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| E.L. Jones Jr. is a Pastor, DJ, film producer and so much more. |
Here it is, the second installment in the “Why We Need Hip-Hop” series. This week we have none other than E. L. Jones Jr. AKA Pastor J. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and has ministered all over the world. This guy is like an urban church swiss-army knife. Whether it is dee-jaying, producing, filming, teaching, preaching, or counseling, he has been always been deeply involved with urban ministry. You can visit his website and follow his vlog at www.iAmPastorJ.com. He is a supreme connoisseur of music, especially rap music. He and His wife, Dr. Ann Marie Jones live in Greenwood, Mississippi.
When
Pastor Thompson called me about adding my voice to the topic, I asked about the
direction I should come from. Are we
asking why the church needs Hip-Hop, or why the world needs Hip-Hop? He paused and said, “Both.” This presents a unique challenge, mainly
because historically, the church has rejected Hip-Hop as not being worthy of her
attention or affection; and when attention has been given, it’s been negative.
Pastor Thompson called me about adding my voice to the topic, I asked about the
direction I should come from. Are we
asking why the church needs Hip-Hop, or why the world needs Hip-Hop? He paused and said, “Both.” This presents a unique challenge, mainly
because historically, the church has rejected Hip-Hop as not being worthy of her
attention or affection; and when attention has been given, it’s been negative.
I would
suggest that even though the church doesn’t like Hip-Hop, it still needs Hip-Hop. I base this on a couple of reasons. One, there
is a large portion of the population in the United States and abroad that is a
part of the Hip-Hop culture. There are those who disagree, but the evidence is
insurmountable that this culture is growing at an alarming rate. It is growing in correlation
with the post-modern mindset and the return of the same political climate and economic
conditions that birthed it in the first place.
suggest that even though the church doesn’t like Hip-Hop, it still needs Hip-Hop. I base this on a couple of reasons. One, there
is a large portion of the population in the United States and abroad that is a
part of the Hip-Hop culture. There are those who disagree, but the evidence is
insurmountable that this culture is growing at an alarming rate. It is growing in correlation
with the post-modern mindset and the return of the same political climate and economic
conditions that birthed it in the first place.
 |
| Rapper The Game’s latest album “Jesus Piece” is indicative of the spiritual direction that Hip-Hop needs and craves. |
The church
has an obligation to reach all people with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and this
means that if the church is to continue to be relevant in the 21st
century (there are those who believe it is on the verge of extinction), then it
must adapt its methodology to reach this large segment of society.
has an obligation to reach all people with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and this
means that if the church is to continue to be relevant in the 21st
century (there are those who believe it is on the verge of extinction), then it
must adapt its methodology to reach this large segment of society.
The church
needs Hip-Hop because our youth are being bombarded with Hip-Hop culture
through popular entertainment. Even the previous bastions of conservative, Anglo-euro culture have succumb to the influence of Hip-Hop. In the last few
years mainstream media, and previously unaffected sports with a predominately Caucasian following (like bowling
and hockey), are now using rap music to advertise and expand their audience.
Unless the church finds a way to present our timeless doctrine using the
medium of Hip-Hop, we are in danger of losing our main source of
posterity; the children and grandchildren of current members.
needs Hip-Hop because our youth are being bombarded with Hip-Hop culture
through popular entertainment. Even the previous bastions of conservative, Anglo-euro culture have succumb to the influence of Hip-Hop. In the last few
years mainstream media, and previously unaffected sports with a predominately Caucasian following (like bowling
and hockey), are now using rap music to advertise and expand their audience.
Unless the church finds a way to present our timeless doctrine using the
medium of Hip-Hop, we are in danger of losing our main source of
posterity; the children and grandchildren of current members.
The world
needs Hip-Hop because it is the voice of those who are not affluent enough to own
mainstream media outlets; at least that use to be the case. Now the world needs
real Hip-Hop to combat the influences of commercialism in rap music. There needs to be a revival of authentic Hip-Hop,
which spoke to the ills of society, rather than contributing to them. There
needs to be a revival of the genuine article, which educated the young, rather than
promoting ignorance. There needs to be a revival of the positive sort, which
brought people together, even if it was just a city or neighbor, rather than
encouraging us to kill those who live on the same block.
needs Hip-Hop because it is the voice of those who are not affluent enough to own
mainstream media outlets; at least that use to be the case. Now the world needs
real Hip-Hop to combat the influences of commercialism in rap music. There needs to be a revival of authentic Hip-Hop,
which spoke to the ills of society, rather than contributing to them. There
needs to be a revival of the genuine article, which educated the young, rather than
promoting ignorance. There needs to be a revival of the positive sort, which
brought people together, even if it was just a city or neighbor, rather than
encouraging us to kill those who live on the same block.
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| “Rush” started out as just another kid from the hood. Now? Multi-millionaire media mogul. |
The world
needs Hip-Hop because it encourages the entrepreneurial mindset. Out of the roots of this urban culture came
clothing designers, automobile modifiers, record label executives, and media moguls. They
were driven to be more than artists. They used the music, dancing, and art to
employ their friends from the neighborhood.
They reached back to where they came from to try to make it better. As I look around in “the hood,” that spirit
is lost. As my friend Dennis Wallace says, we need to put the neighbor back in
neighborhood.
needs Hip-Hop because it encourages the entrepreneurial mindset. Out of the roots of this urban culture came
clothing designers, automobile modifiers, record label executives, and media moguls. They
were driven to be more than artists. They used the music, dancing, and art to
employ their friends from the neighborhood.
They reached back to where they came from to try to make it better. As I look around in “the hood,” that spirit
is lost. As my friend Dennis Wallace says, we need to put the neighbor back in
neighborhood.
Why do we
need Hip-Hop? Because it’s woven into the fabric of society at large. It is a culture that crosses color lines and
national borders. It has infiltrated Main Street, Wall Street, and Church
Street. While it does not look like your father’s Hip-Hop, there are still those
elements that have value for the future. Were this not true, it would have gone
the way of disco, doo-wop, and go-go music. Instead, it continues to grow, as
younger generations hear and are inspired to continue the legacy of what the
founders called Hip-Hop.
need Hip-Hop? Because it’s woven into the fabric of society at large. It is a culture that crosses color lines and
national borders. It has infiltrated Main Street, Wall Street, and Church
Street. While it does not look like your father’s Hip-Hop, there are still those
elements that have value for the future. Were this not true, it would have gone
the way of disco, doo-wop, and go-go music. Instead, it continues to grow, as
younger generations hear and are inspired to continue the legacy of what the
founders called Hip-Hop.
That’s My
2 LincolnsTM
2 LincolnsTM
-Pastor J