Frank Ocean sings love songs from him to him. I posted a comment on my Facebook timeline on Tuesday after a reviewer of his new album said she heard the crooner singing about a him instead of a her. That observation alone wasn’t enough to make the news, but then Ocean did something unprecedented.
Posts By: Dr. Utley
Interview with Dr. Ebony Utley, author of Rap and Religion
Read the Q&A with my parent publishing company ABC-CLIO.
Rap, Religion, and the BET Awards
The 2012 BET Awards were black people on their best behavior. Rappers bragging about their God flow. Gospel singers praising Jesus. Comedians joking about getting their sermons from rappers. Honorees urging the audience to wait on God. BET took its audiences to the church and the club last night.
The God Quest
Read my interview with Brittany “Bella” Graham of The Well Versed. It would be grossly unfitting to start this column out featuring anyone other than Dr. Ebony Utley. Not only is she one of the main inspirations and supporters of my “God Quest,” but she’s also a respected mentor as well. Albeit I may be bending one… Read more »
Do Rappers Worship the Devil?
Hip Hop’s Original Hater
Hip hop needs its haters. Haters represent hip hop’s relevance, and the conflicts generated by haters sustain audience interest. Haters come in many forms: Conservative critics (pick a Fox commentator) Rival rappers and their crews (shout out to Drake, Chris Brown, Meek Mill) Aspects of the individual self (Nicki vs. Roman, T.I. vs. T.I.P., Eminem… Read more »
We Got to Pray Just to Make it Today
Hard times bring people to their knees. Figuratively and literally. Whether it’s unemployment, heartbreak, illness, disaster, or death, humans pray when life’s challenges become clearly beyond their control. Rappers are no exception.
God
Hip Hop Education
Hip hop isn’t dead, but it is getting dumber. Audiences of young hip hop heads always get restless when I say this, but it’s true. Part of the reason hip hop is not as sonically and lyrically sophisticated as it was in the past is because our youth don’t know any better.
Finding Religion
I recently came across this post about rappers who found religion. It made me wonder about how people encounter religion.