List of Christian hip hop artists

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This is a list of artists who perform within the Christian hip hop subgenre, a subgenre of both hip hop music and contemporary Christian music, containing Christian lyrics.

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Artists

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Christian hip hop is a cross-genre of contemporary Christian music and hip hop music. It emerged from urban contemporary music and Christian media in the United States during the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lecrae</span> American rapper, record producer, and actor from Texas

Lecrae Devaughn Moore is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record and film producer, record executive, actor, and entrepreneur.

Rapzilla is a Christian hip hop online magazine. The website contains many sections such as the latest news, album reviews, articles, interviews, music downloads, videos, release dates, and columns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lecrae discography</span> Christian hip hop recording artist discography

The discography of Lecrae, an American Christian hip hop artist, consists of 11 studio albums, two of which were collaborative; four mixtapes; two extended plays, one of which was collaborative; 128 singles, including 74 as a featured performer; 73 music videos, including 37 as a featured performer; and 86 guest and other appearances. Lecrae debuted with Real Talk in 2004 through Reach Records; the album was re-issued the following year by Cross Movement Records. After the Music Stops followed in 2006 and his third solo album, Rebel, was released in 2008 and reached No. 1 on the Gospel chart, the first Christian hip hop album to do so. Rehab, his fourth solo album, was released in 2010 and reached No. 1 on the Gospel, Christian, and Independent charts, and garnered a nomination at the 53rd Grammy Awards. Rehab: The Overdose, was released on January 11, 2011, and peaked at No. 1 on the Christian and Gospel charts. Lecrae began garnering mainstream attention when he performed at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher and was featured on the Statik Selektah song "Live and Let Live" from his Population Control album.

<i>Gravity</i> (Lecrae album) Album by Lecrae

Gravity is the sixth studio album by American Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released on September 4, 2012. The album features appearances from Big K.R.I.T., Mathai, Ashthon Jones, Sho Baraka and Mali Music, along with labelmates Trip Lee, Andy Mineo, Derek Minor, who was formerly known as PRo, and Tedashii. Producers on the album include DJ Khalil, Street Symphony's Heat Academy, and The Watchmen. The first single off the album, "I Know", was released on July 24, 2012, and was followed by "Tell the World" featuring Mali Music on August 15, 2012, and "Mayday" featuring Big K.R.I.T. and Ashthon Jones on August 30, 2012. Reach Records released five music videos for the album: "Lord Have Mercy", featuring Tedashii along with No Malice of Clipse, on August 1, 2012, "Tell the World", featuring Mali Music, on October 19, 2012, "Mayday", featuring Big K.R.I.T. and Ashthon Jones, on December 13, 2012, "Fakin'", featuring Thi'sl, on February 1, 2013, and "Confe$$ions", featuring David Banner, on April 30, 2013.

Derek Johnson, Jr., better known by his stage name Derek Minor and former stage name PRo, is an American Christian rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, actor, and screenwriter. He co-founded the hip-hop record label Reflection Music Group (RMG) with Doc Watson, and signed to Reach Records in a joint venture between the two labels in 2011. In 2012, Johnson announced that he had changed his stage name from Pro to Derek Minor. In 2014, he announced that as his two-album contract with Reach was complete, he would no longer be publishing releases through that label.

<i>Heroes for Sale</i> (Andy Mineo album) 2013 studio album by Andy Mineo

Heroes for Sale is the debut studio album by American Christian hip hop artist Andy Mineo, released on April 16, 2013. It follows up Mineo's 2011 mixtape Formerly Known. Considered one of the most anticipated Christian hip hop albums of 2013, Heroes for Sale includes features from Lecrae, Trip Lee, KB, Christon Gray, Krizz Kaliko, and for KING & COUNTRY among others. Three singles were released for the album, "AYO!" on January 28, 2013, "Bitter" on March 5, 2013, and "You Will" on April 2, 2013. A music video for "AYO!" came out on January 31, a three-part webseries was launched on February 6, and a documentary entitled "Everything Must Go" was released on April 9. Lyrically, Mineo based the album concept around the brokenness of human heroes, and the album has a very transparent and personal tone. Stylistically, it mixes electronic-influenced hip hop music with a variety of other genres, including hymns, reggaeton, jazz, R&B, heavy metal, classical, dubstep, second line, acid jazz, psychedelic funk, and jack swing. The album debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200, No. 4 on Top Rap Albums chart, No. 1 on the US Top Christian Albums and No. 2 on the UK Top Christianhart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reach Records</span> American label of Christian hip hop

Reach Records is an American independent record label specializing in Christian hip hop. The label was founded in 2004 by Ben Washer and the hip-hop artist Lecrae. In addition to Lecrae, the Reach Records roster contains artists like Tedashii, Trip Lee, Andy Mineo, 1K Phew, WHATUPRG, Wande, Hulvey, and Limoblaze. The hip-hop collective 116 operates under the label and consists primarily of the label's solo acts. The artists Sho Baraka, Derek Minor, Aha Gazelle, KB, and Gawvi were formerly signed to the label, and DJ Official was under the label until his death.

"Confessions", styled "Confe$$ions", is a Christian hip hop song by Lecrae from his album Gravity, released on September 4, 2012. Lyrically, the song critiques the pursuit of wealth and expresses the emptiness and lack of peace that comes with materialism.

<i>King Kulture: Stop the Traffic</i> 2013 compilation album by Various Artists

Rapzilla Presents... King Kulture: Stop the Traffic is a compilation charity album from the Christian hip hop website Rapzilla, released on August 27, 2013. In partnership with Syntax Distribution, Rapzilla donated all proceeds from the album to Inter-Varsity's New York City Urban Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to stopping human trafficking in New York City. The project features contributions from emcee and production artists such as Andy Mineo, MC Jin, FLAME, Sho Baraka, Canton Jones, Wit, Propaganda, KIDD, Rhema Soul, and Gawvi, among others.

<i>Church Clothes 2</i> 2013 mixtape by Lecrae

Church Clothes 2, officially Church Clothes, Vol. 2, is the second mixtape by Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released on November 7, 2013 by Reach Records. Hosted by Don Cannon, it follows Lecrae's previous mixtape, Church Clothes, and Grammy Award-winning full-length album Gravity, both of which came out in 2012. Two versions of the album were released, a free version with host Don Cannon, and a commercial version off iTunes without the DJ. The first single off the album, "Round of Applause", was released on May 14, 2013. On May 21, a remixed version of the song, featuring rapper B.o.B, was released. A second single off the album, "I'm Turnt", dropped on October 18, 2013. The mixtape was downloaded over 100,000 times on DatPiff.com in the first two weeks and debuted at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 chart, No. 1 on the Top Christian and Gospel charts, and No. 3 on the Top Rap chart.

Beautiful Eulogy is a Christian experimental hip hop group and production team from Portland, Oregon, signed to the label Humble Beast. Composed of rappers Braille and Odd Thomas and producer Courtland Urbano, the group coalesced in 2011 while the three artists were involved in the creation of Braille's seventh release, Native Lungs. Known for its experimental and eclectic sound, the group melds myriad styles of hip hop with genres such as folk, electronic, hymn tunes, and modern worship music. After contributing a song to the charity compilation King Kulture and making a guest appearance on Lecrae's Church Clothes, the band released its debut album, Satellite Kite, on June 19, 2012. A second album, Instruments of Mercy, came out on October 29, 2013. Called one of the most innovative hip hop groups in Portland, Beautiful Eulogy has met with critical acclaim, with particular praise directed at the group's creative, unconventional sound and deep theological lyrics.

<i>Heartbeat</i> (Da T.R.U.T.H. album) 2014 studio album by Da T.R.U.T.H.

Heartbeat is the seventh studio album by Christian hip hop recording artist Da' T.R.U.T.H., released on April 15, 2014 by Da' T.R.U.T.H.'s own label, Mixed Bag Records. It features artists such as Braille, Capital Kings, Chris August, Lecrae, Papa San, and Tedashii, and production by Black Knight, DJ Corbett, Justin Ebach, Jordin Endow, Epikh Pro, J.R., Joseph Love, Alex Medina, Carlin Muccular and S1.

The discography of Propaganda, an American Christian hip hop and spoken word artist and poet from Los Angeles, California, consists of five studio albums, two EPs, twelve compilation appearances, eleven music videos, including one as a featured performer, and twenty-three guest appearances.

<i>Anomaly</i> (Lecrae album) 2014 studio album by Lecrae

Anomaly is the seventh studio album by American Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released on September 9, 2014, through Reach Records. The album features appearances from Crystal Nicole, Kari Jobe, and For King & Country, along with label-mate Andy Mineo. Anomaly met with a positive critical reception, and the song "Nuthin", released for streaming as a single on July 1, 2014, was nominated for the 2014 BET Hip Hop Awards in the best Impact Track category. The album also fared well commercially, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with over 88,000 copies sold. It also debuted at No. 1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart, marking the first time that any artist has ever topped both the 200 and Gospel charts. Anomaly won Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year at the 2015 GMA Dove Awards, and Rap, Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year at the 2015 Stellar Awards. Two songs earned a nomination for the 2015 Grammy Awards; "All I Need Is You" was nominated for Best Rap Performance, and "Messengers", featuring For King & Country, which won Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.

Jackie Hill Perry is an American poet, writer, and hip hop artist who initially garnered popularity for her performances of spoken word pieces such as "My Life as a Stud", "A Poem About Weed", and "Jig-a-Boo" at the Passion 4 Christ Movement (P4CM). She has written for various Christian ministry organizations, such as The Resurgence and John Piper's Desiring God, on the topic of Christianity and homosexuality. She signed to the Portland, Oregon-based Christian hip hop label Humble Beast in January 2014, and released her debut album on November 4, 2014, available both commercially and for free. Hill married fellow spoken word artist Preston Perry in March 2014; the couple currently has four children.

<i>Satellite Kite</i> 2012 studio album by Beautiful Eulogy

Satellite Kite is the debut album by the Portland, Oregon-based experimental hip hop trio Beautiful Eulogy, released through Humble Beast Records in both commercial and free formats on June 19, 2012. The album was praised for its eclectic and heavily folk-influenced sound, unconventional production, highly skilled rapping, and deep theological lyrics.

<i>Instruments of Mercy</i> 2013 studio album by Beautiful Eulogy

Instruments of Mercy is the second studio album by Portland, Oregon-based experimental hip hop trio Beautiful Eulogy, released through Humble Beast Records on October 29, 2013, in both free and commercial format. Like its predecessor, the album features a highly eclectic folk-hip hop fusion melded with numerous other styles such as electronic, indie, hymn tunes, and contemporary worship music. Courtland Urbano, the main producer of the trio, eschewed the use of digitally-generated effects and instrumentation in composing the music for Instruments of Mercy, instead relying solely on analog and natural sounds. A single from the album, "Vital Lens", was released as a digital download on September 10, 2013. The album fared well commercially, charting at No. 6 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart, and was lauded by critics for its diverse and creative sound and deeply theological lyrics. PQ Monthly called the group "one [of] the most innovative hip-hop acts in Portland."

Nelson J. Chu, known professionally as DJ Official, was an American Christian hip hop DJ. He was a member of the Christian hip hop collectives 116 Clique and The Cross Movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Lauren discography</span>

The discography of Natalie Lauren, formerly known as Suzy Rock, an American Christian hip hop and R&B artist, consists of a studio album; seventeen singles, including seven as a featured performer; three extended plays; a mixtape; four music videos; and twenty-one other guest appearances, including frequent collaborations with Lecrae, KB, Swoope, and Sho Baraka.

References

  1. ↑ Vincent Thomas. "116 Clique". AllMusic. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  2. ↑ "BBC - Birmingham - Faith - Unashamed to rep God". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  3. ↑ "He's no gangsta; he's a scholar". Los Angeles Times . August 19, 2008. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  4. ↑ Chad Horton (February 5, 2011). "Review - Level 3:16 'Level 3:16'". Rapzilla. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  5. ↑ Thomas, Fred. "Time Stands Still". AllMusic . All Media Guide . Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  6. ↑ Kellman, Andy. "Gemstones". AllMusic . All Media Guide . Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  7. ↑ Rizik, Chris (2003). "Jon Gibson profile". soultracks.com. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Jon Gibson". Spotify .
  9. ↑ "Jon Gibson records and CDs". Musicstack.
  10. ↑ "Artist Info". MusicMetason.
  11. ↑ Leggett, Steve. "Jamie Grace". AllMusic . All Media Guide . Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  12. ↑ "God's Property - Kirk Franklin | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  13. ↑ "MC Hammer | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts .
  14. ↑ Daniels, David (October 27, 2014). "Christian rapper Jackie Hill Perry comes out as ex-gay firebrand". Washington Times. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
    Daniels, David (January 7, 2014). "Humble Beast Signs Jackie Hill". Wade-O Radio Show. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  15. ↑ Isha "Ice" Cole (September 3, 2009). "Jin The MC Becomes Christian Rapper". AllHipHop.com. Retrieved July 30, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ Strachan, Owen (June 20, 2011). "Christian Rap Lives". Patheos . Patheos, Inc. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  17. ↑ Horton, Chad (March 31, 2010). "Q&A: What Are The Top 5 Christian Hip Hop Albums Ever?". Rapzilla . Philip Rood and Chad Horton. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  18. ↑ Rood, Philip (June 2, 2011). "In depth interview with super producer Street Symphony". Rapzilla . Philip Rood and Chad Horton. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  19. ↑ Rood, Philip (October 23, 2013). "Street Symphony talks Upcoming Reach Records Projects, Being An A&R & More". Rapzilla . Philip Rood and Chad Horton. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  20. ↑ Sketch the Journalist (August 30, 2010). "RHYMEFEST On Authentic Christianity, Christian Hip Hop, and Symbolyc One (pt. 2 of 2) + Full Audio". Rapzilla . Philip Rood and Chad Horton. Retrieved May 16, 2014. ...I understand I guess that you had connected S1, or Symbolyc One, to Kanye for this new "Power" single and he's kind of been involved in some of the Christian hip hop, he did a whole album last year with a guy named Braille and participated with us in SXSW…
  21. ↑ David Daniels (March 28, 2015). "SXSW Video Interview: How Kanye West-signed producer S1 navigates mainstream hip hop as a Christian". Rapzilla . Philip Rood and Chad Horton. Retrieved April 4, 2015.

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