Dove Award-winning artist KB is urging the church to embrace Christian hip-hop as a powerful tool for spreading the gospel, particularly among Generation Z, a demographic that often feels distant from traditional church settings. As one of the leading voices in Christian hip-hop, KB sees the genre as uniquely positioned to communicate the message of Jesus in a way that resonates with the hearts and minds of young people today.
KB won his third Dove Award for Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year with His Glory Alone II, bringing his total to six Dove Awards. After accepting the award, he shared his testimony, recounting how Christian hip-hop played a pivotal role in his spiritual transformation.
View this post on Instagram
“I was saved nearly two decades ago after a friend gave me a Christian hip-hop record,” KB explained. “The gospel never made sense until I heard it in the language of hip-hop, and God saved me.”
This connection between faith and music is something KB believes the church must capitalize on, especially as younger generations are increasingly skeptical of institutional religion. He pointed out that mainstream hip-hop and rap have captured the attention of Gen Z, often carrying messages that conflict with Christian values. Yet, the potential for using the same genre to bring people to Christ remains untapped by many in the church.
“The devil knows how powerful a tool hip-hop is, and he loves to invest in it,” KB said. “The church has been a little slower in recognizing that you have this powerful tool in your hands. You’re talking about the massive deconversion and rejection of Christianity in Gen Z. …What are they listening to? Hip-hop.”
However, KB remains hopeful, noting that the sounds of Christian hip-hop often accompany revival movements among young people in the U.S. He pointed to events such as the spiritual awakening at Ohio State University, where students are engaging with artists like Lecrae, Hulvey, and Forrest Frank, who weave their faith into their music.
“These movements of mini-revivals that break out—often, these are people who are young, and they are very much listening, of course, to Maverick City, but they’re also listening to Lecrae and Hulvey and Forrest Frank—these things fuel and build your faith,” KB said.
In addition to revivals, Christian hip-hop festivals such as Holy Smoke in Nashville and Glo Fest in California are attracting unchurched teens. KB pointed out the significance of these events, saying, “Gen Z, the people that don’t want Jesus, allegedly—are at these festivals.”
For KB, Christian hip-hop is not just a genre; it’s a ministry that has deeply shaped his life. “I went to Bible college because of a Christian rap song,” he shared. “I married the love of my life at 22 years old because of a Christian rap song. I gave myself to the local church because of Christian hip-hop.”
Yet, despite its influence, KB recognizes the challenges that Christian hip-hop faces in gaining broader acceptance. He pointed out that while mainstream culture is beginning to acknowledge the quality of Christian hip-hop, with artists like Kendrick Lamar referencing Lecrae and Dee-1 in his music, Christian hip-hop still struggles to break into more traditional revenue streams.
“We don’t have what we would call the institutions that also turn this counterculture, organic movement into something that can be corporate, where folks can feed their families off of it—where people [can] have jobs all the way down the line from road managers [to] festival owners,” KB said. “That’s been a big barrier. It doesn’t generate the money.”
Despite these obstacles, KB believes that Christian hip-hop is more than music—it’s a movement. “Something is happening in the mainstream right now where they are paying attention to what is going on in something that isn’t just music,” he said. “This is a movement. People are coming to Christ. Marriages are being saved. Folks are finding themselves in this gospel representation.”
Read Previous Post
