CSULB Professor Releases Heavenly Hip-Hop Handbook

Culture and entertainment are so inextricably linked that oftentimes touchier subjects like religion are danced around but never truly confronted. CSULB associate professor Dr. Ebony Utley has every intention of blasting some of those reservations apart with her new book, Rap and Religion: Understanding the Gangsta’s God.

In the book, Utley tackles two subjects that are heavily linked yet seldom talked about: rap and religion. Specifically, Utley says, “How and why rappers talk about God,” an idea that stems from her interest in rhetoric and power struggles.

Utley says that in our culture, rap music is plagued with criticism (some valid, some not) about violence, misogyny and racial stereotypes. On top of this criticism, there is the prevalence of religion and the worship of a higher power in rap music. The two seemingly incongruent philosophies—one of violence, one of peace—blend together, despite the juxtaposition. The cause of this is more than just flagrant hypocrisy on the rapper’s part, but more of an inextricably linked cultural phenomenon.

“Hip hop is a form of expression and a response to oppression,” reads the first line of Rap and Religion. Rap and hip hop were born from a culture that was disenfranchised, under represented and lacking in social power. Religion has always been a source of strength for disempowered groups, and that is where God comes in.
Note: Dr. Ebony Utley is a R3 contributor
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