Blog

Kanye West wants his listeners to know that he is "a close high" to God.

His latest album, "Yeezus," released Tuesday, offered several controversial track titles, including "New Slaves," "Black Skinhead" and the most audacious, "I Am a God." The track's credit says "featuring God," as if He's just another artist -- a Rick Ross or Pharrell Williams -- stepping into the studio to spit a couple of verses.

The song closes with the verses, "I just talked to Jesus/he said, 'What up, Yeezus?'/I said "S*** I'm chilling/trying to stack these millions'/I know he's the most high, but I am a close high."

So, does Kanye really think he's God's match?

Some say the outspoken West is downright delusional, but Monica Miller, author of "Religion and Hip Hop," thinks otherwise.

The rap star's god-absorbed lyrics are a referral to his high status in the music industry, not a statement of religious beliefs, said Miller, an assistant professor of religious studies at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

"I don't think (this Christian theological language) is creating a religion," she said. "He's using God to situate himself at the top of the game."

But Pastor C. Andre Grier of Lithonia, Georgia's Union Missionary Baptist Church, believes West has been wrong from the get-go.

Religious people "should want to be like Christ (in a humble way), follow Him, but any reference to equality means that you are wrong from the very beginning."

Before the world knew West as an egotistical rapper, he was under the radar as a music engineer making beats for chart-topping artists such as Alicia Keys, Ludacris and Mos Def. He was brought into the spotlight after producing several tracks for Jay-Z's classic hip-hop album "The Blueprint."

His first album, "The College Dropout," dropped in February 2004, debuting at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. It was met with immediate acclaim, with some critics suggesting that it was the best debut album ever released by a hip-hop artist.

"Jesus Walks" was the album's third single and the world's introduction to West's religious beliefs.

The song received praise from critics for its open conversation of faith in the secular rap community.

The gospel-choir hook of "Jesus walks" flows over lyrics like, "God, show me the way because the devil trying to break me down. ... The only thing that I pray is that my feet don't fail me now. ... And I don't think there is nothing I can do now to right my wrongs. ... I want to talk to God, but I'm afraid because we ain't spoke in so long."