And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature…
-Mark 16:15
The emcee is but one element of Hip Hop, but this one element has become the most influential component of Hip Hop. Ironically the emcee began as the sidekick to the DJ. These days that equation has almost been completely flipped it almost appears that the DJ is either a sidekick or completely forgotten about.
Because of the emcee’s visibility and position, most people measure the Hip Hop Culture by what they see and hear from the emcee. With this being the case it is somewhat understandable that the Church tends to frown on Hip Hop and sees it as the root cause of the urban community’s problems. Negative images and messages aside, the preacher and the emcee are not that much different than each other.
Comparisons
Both the preacher and the emcee have been known to address social issues. Both engage their audience with various “call and response” type deliveries. Both use their creative abilities to make their messages relate able to the audience. Both are unique art forms..and both can lose credibility when they lose touch with their audience.
In preaching you find different and varied styles of delivery, some whoop and yell while others eloquently encourage and even others skillfully use tone, rhythm and rhyme. The emcee is no different some “spit passionately” some get the crowd hype and others skillfully arrange and deliver words that will hit and cut you before you can even say ouch!
In the case of the Holy Hip Hop or Christian Hip Hop, the emcee is basically an Urban Preacher whose message is delivered in the style and the language of the Hip Hop Culture. These Christian Emcees likewise are just as varied in their styles and methods of delivery. Some are deep theological thinkers and expositors (Cross Movement, Shai Linne, 116 Clique to name a few) Some are modern day teachers/storytellers (G.R.I.
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The Preacher and The Emcee….
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