Description

“Hip Hop at 50: Music, Religion, and Politics” celebrates Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary by spotlighting the relationship between religion and Hip Hop. Moving beyond conventional adversarial accounts of their interactions, the project will aim to tell the story of the profound impact that faith and religion have had on this novel American cultural form, deepening public understanding of religion’s place in a decades-long cultural movement. With Luce’s support, Columbia University will host several public events related to the anniversary, which will be shared widely through a six-episode podcast series. Guided by the narration of Josef Sorett, Dean of Columbia College, episodes will delve into the contentions and inspirations that religion and Hip Hop have shared from the 1970s through the 2020s, drawing on interviews with Hip Hop artists and religious leaders to feature stories of cultural conflict, religious influence, and spiritual aspiration. This grant would advance Religion and Theology’s Goal 1(b), to promote more curious and civil conversations about faith and religion among diverse knowledge makers, communities, and publics.