Description
Book SynopsisExplores the diverse religious dimensions of rap stemming from Islam, Rastafarianism, and Humanism, as well as Christianity
Trade Review"Cutting through the din of confusion and controversy surrounding hip-hop,
Noise and Spirit illuminates the spiritual struggles a the root of the music and the culture. The essays collected here brim with the energy of discovery and engagement, and leave no doubt that Tupac, KRS-One, and Queen Latifah are carrying on the tradition of Al Green, Mahalia Jackson, and the 'black unknown bards' who forged a redemptive vision in the fires of a furnace that continues to burn." -- Craig Werner,author of Higher Ground: Aretha, Stevie, Curtis and America's Quest for Redemption
"In moving beyond the common misconception that rap is simply a secular expression, this volume offers a refreshing discussion about the tensions that exist between the sacred and profane. It foregrounds the spiritual and religious dimensions of rap music and the genre's interpolation and critique of Buddhist, Islamic, Christian, Rastafarian, and Humanist thought in an unprecedented way." -- Cheryl L. Keyes,author of Rap Music and Street Consciousness
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Noise and Spirit is a thought provoking collection of empirical works that ultimately offer even the most reluctant of scholars a great vantage point from which to build on a continuing examination into, and further discussion of, the fragile and often contentious alliance between rap and religion. This is clearly a definitive work worth reading." * The Sociology of Religion *
"Both a scholarly book and a pleasurable read." * QBR *
Table of ContentsContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Making a World with a Beat: Musical Expression's Relationship to Religious Identity and ExperienceRap and Religious TraditionsAfrican American Christian Rap: Facing "Truth" and Resisting It: Garth Kasimu Baker-FletcherA Jihad of Words: The Evolution of African American Islam and Contemporary Hip-Hop: Juan M. Floyd-ThomasRap, Reggae, and Religion: Sounds of Cultural Dissonance: Noel Leo Erskine"Handlin' My Business": Exploring Rap's Humanist Sensibilities: Anthony B. PinnRap and Issues of "Spirit" and "Spirituality"Bringing Noise, Conjuring Spirit: Rap as Spiritual Practice: Mark Lewis TaylorRap as Wrap and Rapture: North American Popular Culture and the Denial of Death: James W. PerkinsonThe Spirit Is Willing and So Is the Flesh: The Queen in Hip-Hop Culture: Leola A. JohnsonRap and the Art of "Theologizing"The Rub: Markets, Morals, and the "Theologizing" of Music: William C. Ban?eldRap, Religion, and New Realities: The Emergence of a Religious Discourse in Rap Music: Ralph C. WatkinsSelected BibliographyAbout the ContributorsIndex
