"But, as sculpture and painting are gifts of God, what I insist on is, that both shall be used purely and lawfully, that gifts which the Lord has bestowed upon us, for His glory and our good, shall not be preposterously abused, nay, shall not be perverted to our destruction." - John Calvin

Rap is one of a handful of music genres about which most people continually assume the worst. This is legitimized by the top rap artists glorifying greed, hate, violence, and objectification of (often times even violence against) women.

But even still, the genre as a whole must not be discounted as art. I think the above quote can and should be applied to many more forms of art than the stated sculpture and painting. Music is no exception.

Before I knew Christ, I often enjoyed listening to the popular hate-filled rap of the time. But as my desires began to change to be more aligned with God's (as happens to those who put their faith in Him), I found that the very same lyrics I once found inspiring were now insufficient to move me. While I still loved poetry, spoken word, and rap, the majority of rap's lyrics seemed hopelessly empty. I desired deeper and more beautiful truths with the same powerful delivery.

I have found, thanks to the recommendation of many friends, that there are after all many rap artists whose desire is the same as mine. Their gifts, used "purely and lawfully", as Calvin said above, redeem the art of rap music.

The impact of worthwhile art is summarized in Propaganda's song Lofty: "See the presence of good art will unconsciously refine a community. And poor art will do an incalculable harm". When sin is glorified in music, the community who listens and enjoys is in danger of destruction from the inside out. Some would point out that the lyrics in rap music simply reflect the harsh realities of the broken communities surrounding the artists. While that may be true, I think it often perpetuates the brokenness within those communities.

There are plenty of respectable rap artists seeking to glorify God in their art who don't attempt to hide the harsh realities, but rather portray them in light of a message of hope and healing. "How sweet the Gospel sounds to ears like mine, well acquainted with pain and strained relationships", says Beautiful Eulogy in their self-titled single.

I've only named two, but there are many more artists with a similar message. To name a few, artists such as NF, Lecrae and Trip Lee are among the most popular in this sub-culture of rap music. Don't discount an entire genre of music based upon the poor lyrics of the masses. Instead, look for the meaningful art of a select few.