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Overview

Around 1968, at the close of the golden age of gospel, music approaches applied new stylistic labels to gospel such as urban contemporary gospel, holy hip-hop, hip-hop gospel, or just contemporary gospel, to name a few. Many continue to use these labels to describe gospel music from the late 1960s to the present day. As gospel music's boundaries concerning its stylistic labels continue to expand, notable differences in music characteristics and performance practices contribute to gospel music's broad appeal at this juncture.

Be ready to:

List important events and artists' accomplishments that contributed to the contemporary gospel.

Recall specific performers/composers and their songs that engendered the transition between the golden age of gospel and contemporary gospel.

Identify contemporary gospel songs that borrow music elements from secular songs, specifically how they incorporate music characteristics and performance practices similar to those found in soul, funk, and disco music.

Explain the use of many stylistic labels as applied to contemporary gospel music.

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References

The Twenty-First Century 3

" Ooh Ah (My Life Be Like)♫ " released in 2002 by GRITS (Grammatical Revolution in the Spirit) is another song that represents Christian rap or holy hip-hop, with influences of southern rap-a style associated with artists such as Outkast, Geto Boys, Juvenile, and UGK from southern regions of the United States such as Houston, Miami, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Memphis, to name a few. Yet another group, namely Gospel Gangstaz, uses their music to reach young men and women and speak about Christ's love for all, such as in their song " Watch, Pray, Live Holy♫ " from their 1994 debut album Gang Affiliated. These and many other artists lay the groundwork for this music to surface and receive some level of acceptability as church liturgy.

The Christian music rap/hip hop group GRITS in 2005

Kurtis Blow

In 2005 Kurtis Blow , one of the earliest successful hip-hop artists out of the late 1970s with his 1980 major hit " The Breaks♫ ," became born again and "founded the Hip-Hop Church ministry at Harlem's Greater Hood Memorial AME Zion Church ... and began leading Thursday night services featuring rap music. Soon after, Kurtis teamed up with Holy Trinity ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) in Inglewood to create the Hip Hop Church LA-an evening ministry that also put secular hip-hop hits to work in the name of Jesus" (Zanfagna 2017, 55-56). At these services, hip-hop music served as an accompaniment to singing harmonies or reading scripture by the minister or a congregant. An example would be LL Cool J's 1996 hit " Loungin (Who Do Ya Luv)♫." Zanfanga goes on to state: "At Holy Trinity in 2006, a small, motley youth choir sang soaring harmonies over an instrumental version of Snoop Dogg and Pharrell’s 2002 hit track “ Beautiful♫,” changing the lyrics from “Beautiful, I just want you to know, you’re my favorite girl” to “Beautiful, I just want you to know, you’re my favorite God.” This was one of many instances of flippin’ the script(ure) that took place at the Hip Hop Church LA” (Ibid.).

Whitney Houston

I'm an old-fashioned girl. And I love gospel. I like things that lift me up, inspire me.

Yolanda Adams

There is a sound that comes from gospel music that doesn't come from anything else. It is a sound of peace. It is a sound of, I'm going to make it through all of this.