KB Says Music Is Transforming Gen Z — Here’s How
Movieguide® Contributor
Christian rapper KB believes music is an important medium to share the gospel with today’s youth.
The gospel “never made sense until I heard it in the language of hip-hop, and God saved me,” the artist said. “The church has been a little slower in recognizing that you have this powerful tool in your hands. You’re talking about the massive deconversion and rejection of Christianity in Gen Z…What are they listening to? Hip-hop.”
“You think about what’s happening in Ohio State right now — these movements of mini-revivals that break out,” he said. “Oftentimes, these are people who are young, and they are very much listening, of course, to Maverick City, but they’re also listening to Lecrae and Hulvey and Forrest Frank — these things fuel and build your faith.”
KB says this knowing there’s a complete opposite side of hip-hop that spreads lies instead of truth.
The “devil knows how powerful a tool hip-hop is, and he loves to invest in it,” he said.
KB says Christian hip hop events, like Nashville’s Holy Smoke and Cali’s Glo Fest, attract all kinds of hip-hop listeners.
“Gen Z, the people that don’t want Jesus, allegedly — are at these festivals,” he said.
KB credits the genre for shaping the direction of his life.
“I went to Bible college because of a Christian rap song,” he said. “I married the love of my life at 22 years old because of a Christian rap song. I gave myself to the local church because of Christian hip-hop.”
“[But] we don’t have what we would call the institutions that also turn this counterculture, organic movement into something that can be corporate, where folks can feed their families off of it — where people [can] have jobs all the way down the line from road managers [to] festival owners,” he continued, remarking that Christian radio stations rarely play the genre. “That’s been a big barrier. It doesn’t generate the money.”
But, mainstream culture is beginning to see the value of Christian hip-hop.
“Something is happening in the mainstream right now where they are paying attention to what is going on in something that isn’t just music,” KB said. “This is a movement. People are coming to Christ. Marriages are being saved. Folks are finding themselves in this gospel representation.”
KB just won an award this month for Rap Album of the Year for his record, HGA II.
His song, “Armies,” is about how Christians don’t need to be afraid because God has an army of angels by their side.
Movieguide® reported KB’s thoughts on how believers can fight fear earlier this year:
How do Christians “train” to combat fear?
“I start with, first of all, a good church,” KB said, “Man, God has designed the church to be a place where individuals are made strong. It is a hospital for the sick. Healing for the sick.”
“It is also a gymnasium for the soldier. It is also a preparation place for the soldiers in God’s army, and I want to be careful with that analogy because I know a lot of people will over-masculinize these kinds of things, but there is a real comeback, and Paul says that this is the good fight of faith,” KB explained.
The rapper lives in Tampa, Florida, which is currently getting hit by Hurricane Milton. On Thursday, the artist shared an image of the hurricane from space and said:
“The largest hurricane of my lifetime arrives in my city tonight.
#Milton Is coming but our God is here.
We are desperate for your prayers.
If you are reading this and you can evacuate – PLEASE LEAVE NOW.
DM me if you are looking for resources.
Godspeed Tampa Bay.”
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