ABSTRACT
This essay contributes to a developing discourse on the intersections of black religion, political activism, and popular culture. It takes as a point of departure Cornel West’s critique of American Christianity and his insistence upon engagement with black youth culture (especially the prophetic potential of hip-hop) in his work Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against Imperialism. The essay then examines the cultural productions of the political hip-hop band, the Cornel West Theory, whose name is derived from West’s prophetic Christianity, public intellectual discourse, and political activism. Based in Washington, D.C., the Cornel West Theory’s first album, “Second Rome,” is a prophetic critique of the effects of empire on the marginalized and people of color, especially those living in the dilapidated areas of the District. The chapter focuses particular attention on the role of the Rev. Yvonne Gilmore within the band as a “critical organic catalyst,” rooted in black church traditions, while expanding her public voice through a creative, collaborative, and mutually critical engagement with hip-hop culture. By focusing upon the religious discourses, cultural productions, and social interventions of the Cornel West Theory, the essay points to alternative possibilities for politically progressive engagements between agents of black religion and popular culture, and, more specifically, between black Christian traditions and hip-hop culture.
