Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Zac DavisSeptember 08, 2017
(AP/America Media illustration)

Rap got religious last year. At least that’s what I wrote earlier this year for America. The truth is, while it may have gotten more explicit about religion in 2016, hip-hop has always had a deep religious undercurrent to its bars and beats.

This week we’re chatting with Alex Nava, the author of In Search of Soul: Hip-Hop, Literature, and Religion. We talk to Alex about religion’s influence on hip-hop and why people are surprised to find out about it. If you need any convincing before or after listening to us—go listen to Kendrick Lamar’s “How Much a Dollar Cost.”

In Signs of the Times, we talk Pope Francis in Colombia, rapping nuns, beer-brewing monks and proposing in front of Pope Francis.

Links from the show:

Czech Catholic Church branches out into forestry
Beer-Brewing Monks Are Helping Rebuild Earthquake-Devastated Town In Italy
Rapping nun to perform for Pope Francis in Colombia
Man proposes to girlfriend in front of Pope Francis
In new book, Pope Francis says he consulted a psychoanalyst
Catholic Church leaders condemn Trump administration’s decision to end DACA

What’s on Tap?

Becherovka, a Czech digestivo (otherwise known as a classy version of Jagermeister).

More: Music
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Today’s text from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith makes clear that henceforth, as a rule, the Holy See will not declare any alleged spiritual phenomenon, such as an apparition, as authentic‚ that is, “of divine origin.”
Gerard O’ConnellMay 17, 2024
Cardinal Robert McElroy, Bishop Robert Barron and Bishop Daniel Flores joined moderator Gloria Purvis for a roundtable discussion on the rise of polarization in the church.
Michael O’BrienMay 17, 2024
Whether carefully reflected upon or chosen at random, picking a confirmation name is a personal and spiritual journey for Catholics, reflecting a connection to the saints or a loved one and a commitment to embodying their virtues.
America StaffMay 17, 2024
In young people preparing for confirmation, I see a yearning for something more in their lives, beyond the noise and distractions of technology and social isolation.
Mitchell RozanskiMay 17, 2024