At the 78^th annual Academy Awards, Three 6 Mafia was awarded Best Song from a motion picture for “It’s Hard Out There for a Pimp” from Hustle and Flow. My colleague recounted how one of the group members got on the mic and yelled out “Thank you Jesus!”

As we listened to his retelling of this debacle, we shook our heads in shame. We felt shamed primarily as Christians because he had directly attached the name of Jesus to a song called “It’s Hard out There for a Pimp.” But we also felt ashamed as black people. We couldn’t help but ask “Why?"

But, were we wrong to be ashamed? An African-American hip-hop group had just won an Academy Award! It was groundbreaking! Is he wrong in claiming this accolade to be a gift from God?

In this post-modern age, we refrain from calling someone’s actions or lifestyle “right” or “wrong” for fear of being considered bigoted and judgmental. It’s easier to “live and let live”, letting people work out their own relationship with God. So while we aren’t comfortable with their behavior, we often shrink back from making any definitive statements.

1. There is no conflict between their image and the Jesus they claim.
2. Since they have reached great levels of “success,” Jesus must be in support of what they do.
3. Jesus isn’t concerned about His reputation or how we represent Him.
4. He doesn’t really have any standards for our behavior.

But Jesus Christ, the very subject of the debate, has already spoken on these matters. We have been given the Holy Bible, the timeless Word of God: in it we discover that Jesus Christ wasn’t only a good, really cool guy, but was (and is) the eternal, almighty God in human form. Therefore, we are dealing with the reputation of a holy God, not just another “good guy.”

Main Themes in Hip-hop

The best way to assess whether or not popular artists accurately represent Christ is to look at the image they portray. What are the main themes?

• Booty-shaking
• Bling-bling
• Self-praise and Promotion
  

Image Assessment

You know the scenario in most videos. Boy sees scantily clad girl, salivates uncontrollably, and the chase ensues. Girl puts her goodies on display, boy appreciates the view. Boys will be boys.

Jesus isn’t cool with this rationale. In Matthew 5:28, He says “But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” He doesn’t take lustful glances lightly; they are a serious offense to God.

God’s expectations of women are the same as His expectations of men: they should be pure in their interactions with the opposite sex.

#2: Bling and More Bling -

I’ve learned more about expensive cars, jewelry, and “rims” from music than I ever would in real life. As with sexuality, the materialism of our culture is reflected in art. Incidentally, money and the acquisition of possessions was also a hot topic for Jesus and the New Testament writers.

In the 6th chapter of Matthew, Jesus said “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths… Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten...” God isn’t a fan of excess and materialism, and with good reason: He wants us to live wisely, making investments that will be eternally beneficial rather than seeking to acquire more “stuff” that won’t last in the end.

I’ve always been turned off by inflated egos and I can barely sit through songs by some popular artists. I wonder, how many pats on the back did it take for you to achieve a level of confidence that’s so disproportionate to your level of talent? (Maybe I’m a hater). The problem is that God wants all the glory and isn’t a fan of pride. The Bible says that He “opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble,” (James 3:6).

When we are humble before God and others, we are free to love them, not burdened by their opinions and expectations. The public will never be satisfied; the bar is constantly rising, so why are we making feeble attempts to reach it? The apostle Paul, one of the New Testament writers, put it well: “As the Scriptures say, ‘The person who wishes to boast should boast only of what the Lord has done’. When people boast about themselves, it doesn’t count for much. But when the Lord commends someone, that’s different!” (2 Corinthians 10:17-18).

Conclusion: Was Three 6 Mafia wrong in claiming this accolade to be a gift from God?

We’ve established that some of the most common messages in hip-hop blatantly contradict God’s Word. So how can an artist who promotes these messages through his or her image throw Jesus Christ’s name around, claiming to love Him? Jesus said “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” (John 14:23).

It’s completely valid to raise questions about a person if they know God's standard, but choose to live a lifestyle that suits his or her own fancy. But there are many who express a sincere love for God, and might even have a strong desire to live for Him, but are still living lifestyles that contradict His Word consistently. These individuals might need to question whether they ever truly made a decision to repent of their sin, accept Christ as Savior and Lord, and completely surrender their lives to Him.

But it’s not likely that we can sit down with popular entertainers and “restore them gently,” but we can absolutely ask God for their restoration and salvation. So, when you find yourself conflicted over an entertainer’s actions and confused by their mixed messages, go to the Bible and let God’s Word be the judge.

And allow this same Word to reveal your faults and instruct you on how to live a life that will bring glory to Him.

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