Every generation has poets, philosophers, and prophets that embody its hopes and dreams. Due to the power of mass communication, these thinkers and intellectuals often come from musical genres. Many date hip-hop’s inception—and the demise of disco—to 1979 when The Sugarhill Gang dropped “Rapper’s Delight,” which began with the words, “I said a hip hop.”
Hip-hop culture has its own poets, philosophers, and prophets, and their voices have never been more influential. The hip-hop community has embraced people of color, many of whom (be they brown or beige) have not felt embraced by mainstream evangelical churches. Their increased influence raises an important question for the church: How should we meaningfully minister to the hip-hop generation?
In this podcast, I talk with Cameron Triggs about the need for urban apologetics, ministry in the context of the hip-hop generation, the fight for justice, and the importance of contextualization in the preaching event.