So, Kanye

Nicole Lee
Nov 7 · 5 min read

I really questioned whether I wanted to write about this, but…

On October 25, 2019, Kanye released his ninth album titled “Jesus is King.” Needless to say, it has been a hot topic of discussion. In the past week, a good number of people have brought the album to my attention; however, I had not listened to it until recently. Frankly speaking, a year could have potentially gone by without me lending an ear to Kanye’s new music. This isn’t due to any relevant reason pertaining to what I will cover in this article, but because I am highly allergic to being told what to consume. Nonetheless, that’s a topic for another time.

While tuning into the dialogue surrounding Kanye’s new album, I was surprisingly reminded of another music-related news story that took place this past August.

For this article, I would like to preface that I am writing this piece from my perspective. While that may seem obvious, the heightened pressure of needing to be politically correct led me to the conclusion that this was important to note. Kanye has a complicated past and reputation in media that I most probably fail to know the half of. From my research, I have gathered that his image is generally understood to be very negative and fickle. But the groundwork I want to lay is that we rarely know the full story. Even if you consider yourself to be a Kanye connoisseur, you still don’t know the full picture.

Moreover, in preparation for this article, I listened to the album and read reviews from Christian and secular writers alike to understand this piece from multiple perspectives. That being said, here is my opinion on the matter. Let’s get into it, shall we?

My initial reaction to the flurry of attention surrounding Kanye’s new album was, “this is not something new.” Plenty of other artists have either declared their faith in Christ or discussed Christianity in their music. To name a few: J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Tori Kelly, Aretha Franklin, and Justin Bieber. All of these artists, to some degree, have mentioned both the joys and struggles of Christianity in their music. Therefore, Kanye rapping about Jesus is not the first of its kind in the music industry. Granted, I understand that it is not the topic of Jesus alone that has conjured up mass attention, but more so Kanye’s proclamation of it. Kanye’s past, unpredictable nature, and commonly incomprehensible behavior is what is drawing surveillance towards this dynamic. Putting a pin in that, let’s now visit the case I find to be similar to Kanye’s.

In mid-August of this year Christian songwriter and worship leader Marty Sampson took to Instagram to express how he was, and possibly still may be, questioning his faith. For those who are unfamiliar with who he is, Marty is well-known for his musical endeavors with Hillsong, a megachurch and Christian praise band. There are a great number of worship songs written by him that are considered to be “the OG” of modern-day Christian music. I believe it is reasonable to assume that Marty’s music may have aided in bringing a good number of people to faith… or at least to have hope. Therefore, given his resume, Marty’s revelation about his faith came as a shock. For some, his announcement felt as if the face of worship music had fallen.

Though an article can be written to discuss how Hillsong should have prioritized Marty’s personal beliefs over what he can produce musically, that is not my intention with this article. I bring up this occasion to explore how so many people’s faith was affected by this man’s supposed fall. I admit, hearing about Marty did affect me. It made me question whether there was still legitimacy in the songs that I knew he contributed to and whether those songs should still be sung. But, upon further consideration, I have come to hold the view that if the lyrics alone stand to be biblically true, then our act of listening should not be affected. God can work and move through people even when their hearts may not be in tune with His

And so, though these two instances and individuals may seem starkly different at first glance, there are a lot of parallels that can be drawn between these scenarios.

The greatest of these remarks is that regardless of how complicated someone’s history may be, no matter how ugly one’s reputation is, God can work in and through it all. One of the main pillars of the Christian faith is that Jesus, who was fully human and fully God, came down from heaven and rose again so that our sinful, broken nature would be redeemed and made whole for the glory of God. In other words, the truth about Jesus and the goodness of God doesn’t change according to whether your favorite artist comes to or falls from faith. So believers, be rooted in Christ and not those around you. This isn’t to say that others should be neglected. Not at all. My point is to have a personal relationship and faith in Christ that is held confidently by scripture. Have a biblical foundation for your faith. No matter how clearly a song, movie, person or any other form of communication may convey the gospel, it does not replace the word of God itself. Don’t let your faith ride the waves of others.

Furthermore, for both Marty and Kanye, being famous and constantly scrutinized while trying to tackle existential questions is not easy. This is by no means a way of supporting Kanye’s past behavior and speech; however, I think there can be a level of empathy put in place. We all have faults and imperfections. No, you can’t just slap Jesus’ name onto something, say hallelujah, and then call it a day; but it’s also not fair to write Kanye off completely.

For believers and nonbelievers alike, I am sure that if there were albums created about our personal lives and beliefs leading up to this point, it would be like a rollercoaster ride. To my fellow Christians, the daily battles of our faith are not far from Kanye’s previous proclamation of, “I am a god” to now proclaiming “Jesus is King.” The guy is figuring out his life, and struggling, no different than we are. Let’s be empathetic.

In light of everything, I do understand why this Kanye album is being so heavily discussed.

If this album really is a genuine testament of Kanye’s faith, I pray that all may be rooted in the truth of the gospel as proclaimed by God’s word in the Bible. This stands for both Kanye and whoever else is caught up in this PR mess.

In any case, it’s great that the album is stimulating conversations. I mean… I guess it partially inspired this article too right?

People are turning heads. His album is called “Jesus is King.” To be candid, I think it’s pretty cool that there is this exposure of the gospel that is being discussed so openly.

If you end up listening to the album, evaluate your responses clearly: do you like/dislike it because of the genre of music, the production of it, or because of the associations attached to Kanye? Is the gospel being presented accurately?

Whether you’re a believer or not, I hope this was a good thought-provoking read. If you are stirred by any notions of Christianity, I hope that you ponder your questions and tensions with what Jesus proclaims in attentive ways. Periods of questioning, uncertainty, and dissatisfaction should not be disregarded, no matter what the verdict may be.

Nicole Lee

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Hello! Welcome to my pursuit of poking at my creative itch. This is my take on starting a YouTube channel. As they say, “Like, Comment, and Subscribe!!”

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