Jesus and the Hip-Hop Prophets: Spiritual Insights from Lauryn Hill and 2Pac

Spirituality is alive and well in Hip Hop. A gift to my grandchildren became a gift to me. I read the book before giving it to my grandchildren, ages 10 & 14 who are heavy into Hip Hop singing and dancing. I found the book inspirational, comforting, and encouraging. It directed the reader to the Bible, making present day analogies to the beautiful stories in the Bible; recognizing that the situations in present are very much alike those in the Bible and the fact that the Bible is a guide book for preventing situations or correcting them, healing them. References from the old and new testaments are used including Psalms. They give a beautiful tribute to Mothers; talk about the effect of alcohol and drugs, teen and illicit sex, responsibilities of fatherhood, child support, crime and imprisonment, education, computers and technology, greed,ill-gotten riches, bling, sports,anger, abuse, AIDS,injustice, discrimination, hunger, homelessness,and a Society that doesn't believe these issues exist. They use present days vernacular(words) to relay their messages, some of which I had to ask my grandchildren what they were. My grandchilden stated that even some of these "new" words were old! For example. A "crib" is not used to describe a newborn baby's bed, but a house, usually a rich MTV star's mansion. A "G"-man is not the government man of 40's (a cop or FBI agent) chasing alleged criminals/gansters like Al Capone or Bugsy Siegal, but a G-man now Is the criminal/gangster or one who has been imprisoned, "tha ganster". "Tha" is the "Thou and the "Thee" from biblical times. "Ghetto Bird" is the police helicopter. "Props" is giving one praise, kudus, or favorable appreciation, not something from a theater set. Crystal is not the Waterford kind. Others one should be familiar with are: Scratchin, the Beats, Chillin, Hood, Homie,Haters, Whazzup, Hook up, Props, driving faded,Pimp with its'various definitions, Kicken it, Trippin, Dissed, Thang, Banger, Rims & Tims, and Bling. The authors state: "Positive Hip-Hop artists who attempt to raise our awareness about key issues in our society." They offer solutions through the teachings of the Bible. Be sure and read about the Holy Huddle and Divine Appointment. Some of my favorite quotes from their book were: "Sharing how the music touches us and draws us closer to God"; God was really into fixing messed up lives"; "Sex without respect and relationship isn't real sex."; "God as a Mama[Mother]";"Spiritual life is all about choices..."; "Spiritual growth is not rocket science."; "Connect with the real needs of our soul"; "We all need more love in our lives" "The power of God to bring healing to any situation"; "God filled the hole in my soul...Healing and Peace."; "God has hooked us up";" Thank you authors for this book. I need to purchase some more copies to share with my Interfaith group. Dr. Anne Gells ANGELL

I read it straight from cover to cover. As a 33 year old, I'm probably a little beyond the target college-aged reader, but who cares. I'm a hip hop junkie and Teter's stories and sports analogies were more than enough to keep me entertained. Not only was the book a great read, it inspired me to think about Jesus in new, more practical, ways. In fact, the book became an ongoing conversation topic with my wife, and we both took home some real meaning. If you're into hip hop and want to gain some insight on how following Jesus can bring joy to your life, then check it out.

This is an excellent book. Gee & Teter really speak to the hip-hop generation, not from above, but from within. They present Jesus accurately & relevantly within the cultural core issues of the hip-hop generation. This book is a must read for every high-school or college student, their pastors & their parents.

This is a great book for anyone wondering how Tupac could possibly be speaking about Jesus. A must read for hip-hop loving Christians.