ABSTRACT
This chapter examines lyrics, music videos, and books written by rappers who are Christian about their lives and the culture, as well as website articles during the 1980s and 1990s that provide details about contemporary events. In light of the scholarly work on the history of "Christian-themed" rap, "A History of Christians and Hip Hop" expands the conversation beyond solely focusing on emcees and examines this history through the lens of Christians and Hip Hop rather than "Christian Hip Hop (CHH)" or "Holy Hip Hop". From Bob Marley to James Brown, African diasporic musicians voiced love for Africa, their race, and their desire for liberation. It is the "river" that entails components of the invisible Black church that acts upon deejays, emcees, B-boys/-girls, and graffiti writers to create. The popular division within the self-identified Christian Hip Hop community that highlighted these differences was between Cross Movement and Tunnel Rats.
