Does anybody know of Christian artists that are comparable to these artists?

1. Music can’t believe in Jesus, or indeed in anything. Only a person can.

2. Please everyone, please support music that is good. Period.

3. Please, everyone that accepts Christ as your Savior, please don’t support music that follows and believes in Jesus if it sucks. Because alot of it does.

Don’t you think being a knock-off genre that is trying to “Christianize” something invented elsewhere might have more to do with that?

I come from a black working class background and from my pre teens was into Hip Hop.
I grew up on Hip Hop from the early days of Rakim, Krs1, Big daddy Kane, Big L , EPMD, Gang Starr , leaders of the New School, through to Nas passing through generations and the changes in Hip Hop. Seeing it meagre with Rnb ala Mary J Blige, the Gangstar rap era , east – west coast feuding , the rise and fall of greats like tu-pac , Biggie smalls .
I could go on on. lets just say for a black British guy who used to rap and occasionally still does in church, I know a thing or 2 about Hip Hop.

I’m also a born a Christian now. one thing I have done is given up listening to Hip Hop. Mos Def who you speak about was one of my favourite contemporary rappers Black on both sides was my first introduction to him. I thought he’s was a genius.

Now reading you article (though now almost 3 years old ) 3 things immediately grabbed me:

1. You as you evidently confessed have limited understanding and historical understanding of Hip Hop

2. You never mentioned if you are a Christian yourself in the article and seem to have even limited understanding of Christianity

3. What was your motive for writing the article ? ; an attempt to have a bash at Christianity , an attempt to have a bash at as you describe them “peculiar sect of Christianity known as “evangelicalism.” i.e evangelicals …or were you simply finding a platform though slightly misguided to express your fascination with Mos Def .

Id like to point out a few things to you

Google defines Evangelism as : The spreading of the Christian gospel by preaching or personal witness.
this in one swoop addresses a few of your points:

…But evangelical hip hop tells a lie by reducing that single theme of the entire cosmos to something so dimly existential as yours and mine own “personal relationship with Jesus.” in addition ..Yes Christianity is about witnessing yours and mine personal relationships:

Revelation 12:11
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

….Evangelicalism is generally characterized by post-fundamentalist disinterest in confessional concerns of the Church, and even formal ecclesial institutions in general, focusing the brunt of its energy, rather, on the more missionary tasks of evangelism and conversion of individuals….

Id like to know your position in terms of Christianity , unfortunately you didn’t expound on that so that remains a mystery.

One thing you should accept though , regardless of what people say about Hip Hop; i.e: its a way of life , its a culture etc….
Hip Hop is still music. It has been used to express opinions , commentary , abuse , build , glorify all via music,
the music genre that it is.

not matter what you say it is just a style of music. The people informed are the ones who give it character and the life form it is now. so the culture lives through them. Coming on to Christian Hip Hop . All Christians are meant to witness and don’t require some kind of celestial ordaining . In the Christian Bible there’s something that is called

“The great commission ” in Matthew 28 16- 20:

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

This is the first basic requirement of all true Christians. Spreading and sharing of the gospel of Jesus. Even if you chose to rap it through music . text it via a phone , face book it , tweet , preach over the TV , speak on the radio , email it .
It doesn’t matter. Only a prude would ignorantly say it is meant to be via only a certain source or via a particular method.

Romans 8 says the following :
Romans 8: 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.

So I guess it means no matter how you judge Christian Rap (bearing mind Mos Def is more of a social commentator not a Christian rapper ) its purpose is to touch hearts . If one song only changes one person in the whole world, its function has been completed.

Christian rappers ( if you ask any of them ) are not putting music out there to compete with secular rappers, but to put the name of Jesus out there.

also In conclusion I can point you too many parts of the bible where it was said way back 2000 years ago that as well as genuine preachers there are fake ones. The onus is on the listener to have a spirit of discernment and choose what is real and what isn’t the bible says :

Matthew 7:

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The point is this. Genuine believers of Christ are meant to use any platform available to spread the gospel.

With it being this long Scott , you may have changed your stance , but if not , some food for thought for you