Epic Rap Battle:

Secular vs. Christian

Zach Blackmon
ENGL 1020
Elizabeth Kent
April 29, 2016

Table of Contents
Introduction
....3
Kris Baker, Famous Rapper, Dies at 78....
...4
What Could Be ..
6
School Rap Chart
.8
How well can you relate to
rap?..................................11
Long Time Ago..
..14
Kris Baker Biography..
.16
Stream-ofConsciousness.
18
Works
Cited
20

Introduction
In this project, I use a collection of different genres to
express my research in the differences between what secular rap
is, and what Christian rap is. Just in case someone doesnt know
what the term secular is referring to music that is not of a religion,
particularly Christian for this assignment. To sum that up its just
the very opposite of what Christian rap is. In the world of music,
secular rap is rampant with all of its monstrous lyrics. But there is
also an opposite side of the world, Christian rap, talking about
everything truly good about life. I have been listing to Christian
rap for something like seven years now after it was introduced to
me by some close friends. Before that I never really listened to
secular rap, but I still knew of the lyrical content in it. So I try to
follow this bible verse as closely as possible, Let no corrupting
talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for
building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those
who hear (Ephesians 4:29). Within all of my entries, three of
them relate to each other, the song, biography, and the obituary.
The song is by the man that is described in his biography, and
then also his death and other life accounts are described in his
obituary in the beginning of the project.

Kris Baker, Famous Rapper, Dies at

78
________________________________________________________________________
By BILLY MAYS

April 24, 2034

In 2034, Kris Baker, more popularly known as KB, a famous Christian rapper
that released eleven albums in his career, and founder of the Beast Records
Labeling Company, dies Saturday, April 22 in his bed.

The cause was most likely cardiac arrest says Dr. Paul Davis, his doctor at the
time. He has been coming to me for many years now, and I have only seen his
health deteriorate for the past twenty years. Dr. Davis also says.

Little attention has focused on religion Josef Sorett (Page 1-2) says. But clearly
KB has changed the rap game for his many years of fame.

Growing up with a very difficult childhood, having his sister die, his father being
abusive, and his mother committing suicide, KB found a lot of inspiration for his
music. After his debut album KB, he started to grow tremendously. He even was
able to start a very popular labeling company.

Through starting the company, KB met his wife, Mary Yongugongaol, later
known as Mary Baker. They both settled down and lived a peaceful life after KBs
twenty years of fame.

The funeral will be on Tuesday, April 25 in Greavyd Baptist Church on the corner
of Huh Street and Ay Street.

I know that some people will not like me, but I do not live for them, I live for the
One True King -KB

WHAT COULD BE

This picture is highly inspired by Lecrae, who won a Grammy for his album,
Gravity, for best gospel album. In the picture, there is someone who is in jail
being visited by a close friend. They are both rappers, and the man visiting
the one in jail is saying If you could ever get out of here, Im sure you could
have one too The man in jail represents a secular rapper, and the one
outside represents a Christian rapper.

Even though they are both very

different because even Lecrae enjoys a deft command of nuance, a blessing

that probably derives from his straddling of sacred and secular worlds
(Whitaker Par.6). This means that even a Christian can have a good friend
that is not of the faith. The man in jail listened and got inspired by secular
rap, and started taking the lyrics to heart. He started young as a kid, just as
Saxena says, the fact that the hip hop station spews this vile content to its
listeners, many of whom they know for a fact happen to be kids (Par. 4).
Whenever kids start to listening to people, they take every word to heart.
They can later tell someone exactly what they heard. When the youth hear
the secular rap, there are several things that can happen, one is being that
hip-hop tends to serve as little more than a medium for rebellion (Hicks Par.
12) where the kids do not really want to be like the way they act, but do it to
be different. And another can be that the youth feel encouraged to eschew
the important concept of deferred gratification at a life juncture most critical
to future achievement. (Hicks Par. 6) What Hicks is saying is that some
youth can and will take the lyrical content with them for the rest of their
lives. Overall, the general message of my cartoon is that those who might
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listen to some kind of positive lyrics in music, they could potentially achieve
more in life than that of someone who listens to some kind of degrading
lyrics.

10

School - Rap Chart

2461

2638
2136

864
539

362

Yes

11

1988

1012

This is a School Rap Chart, which just means some common questions
people ask kids in school based on whatever main topic they are covering.
The idea comes from a certain study that Julian Tanner mentions in his
article. For my graph, there are a total of 3000 cases for each category, with
only a yes and a no bar. So from the 3000 cases, 2461 cases reported no to
if ever suspended from school at least once, and 539 cases reported yes.
And it goes the same for each other category. Using more information from
the numbers Tanner provides, we can know each of the Z-scores of three
different types of crimes. A Z-score is a statistical measurement of a scores
relationship to the mean in a group of scores. (Google). The three types are
social injustice which is the index of Z-score 3277 amount of agreement or
disagreement regarding the following statements: people from my racial
group are more likely to be unfairly stopped and questioned by the police
than people from other racial groups; discrimination makes it hard for people
from my racial group to find a good job; discrimination makes it difficult for
people from my racial group to get good marks in school; students from rich
families have an easier time getting ahead than students from poor families;
everyone has an equal chance of getting ahead in Canada; it is rare for an
innocent person to be wrongly sent to jail (Tanner), property crime which is
the index of frequency of involvement in breaking into cars, minor theft
under $50, property damage, stealing bikes, breaking and entering into
homes, stealing cars, major theft over $50, and drug dealing (Tanner), and
violent crime which is the index of frequency of carrying a hidden weapon
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like a gun or knife in public, using physical force on another person to get
money or other things; attacked someone with the idea of seriously hurting
that person, hit or threatened to hit a parent or teacher, getting into a
physical fight with someone, and taken part in a fight where a group of
friends were up against another group (Tanner). The social injustice has a Zscore of 3277, property crime has 3344, and violent crime has 3288.

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How well can you relate to rap?

1. Within a study in a school of around 4,000 students, how many said
they liked listening to rap very much or even quite a lot.
a. 3%
b. 67%
c. 56%
d. 20%
2. In another study with Urban Music Enthusiasts, a main factor within rap
is having
a. Feelings of social injustice
b. Feelings of dominance
c. Feelings of protest
d. Feelings of entertainment
3. What is the most popular race who listens to rap the most?
a. Asian
b. Other race groups
c. Whites
d. Blacks
4. True or False: The young music listeners are more inclined to crime and
delinquency.
a. True
b. False
5. What phase is Christian hip-hop entering?
a. Diverse Phase
b. Judgmental Phase
c. Analytical Phase
d. Critical Phase
6. True or False: Some Christian rappers have tried to model mainstream
secular rappers
a. Ture
b. False
7. There is a ________ connection between religious belief and moral and
social attitudes (Seed Page 2).
a. Strong
b. Weak
c. Moderate
Answers: 1. C. 2. A. 3. D. 4. B. 5. D. 6. A. 7. A.
Note: Questions 1-4 are taken from Listening to Rap: Cultures of Crime,
Cultures of Resistance. Question 5 is taken from Rap Battles. Question 6 is
taken from 'It's Not The Beat, But It's The Word That Sets The People Free':
Race, Technology, And Theology In The Emergence Of Christian Rap Music."
And question 7 is taken from Secular and Religious: historical
perspectives.
14

This trivia game tries to challenge how well you might know some common
or guessable knowledge of things in rap. The first question comes from a
study from Tanner. He splits what I used into two different groups, one being
what some students saying that they liked rap very much, which was 35
percent, and another 21 percent saying they liked it quite a lot. So from
that information, rap clearly appeals to a broad range of young listeners and
is, therefore very much part of a common music culture among high school
students (Tanner Par. 45). The second question is comparing the feeling
evoked from rap by members of a musical culture and that of young people.
And of course the Enthusiasts reported having the feeling of social injustice.
The third question is mentioned by Tanner also, that mostly blacks listen to
rap primarily. The fourth question comes from Tanners conclusion, Serious
fans of rap music are different from other young music listeners--they are
more inclined to crime and delinquency and more likely to subscribe to
resistant attitudes and beliefs (Tanner). This is a bit of a trick question
because most people would expect that the youth would be more inclined to
crime and delinquency, but its really the other way around. The youth
mostly listen to it for the beat, but that doesnt mean that they cant follow
the lyrical content of secular rap. The fifth question comes from a different
source, stating what phase Christian rap is entering. Strachan states that
Christian hip-hop is showing signs of entering a new phase. Call it the critical
phase, one in which artists broaden their program to address cultural issues
in evangelicalism or the public square (Par. 2). So now Christian rappers are
15

getting more know, so they are presenting cultural issues in their content
rather than satisfy the public. The sixth question is from an instance in the
late 1980s, where Michael Peaces raw vocals were comparable to that of a
young LL Cool J. (Sorett Page 2). Meaning that there are some rappers that
have tried to model themselves to mainstream artists. The last question is
also pretty easy because of course whenever one believes in a certain
religion, he or she will try to abide by all of the rules of the religion.

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Long Time Ago

[Intro]
A long time ago, we used to be together a lot. Spending birthdays together,
singing together, and even crying together. When I look back on it, I really
just appreciate all the short time we had together. It was always just me and
you together a long time ago.
[Verse 1]
You and I were in it from the start, but sadly youre not here anymore even
though I would give anything to see you again. Even though he wasnt too
good to us, we still smiled together and had a good time, you know?
Everyone around knew something was up, but I dont want to hear the
sorrys. We didnt care if they didnt like us. You introduced me to this music,
such an inspiration to my music. Now Im on these stages trying to give it to
my fans.
[Interlude]
Where has the time went, where has all the happiness gone? I know youre
still beside me even though its past you time. We only had a short time
together a long time ago.
[Verse 2]
You told me you would always be with me, but what happened? You seemed
to have lost it all when he showed up. Not knowing what to do, we fled. All of
a sudden the door closed and I turned around and stared at your lifeless
corpse. I cried out to God wonder how could this happen. I had to seek
refuge before I lost it. Now Im out here trying to make an impact.
[Outro]
Where has the time went, where has all the happiness gone? I know youre
still beside me even though its past you time. We only had a short time
together a long time ago.

17

This song is highly inspired by a new upcoming Christian rapper called NF.
His music is very powerful and raw. It is also what inspired me to do the
biography like I did. The person that Kris is referring to throughout the song
is his mom, much like how many of NFs songs refer to his own mom. And
he is referring to Kriss father. Kriss father was very abusive so he was a
source for lyrics for this song. NFs songs have a lot of motivation from his
mom who overdosed on pills right when he was trying to mend their
relationship. It is something that NF could never overcome until he started
writing music. NF even said, first I started listening to it to get away from
my problemsthen I started writing it to get away from my problems
(Rapzilla Par. 10). Also many of NFs songs are about God, and how He has
helped him in his pain.

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Kris Baker Biography

Early Life:
Kris Baker was born in a small town called Flevaltown located in Alabama.
Kriss childhood was anything but easy. For the first six years of his life, his
parents were your average Christian couple. Kris developed an early love for
rap at a very early age. He also had an older sister. She was one of Kriss
best friends that he had. Sadly, his sister died in a fatal bus crash on her way
back from a field trip. His parents got a divorce at age six because of his dad
becoming an abusive drunk, trying to deal with his daughters death. Kriss
mother took him with him when she fled away from home. Living on nothing
was very hard on Kris, but he still stayed with music. His Dad went to prison
a couple months later for attempted murder of Kriss mother, Karen. After
the attempted murder, all Karen could do was try to work her hardest just to
provide for Kris. However, one day Karen sent Kris on a grocery run to pick
up some things for dinner. When he came back, he found his mother hanging
from the ceiling with a noose around her neck with a note in her hand. The
note told of where some money is and where to go. Kris went to where the
note lead and started a life at a child care center.
Career:
At the center, Kris really started to get into music. He used it to escape from
his past. As the years past, he got to finally compete in a local rap
19

competition in the town he was in. The very first time he participated, he
placed fifth. The next year he placed second. Then the next he placed first.
He went on to the national level, but only placed sixth. His passion was
shown throughout these years, and a signing company eventually realized
this too. He signed with Quality Music the same year. And the next year, he
released his debut album KB. He decided that the album name will be the
same as his stage name, adopted by his real name. The album, within a
week, reached to the top 10 in the hip-hop carts. KB gained a huge fan base
in a very short amount of time because of the songs he wrote that described
his powerful past. Around three years into his career, KB found his own
labeling company called Beast Records. Many artists flocked around his
company, wanting to be signed on. The first couple to be signed on was
Lecrae, Trip Lee, Derek Minor, Andy Mineo, Tedashii, and Canon. Together
they shaped the culture of the world into a better place.
Death:
After his twenty years of stage time, releasing eleven albums total, KB
decided to settle down with his wife. Around the age of 50, KBs health
started to deteriorate. He started having to make frequent visits to the
hospital. On April 22, 2034, Kris Baker dies of a cardiac arrest in his bed,
leaving a legend behind.

20

Stream-of-Consciousness
Its pretty late right now, but I think Ill be able to get two pages through in
no time. So what are my views on secular vs Christian rap? Well for starters I
know that secular rap is and has always considered to be bad in my life. I
was never allowed to listen to it growing up, only just want my parents
wanted to listen to. I only started listening to Christian rap around four or five
years ago, but I have enjoyed it. So my childhood was pretty average, I grew
up in a Christian family, going to Frazier in Montgomery, but me and my
brother were too young to really remember anything about it before my
parents stopped going. Living in Montgomery around the time when the
public school system started going downhill was pretty rough, in fact that
was one of the biggest reasons my parents moved. Every day almost was
fight after fight when I was in either fourth or fifth grade. It was very weird. It
was something that I never thought I would see. So whenever we moved to
our familys farm. I started school on a not so good note. I though was a thug
because of what I experienced before. But I still had very good parents, so
that phase of my life didnt really last all to long. We have been out of church
now since me and my brother were around seven or so (were twins by the
way). After moving out of the family farm house to the house my parents
built, I met two of my best friends that changed my life forever. Within a year
of being in our new house, they invited us to go to church with them,
something we havent gone to in many years. Of course our parents said yes,
so we went. After going to that church, within the next year I accepted Jesus

21

into my heart and my life started changing for the best, not that I was very
bad before. Now around this time I was also introduced to Christian rap. I
remember the first song I listened to was something by Lecrae in one of his
very starting albums, but I have no clue what it is. Anyway after that I
started listening to more and more rap, eventually listening to secular rap.
But like many of the articles I have read, many youth just listen to the beat of
the music. That was me. Hold on my back itches lol. As I got older and older,
the more I realized what those songs were actually saying, and how much
they could really mess up someone. All of those songs talk about is literally
nothing but sex, money, drugs, cussing, and violence. What the heck, why is
it that that is all those songs talk about. It makes no sense. On the other
hand, when listening to Christian rap, they preach through their songs. They
have encouraged me, pumped me up, and have made me feel a wide range
of emotions. They actually talk about sex, money, drugs, cussing, and
violence too, but in a way that tells the truth about secular rap. It really is
just as Strachan says that Christian rap is entering a critical phase, using
their lyrics for purpose. I am very glad for those friends that invited me and
Daniel to church that one Wednesday night. Without them, I wouldnt have
any motivation to choose this subject and write this paper. And thank you
Jesus.

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Works Cited
Holy Bible: New International Version. Ephesians 4:29. Print.
"How NF Became the First Hip-Hop Artist on Capitol CMG." Rapzilla. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar.
2016.
Hicks, Jeffrey. "How Hip-Hop Destroys the Potential of Black Youth." National Leadership
Network of Conservative African-Americans. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
Saxena, V. "Rant: Watch Me Destroy Rap and Black Culture in 400 Words." Downtrend. Web. 3
Mar. 2016.
Seed, John. "Secular And Religious: Historical Perspectives."Social History 39.1 (2014): 313. Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Apr. 2016.
Sorett, Josef. "'It's Not The Beat, But It's The Word That Sets The People Free': Race,
Technology, And Theology In The Emergence Of Christian Rap Music." Pneuma: The
Journal Of The Society For Pentecostal Studies 33.2 (2011): 200-217. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 9 Apr. 2016.
Strachan, Owen. "Rap Battles." Christianity Today 57.5 (2013): 13.Academic Search Premier.
Magazine. 3 Mar. 2016.
Tanner, Julian, Mark Asbridge, and Scot Wortley. "Listening to rap: cultures of crime, cultures
of resistance." Social Forces 88.2 (2009): 693+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 3
Mar. 2016.
Whitaker, Lang. "Can Lecrae Save Hip-Hop's Soul?." Billboard 126.30 (2014): 60-63. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

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"Z+score - Google Search." Z+score - Google Search. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

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