Kanye West - Rap and Spirituality
Rap and Hip-hop have hardly ever been seen as a positive force and presence by many in the main stream media and culture. The gangster lyrics, misogynistic references and unabashed greed for sex, money and drugs would leave anyone safe in assuming that this could never lead to a place of higher energy and vibration. However Rap and Hip-Hop are far from the halls of discretion and diplomacy, veneered with promises from a corrupt corporate America. Indeed rap, and hip hop have been slowly changing and waking up to their shared history of the southern spirituals born out of slavery and oppression now revisited by many in the disproportionately black lower-middle and lower classes who are really feeling the brunt of this bankers crisis , the call and response oral traditions from West Africa and a deep sense of something larger even than the fame the money and the trappings of super stardom can bring.
In Kanye’s track - ‘Jesus Walks’ he prays to Jesus to continue to walk beside him. Kanye says “ ‘Jesus Walks’ talks about how you can rap about anything, but if you talk about Jesus, [radio and club DJs] won’t play it. It talks about my relationship with him, [how I’m] trying to live a secular life but still have God in my life. I feel like I’m expressing a lot which the regular person is going through.”
In Kanye’s song Pinocchio Story he laments his fame, money and stardom to feel what it would be like to be a “real boy”. He goes on to the list the many luxuries that he enjoys than can never bring back time and don’t have any real lasting meaning from an individual perspective. A second tier look at life after the rise to the top of Maslow’s pyramid.
Kanye’s new video “Heartless’ also points to the danger and seduction of the life he leads. Relationships are often the most difficult and traumatic parts of our lives and no amount of money, fortune and fame can change the suffering of one’s heart. What is Love? What is unconditional love? Do they exist, is there a higher love, a higher perspective to love from, that takes us away from fear jealousy, pride, and power. Where is it? Where does it originate from?
