Hip-Hop, Idolatry & The Church Pt. 8

What Happens When Gospel Pays Tribute To The World? (Con’t)

In Hip-Hop, Idolatry & The Church Part 7 we left off with the story of Hezekiah and Sennacherib (705-681 BC) as found in 2 Kings 18:13-16. During that seige Hezekiah, (approximately 39 years old) unfortunately delivered everything in God’s house, that was of value, all the gold and silver, all the instruments used in sacrifice, and sent them as tribute to Sennacherib hoping to appease him. After doing all of that, Sennacherib (through his messengers and generals Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh) challenged the belief system of the Jews by telling them that the God they believed and the leaders that they trusted were lieing to them, and that it was impossible to be delivered from the Assryian King. (2 Kings 18:28-36). A second time Sennacherib sent word from Libnah saying that no god could keep Judah safe and out of his hands. (2 Kings 19:10-14) Even after receiving this tribute Sennacherib was more angry, upset and determined than ever before to destroy Judah and claiming victory over God.

We noted that $288,000,000 (which was the equivalent value of the gold and silver taken from Israel and given to Assryiah ) couldn’t convince or appease Sennacherib and his Assryian army to leave Israel alone. What Hezekiah didn’t understand was that Sennacherib, like his predecessor Shalamaneesar didn’t want the money. What he wanted was the glory. The glory of God and the total rule and authority over God’s people. From this position Sennacherib sought to claim sole authority over the destiny of God’s people.

The archaeological discovery of the Tell el Amarna letters confirm the Assryian king’s recounting of the events. The following phrase was written regarding the seige of Jerusalem:

"He himself (Hezekiah) I have shut up like a caged bird within Jerusalem, his royal city."

Yes, the people of God actually gave what belonged to God to the devil himself. Hezekiah made several mistakes to get into this situation. Not the least of which was his failure to listen to and follow the advice of the prophet (Isaiah 39:5-8) who was sent from God to instruct Judah on what it needed to do to be free from tyranny.

What Happens When The Ungodly Are Given Riches That Belong To God?

I believe that understanding the story of Sennacherib’s demand is an essential part to examining the condition of the modern gospel music industry in general. In this segment, I wish to look at what has become one of the industry’s most popular artists and discover how the church is still being asked to give what belongs to God to the devil.

Gospel Apostasy

The group called Mary Mary took the "gospel" stage by storm with their debut album "Thankful" in 2000. Currently Mary Mary has produced a CD called ‘The Sound’, and after reviewing it and being chilled to my spiritual core, I can honestly say that it is one of the most theologically challenged and imbalanced CD’s that I’ve heard in recent times that proports to be gospel.

The problem is that Mary Mary (sisters Tina ‘I can’t see you singin’ outside the church’ Atkins-Campbell & Erica Atkins-Campbell) have decided, with the help of Erica’s husband, Warryn ‘Baby Dub’ Campbell, to introduce a style of music targeted particularly to youth and the hip-hop generation. Their music is popular in both secular and gospel music circles. Secular folk have long played Mary Mary songs at parties, clubs, skating rinks and all. The music is set to BUMP and PUMP the ride right along side of its secular competitors.

To show their mixture with the world, on this new CD, a rift on the song ‘Get Up’ is simply a take off of the late Michael Jackson’s "Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough". Borrowing from the world is not uncommon in the modern gospel music circles. It was their last CD entitled "Mary Mary" which presented the song "Want Ads" with reworked lyrics retitling it as "Heaven". Although there is no acknowledgement of borrowing on this CD, it’s obvious with a quick listen that you’ve heard this somewhere before. What is confusing is that every now and then you’ll find a melodically worshipful song such as "I Worship You" (also "Yesterday" off of their previous CD).

The group has obtained 1 Platinum (over 1 million copies sold) and 2 Gold albums (over 500,000 units sold). They are the winner of 6 Stellar Awards, 1 NAACP Image Award, 2 MOBO Awards, 2 Lady Of Soul Awards, 2 Grammy Awards, 7 Dove Awards, and 1 American Music Award. Their crossover appeal is orchestrated by it’s producer Warryn ‘Baby Dub’ Campbell. This is ‘Baby Dub’s’ mission:

"Right now I know God has placed a calling on my life, through my music to touch people. Right now I'm not a preacher but I realize there's a message, especially when doing Gospel. There's a certain standard that He's set. Right now my ministry is to make hits. That's my ministry! To make as many hits as possible, so that in the future people will respect me that when I'm ready to put my own record company together, I'll have people's respect to let me do what I do."


Mary Mary Producer Warryn ‘Baby Dub’ Campbell (who’s ministry is to make hits) husband of Erica Campbell, received his big break was from John Platt at EMI records who offered him a unique publishing deal that afforded him no production deadlines or quotas. ‘Baby Dub’ is in no wise exclusive to gospel or gospel music. He has produced music for hardcore gangsta rappers Tupac and DJ. Quick early on in his career. Other of his clients include Brandy, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Xzibit, Mos Def, Missy "I Am A Lesbian" Elliott, (The same one who has sung an appeared with Kiki Sheard)Mario, Shanice, Dru Hill, Musiq Soulchild. Some of his secular hits include "When I See You Smile" ~ Shanice and "Angel" ~ Dru Hill.

‘Baby Dub" was raised a preachers son. One would rightly ask the question, how did he come to write and produce secular music? Well, this is his story of how this came to be:

• "At first I was one of those cats that said 'I'm never going to play a secular music.' [Because] my dad's a preacher, I grew up thinking it was bad until he sat me down one day and explained to me. I guess he heard me saying this, and he said 'Look you're gifted and God has given you this skill. You use what He's given you as a living. You like to do music. You can do secular music. Just don't get your occupation mixed up with your salvation.' " Warryn "Baby Dub" Campbell, by Melanie Clark Gospel Flava Online 2000
  

"do secular music, just don’t get your occupation mixed up with your salvation" Is that even possible???Is that the word from a gospel minister? Moreover, is it a WORD from the Lord???

Moral Neutrality

One is right to claim that Christians are needed in almost every occupation in order to bring change and proliferate the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, it should be noted that there are certain industries that are not morally neutral and that require certain values and beliefs to be relinquished before work can be done. For instance, prostitution is an age old profession. In some places it is even a legal profession. However, in order to be a prostitute one has to relinquish and rid themselves of values against adultery and fornication. Therefore prostitution IS NOT morally neutral. Similar to most occupations within the "sex industry" whether legal or not, there is usually a redefinition of moral values and those values are not usually based on the bible and the absolute truth of God’s word. There are other occupations that present the same dichotomy of circumstances and one must evaluate the moral neutrality of each occupation before one engages.

This can be a complicated issue for many, and the entertainment industry certainly doesn't have a lock on moral neutrality and exclusivity, but we should remember Paul’s teachings along these lines…"all things are lawful, but not expedient" (1 Cor. 10:23). There are secular occupations and relationships that do not offer the "expediency" of Christ or deliver benefits to the Kingdom of God.

Secular music is one of those industries as it is NOT morally neutral. What makes it worse is that modern gospel music has followed the same path by allowing the secular industry to control it. Wendell Mosley at Charismatic Tunes has defined and laid out a compelling case as to why one should not be involved within the gospel music "industry" as we know it in America. (We will discuss this in greater detail in a future post)

One should ask, why one of the most popular "gospel’ music groups consistently features secular artists? As previously stated, the current Mary Mary project is no different than their first in that respect. Their first project featured a crossover rapper named BB Jay. Well, who is it this time?

Giving The Gold & Silver To The World

This time it’s David "Let Me See Ya Panties On The Floor" Banner. Known in the secular world as one of the most profane of profane rappers, David Banner’s material could only possibly be apropos for adult secular XXX entertainment. He is so profane that the lyrics of his song ‘A Girl’ from his 2008 release "Greatest Story Ever Told" can’t even be reproduced on this site. (Or any other that has any sense of values)

I had many questions as I reviewed this release (as you can tell). When I came across the song called Superfriend (feat. David Banner) (# 4 on the CD), and after a little research and talks with some of my unsaved family members who knew more about this rapper, I wondered how in the world did a Christian EVER come across David Banner and his music in any form, and how would that Christian, DARE think to include and present such a profane individual to the church. Further, how could a Christian feel that this man, who is arguably the nastiest rapper on earth, would render anything that would be honorific to God or edifying to his people?

In short, as we will see, to introduce this rapper to the church intertwined within gospel music is the equivalent of serving vomit to your mother, your pastor and the entire church for Sunday afternoon dinner. That is an APT description.

What ‘Gospel Music’ Has Been Reduced To:

Aside from the fact that David Banner has no respect for God, and an utter disrespect for God’s church and ministers, he also displays a total objectification and degradation of women in his songs. Here are a few lyrics to one of his most popular secular pieces from his 2008 CD ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’ the song is called 9MM/Speaker:

I Got A 9 Mm

Ready To Go Off Any Minute

So You Feel It

Because Of A Law I Had To Conseal It

If You (Explicative) Around You Gon Make Me Reveal It

If I Got 9 Slugs, 9 Bullets Gon Fly

If I Got A Red Beam, 9 People Gon Die

9 Momma's Gon Cry, 9 Spirits In The Sky

9 Preachers Preachin, 9 Sermons Tellin 9 Lies

Cause Each And Every One Of Yall 9 (Explicative) Wasn't (Explicative)

I Would Of Rather Kept The 9 Lugers In The Ruger Clips

The Index Finga Slip I Let The 9 Spit

I Lick Em All Like 18 (Descriptive Explicative) On 9 Chicks

Im A Suicide Risk, 9 Slits On Each Wrist

If I Died 9 Times, The Next Go Arounds A (Explicative)

And If I Come Back I Throw 99 Souls

(~~~Last Complete Line Deleted Due To Profanity~~~)

Now, thankfully that's not a gospel song but that’s what David Banner does and that’s who he consistently is. Death and destruction (especially of others) is something that he brags about. Notice, that his intent is to kill even if it’s himself and he knows the preacher’s message at the funeral of his slain is nothing but lies. As you can see from these lyrics (which he wrote) The BOY GOT ISSUES!!!

The Crossover That Will Break Your Ankles

If that was David Banner of secularism, I’d simply say he’s sick, and needs to get saved, get some psychological counciling and get with someone who can guide him to and through the TRUTH of God’s word. I’d also assume that he certainly would have no influence in gospel music, and no presentation before young people that we are delivering the council of the Lord to.

But to my surprise, not only did I find him on a gospel CD, but I also found the SAME concept and disdain for God, women and the church within his rap on Mary Mary’s "gospel song" Superfriend. Here are a few of the lyrics:

Mary Mary ~ Superfriend
A superfriend, a superfriend

Yes sir, I got me one of them

A superfriend, a superfriend

I got me a superfriend

Stop there for a minute. Is this honoriffic of God or somebody you know around the way? "I got me one of them" Obviously this CAN’T be a song about the Lord. How can you "get you one of them?" Who is this Superfriend??? Maybe David will reveal the nature of that Superfriend to us. Here we go:

David Banner’s Superfreind rap:

What have I done to deserve a life like this?

The devil's scared to fight us in the light

He hides in the midst of religion

But I know that my God is listening there for me

There's a greater mission

OK, let me interrupt for a minute. The devil hides in the midst of religion? But God is listening to him because he has a "greater mission"??? What mission could Mr. Banner have? We know that Baby Dub’s mission is to "make hits" so he can be respected…What is David Banner’s mission??? Let’s look further:

You're no girl, you're no man, but a plan for greater peace

I'll fight for the light until my flesh falls deceased

I'm fighting the devil, fighting police

And in the church, Lord I'm looked at as Satan

'Cause in my music I curse

Now, David affirms "unisexuality" by declaring a unigender as simply a "plan for greater peace". This is a secret encouragement for the homosexual agenda and same sex union. Yep! Right in the middle of a gospel song. Before you criticize me for seeing it, and speaking about it, tell me what you think he means…I wanna hear that. Don’t give me that he was indicating that there is neither male nor female in Christ…remember this song only sparingly mentions Christ and certainly doesn’t mention scripture in almost any sense.

Further, David admits his fight with the devil (white man) and the police (authority) and acknowledges that "his mission" currently encourages him to be as profane as possible. In fact the church doesn’t really understand him. Next verse:

But I'm trying to do better and that's the thing that really hurts

All this sex and the drugs in my life mean nothing

When my superfriend hugs me at night tears come rushing

There's no kryptonite, no dealing no lie that could be told

OK, here we go once again…"all the sex and drugs" in his life (in a GOSPEL SONG) mean nothing. It doesn’t??? Sex and drugs means nothing according to David Banner. This is a new gospel according to David Banner perpetuated through the music to this generation. This is a total and absolute shift from biblical morality to secular morality and norms. To affirm his position, he simply is comforted by his "Superfriend" that hugs him at night until he cries…What in the world is this??? As long as we have this "Superfriend" that affirms us we need not worry about changing anything. Just continue in sin??? What about 1 Cor. 6? Let’s finish this:

That can separate the power that you have over my soul

So stunting is a habit when I'm gripping this mic

Ya'll thinking I'm a pimp but I'm trying to be like Christ

In real life, yeah

OK, here we have confusion over who David is trying to be like. He tells us that we think he’s a pimp because of his profession, what he says and what he displays to the audience. The reality is (in his world) that he is simply TRYING TO BE LIKE CHRIST??? So if we are confused, we can simply be confused because we can’t identify the difference between David ‘Pimp’ Banner and Jesus Christ??? As we should be able to see…the SUPERFRIEND of Mary Mary is not and has nothing to do with Christ. Christ is a deliverer FROM sin not INTO sin.

Aside from rappers songs, Mary Mary also render another song called ‘Dirt’. This song tries to contrast trials and tribulations with "dirt" in a garden as an essential part of the growth of the believer. The problem is that we should ask, is "dirt" as described by Mary Mary in this song, a parallel to daily life’s trials or is it descriptive of unchecked sin in the life of the believer?

The Saint should ask, is what we go through in daily living "dirt"? Mary Mary answers the question by further explaining that the "dirt" they are referencing is personal failure and not mere daily trials. In other words the "Dirt" is SIN. Here it is:

"Dirt" ~ Mary Mary
Ooh sometimes you may sing for yourself
You struggle hard just to prevail
It’s the lesson you need to learn
It’s the way you’ve got to earn
Champions never accept defeat
They fall and get back on their feet
‘Cause they know (they know)
Just like I know (I know)
That if you want to grow we…

We all need a little bit
(I) need a little bit
Need a little bit of dirt to grow

OK, We "fall down" but that’s OK because we all NEED to fall INTO SIN in order to grow. WOW!Back to the scripture:

Hezekiah’s Solution

Hezekiah prayed 2 Kings 19:14-19 and placed himself and the nation on the complete mercy of God. Without the use of one soldier or any loss of an Israelite life, God turned the captivity around and gave Hezekiah and Judah the victory.

How Did This Happen?

Hezekiah did something miraculous before these trials began. 1- He maintained his heart before God as one who was sincere in doing right even when he made bad judgements and 2- he fortified the water system of Jerusalem. (2 Chron. 32:1) You see, it was because there was a free flow of water that Jerusalem was able to thrive while they were shut up. This water system did not exist in Lachish and Libnah which had fallen and been taken and 3- he listened to the promise of God, when God said he would send a "blast" (Is. 19:6-7)(a ruwach) and turn the enemy away and kill him in his own land.

Suddenly, after receiving the promise of God, over night (2 Kings 19:35-37), God kills 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Naturalistic speculation is that this was due to either a plague of flesh eating rats or some mysterious deadly illness that invaded the camp. This could have been a reflection of Israel’s Exodus from Egypt when the death angel exacted judgement according to the direction of God. The result was that Sennacherib after receiving the word that his army was trached and had suffered defeat without even engaging in combat, left Libnah and after a silent 22 year absence from the area, died in his capital city of Nineveh, at the hands of 2 of his sons, while worshipping his false god.

What Was The Message?

• The threat of the enemy against the Lord’s church is actually against the God himself
• Compromise and rendering to the devil what belongs to god is not according to the scripture, God’s word or HIS ultimate plan for us.
  
• What is dedicated to the Lord is to remain dedicated to the Lord no matter the culture or the desire to do otherwise.
  

There are plenty of natural reasons to give up, but none of those reasons are valid. In fact because God is God we have every reason to believe that HE will provide for us as we render sincere service to him.So far as music is concerned, too many of our artists feel that they cannot and won't be successful unless they give tribute to the enemy, with little or no regard to who they actually belong to. We should be aware that God’s people don’t have to give the enemy anything and especially that which belongs to God. The praise of the saints belongs to God so much so until he inhabits it. This is the type of Glory that the devil has desired to steal from the beginning, and it is in the church’s power to deny and refuse the enemy what he desires.

Should the venue called the "gospel music industry" exist for any of this to take place at all??? Coming up in our next post.

Blessed!