Christian Hip Hop
Also known as Christian rap, gospel rap, holy hip hop
A faith-driven branch of hip hop that grew out of 1980s U.S. Christian media and church-linked rap experimentation, then expanded into a broad scene with mainstream crossover moments and a deep independent catalog.
Origins and context
Documented histories describe the genre as emerging from urban contemporary Christian music and Christian media in the United States during the 1980s.
The sound
Instrument palette
The voices and tools most associated with this sound.
- Voice
- Drum machine
- Sampler
- Turntables
Characteristics
- Faith-centered lyrics
- Rap vocals
- Hip-hop production
- Testimony and exhortation as recurring themes
History
Christian Hip Hop took shape in the United States during the 1980s, emerging from urban contemporary Christian music and Christian media as artists began rapping over hip-hop beats with explicitly faith-based lyrics. Early recordings and figures helped establish the lane before the genre broadened in the 1990s, when groups and solo artists built a more visible scene around independent labels, church circuits, and regional hip-hop styles. By the 2000s, artists such as Lecrae and TobyMac had carried the music into a wider public conversation, giving Christian Hip Hop a larger commercial profile while the underground continued to evolve around new voices and local scenes.
Notable artists
- LLecrae
- TTobyMac
- GGRITS
- SWStephen Wiley
Essential listening
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Explore connected genres
Sources and further reading
- Christian Rap Music Style Overview
- en.wikipedia.org
Christian hip-hop emerged in the United States during the 1980s from urban contemporary Christian music and Christian media.
- Spotify
Lecrae and TobyMac are among the genre’s most visible mainstream figures.
- Spotify
GRITS is a Christian rap group with a notable track 'Ooh Ahh (My Life Be Like) [feat. Tobymac]'.
- Spotify
TobyMac is described on Spotify as a Christian alternative and rap figurehead.
- Christian hip-hop