Preparing.org - The Message of Music: Hip-Hop vs. R&B

the message IN music

Hip-Hop vs. R&B

All of us are all-too-familiar with the fierce debate raging in America on the morality of 'Hip-Hop' culture.

So far, this dispute has done nothing more than widen the gap between the "Motown generation" and the youth of today. Many preachers and others among us have declared hip-hop music in particular to be 'ungodly.' While on the other hand, multiplied millions of partakers of the world's most popular musical genre say they're just "keepin' it real."

There's no doubt that 'Hip-Hop' music is the most influential form of cultural expression on the planet, and has deeply impacted the lives of men, women and children from every continent. And although many of today's "stars" spew out lyrics that promote a lifestyle of lawlessness, materialism and 'gangsterism' - "bling, bling", if you will - there remains a strong bastion of artists who have relevant, positive messages.

Ironically and often hypocritically, many of those who harshly criticize Hip-Hop have also greatly praised what are in reality, idolatrous R&B songs. Many have even suggested that one should only listen to "love" ballads. But while there are undoubtedly some wonderful love songs being produced, there are areas of this genre that need to be roundly criticized and condemned as well.

It is written, "For you shall worship no other 'gods': for YHWH, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous 'God'." (Ex. 34:14).

The sad truth is, many of the so-called love songs from the 70's, 80's, 90's to date are NOT love songs at all, but nothing more than odes to idolatry...

Most male balladeers of today (or yesterday for that matter) don't sing with the love of a woman as Christ loves the church; but rather, they sing to or about a woman as 'LORD', while often using the old English expression "my lady." And yet we never hear a female artist using its in its masculine form - "my lord." Why not? In a word, idolatry. In other words, Babylonian, Greco-Roman, "queen of heaven" idolatry…

Lyrics like "you are my sun, you are my rain", "you're my everything", "my world revolves around you", etc., are clearly expressions that ought to be directed exclusively to YAH! These idolatrous songs are extremely dangerous, because they hinder true worship of the Most High, violate His first and greatest Commandment, and reinforce a false impression of what marital love in Him is all about.

In many instances, R&B artists who produce these kinds of songs, rather than writing and singing of their own experiences, simply release that which is likely to sell a maximum amount of units. Their "romantic" [Roman] lyrics are based on worldly fantasies; not on righteous, true love relationships.

To be sure, there are positive/spiritual songs in Hip-Hop as well as in R&B. But the gross materialism promoted by many Hip-Hop artists is no doubt leading our people in the wrong direction - and the "respectable" idolatry of many R&B ballads is doing so as well!

The truth is, whether it's Hip-Hop or R&B, materialism and ‘maternalism’ if you will, are two sides of the same idolatrous coin...

We who are called to serve as a Kingdom of priests unto the nations must examine ALL forms of music, and teach the truth about its content to our people - without respect to its popularity, nor to the age group of its artists.

We must no longer misuse the divinely ordained gift of music for filthy lucre's sake, but ONLY for the true purpose our Father intends - as a means to educate, enlighten, and inspire our people and the nations at large in the wisdom of divine truth!

Shalom Aleichem!

Prophet's Commentary