Welcome to our weekly episode of Rapzilla.com’s Top Christian Rap News Recap. We endeavor to grab the best stories from the previous week and give them to you every Monday.
We are still compiling the number for the Top 50 CHH Albums of the decade and we are talking bout the Rapzilla Freshmen for 2020, so stay tuned for those.
Let’s dig into the first story of the day. Dee-1 and longtime popular underground rapper Murs are getting together for a joint project dropping sometime this year. Dee-1 says the project is done and they dropped their first single and music video for “No Pictures of Jesus.” What do you think of this collaboration?
Every year I like to look back at all of the content we posted and see what you, the audience clicked on the most. This year it was a bit mixed and some of the results surprising. Of course, you had NF’s the Search info toward the top. There was some Kanye West news sprinkled in there as well as FLAME winning the Katy Perry lawsuit. But unfortunately, the number one read story by an astounding lead was on the passing of Truett Foster, TobyMac’s son. However, within this great tragedy, the views turned into prayers, heartfelt comments, memories, reflection, and an all-out outpouring of love for one of Christian music’s most iconic and beloved figures. The entire community showed up to support Toby and that’s love. The article with the rest of the stories, including the ones mentioned here, are on the site now.
Our writer Ed Boice also took a look at some of the most-streamed songs in the last decade. The list was primarily comprised of all Reach Records artists, save for one spot. We also did not include NF because it would have been an NF top 15.
Songs like KB’s “Church Clap,” Lecrae’s “I’ll Find You” with Tori Kelly, and “You Can’t Stop Me” by Andy Mineo. Check out the rest of the songs on the list.
Let us know which songs you streamed the most this decade?
Outro
In conclusion, don’t forget to check out all of our playlists featuring the top tracks that dropped on Friday. Start with the Rapzilla Playlist and work your way down. Remember to check out the Christian Rap Mix and Pandora and the best indie artists and tips on NewH2O.com.
This video was made in partnership with Fenix Studios in Staten Island, NY. Fenix is a one-stop-shop for any creative looking to rehearse, record, mix, shoot a music video, or even receive audio & technical training. Get more info here.
If you’re interested in sponsoring, endorsing, or promoting this show, hit us up!
Justin is the Editor-in-Chief of Rapzilla.com and co-owner of NewH2O.com. He has been a journalist for 9 years and has written or edited for Relevant, Christian Post, BREATHEcast, CCM, Broken Records Magazine, & more. When not writing he's on stage rhyming as the frontman of Process of Fusion. He also likes to work with indie artists to develop their brands & marketing strategies. Catch him interviewing artists on Survival of the Artist Podcast.
In a recent interview with Black Enterprise, Lecrae opened up about new album Restoration, his second book ‘I Am Restored’, and his other business ventures. His book and album are thematically almost hand-in-hand together. About the two, he said: With conversation rising about the number of teens committing suicide and the heightened conversations around mental health awareness and suicide prevention, this is the perfect time for my ninth album, Restoration. I’m also writing another book, I Am Restored, due out later this year. A follow-up to my first book, Unashamed, I Am Restored, chronicles how I’ve navigated the highs and lows of success and celebrity and shares how […]
This is the 10th year that Rapzilla.com has been naming a Christian rap Freshmen list. Every year since 2011 we’ve picked who we thought would have a tremendous year. Now, with over 100 artists during this period of time, Rapzilla allowed you, the reader, to vote on your all-time 15. The poll contained every Christian rap artist/producer that has been featured on our list. You were tasked with sorting through the names and voting for your all-time top 15. Your picks could be from any year in an effort to create a “super team” of Christian rap. Here were the […]
VICE has documented some Christian stories in the past. A few years back we covered their documentary on the Creation Festival with an interview of then Noisey Editor Eric Sundermann. This particular video is focused on mostly faith-based film and show actor Emma Elle Roberts. She is most known for her roles on Pure Flix, the “Christian Netflix” alternative. Roberts spends the video talking about the struggles of being put in the “faith-based” box of cinema. It’s an all too familiar subject that Christian rap has been battling over the years. The old argument, “Are you a Christian rapper or […]
Across the pond, UK Christian rap artist Guvna B teamed up with the prestigious BBC. Their goal, to discuss the intersection of faith and music concerning ‘Gospel Meets Hip-Hop’. They did this as a podcast documentary for BBC Sounds. “Gospel and hip-hop are closely related, but the relationship hasn’t always been an easy one. Christian artists making gospel hip-hop face barriers both within the church and within the mainstream music industry – it was either the ‘devil’s music’ or ‘not cool enough’. But now it’s becoming popular, people in the church and the music industry are taking note,” reads the website’s […]
Two-time grammy-award winning artist Lecrae has been widely known by CHH and the wider hip-hop community as a prominent Christian rapper. Beginning his career in 2004 with Real Talk, Lecrae has released nine studio albums, including the contemporary Let the Trap Say Amen with Zaytoven in 2019 and his upcoming Restoration in March. Over the course of his 16-year career, Lecrae has stayed true to the tenets of his faith but also changed tremendously as a person in terms of opinions, convictions, and beliefs. These dynamics have bled out in the lyrical content of his music and show a definite […]
In a recent interview with Black Enterprise, Lecrae opened up about new album Restoration, his second book ‘I Am Restored’, and his other business ventures. His book and album are thematically almost hand-in-hand together. About the two, he said: With conversation rising about the number of teens committing suicide and the heightened conversations around mental health awareness and suicide prevention, this is the perfect time for my ninth album, Restoration. I’m also writing another book, I Am Restored, due out later this year. A follow-up to my first book, Unashamed, I Am Restored, chronicles how I’ve navigated the highs and lows of success and celebrity and shares how […]
This is the 10th year that Rapzilla.com has been naming a Christian rap Freshmen list. Every year since 2011 we’ve picked who we thought would have a tremendous year. Now, with over 100 artists during this period of time, Rapzilla allowed you, the reader, to vote on your all-time 15. The poll contained every Christian rap artist/producer that has been featured on our list. You were tasked with sorting through the names and voting for your all-time top 15. Your picks could be from any year in an effort to create a “super team” of Christian rap. Here were the […]
Cory Cifax announced his album Gray Matters will release 2.21.2020. He just released his video “The FWD” as an introduction. Though this song will not be available for streaming nor will it be on the album but it serves as an introduction to the concepts on the album. Watch Cory Cifax Below:
K-Drama releases the perfectly timed “Slow Down” track that capitalizes on the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. The song features blowing into the cartridge and samples the water level in Sonic 2. Listen to K-Drama Below: Stream here.
VICE has documented some Christian stories in the past. A few years back we covered their documentary on the Creation Festival with an interview of then Noisey Editor Eric Sundermann. This particular video is focused on mostly faith-based film and show actor Emma Elle Roberts. She is most known for her roles on Pure Flix, the “Christian Netflix” alternative. Roberts spends the video talking about the struggles of being put in the “faith-based” box of cinema. It’s an all too familiar subject that Christian rap has been battling over the years. The old argument, “Are you a Christian rapper or […]
