viral hit, Comin’ in Hot.
In the meantime…
