Trip Lee, an award-winning MC, author and speaker, embraces the uniqueness of being a “pastor-rapper,” but he has some frustrations with a hypocritical hip-hop industry as well as with Christians who kick against his particular brand of artistic and cultural expression.

Lee’s dual career path is a contrast in many ways to that of another popular rapper and pastor, Mason “Ma$e” Betha. Betha has swung between putting in time at the pulpit and laying out tracks in the studio, leaving some fans and observers confused with the apparent inconsistencies.

Lee, 26, told CP he has never felt any serious tension between his love for rapping and his call to ministry.

But, according to at least one of Lee’s close friends, the MC’s chosen vocations of rapping and pastoring might keep him from making headway in the mainstream industry, similar to how Lecrae has in recent weeks. The Reach Records headliner and founder appeared on “The Tonight Show” after a historic album debut that saw his Anomaly LP sit atop the coveted Billboard 200 as the nation’s No. 1 album.

But Lee, also a Reach Records artist, doesn’t seem to care as much about making history as he does about getting access, as he is well aware that the doorkeepers of mainstream hip-hop tend to be wary of religion, or at least the “Christian” label. And that’s one label Lee won’t be shrinking away from, as his heart is to preach the Gospel and see lives changed, whether it’s through his music, books, or proclamations from a pulpit.

As for his heart for hip-hop? He wishes skeptical Christians would realize that hip-hop can have substance, and that it’s not just a controversial genre but also a rich culture with history.

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SOURCE: The Christian Post
Nicola Menzie