Lumination’s 2013 Dove Awards preview: Rap/Hip-Hop nominations

I like to call Christian rap “lyrical theology.” So much music in today’s world rely on catchy hooks and a beat you can bounce to, but they lack sustenance or meaning. For many years, Christian rap was the total opposite. Artists’ produced songs with meaningful messages, but the production and quality failed to reach the ears of the hip-hop nation. This year’s crop of Christian hip-hop and rap artists have finally put it all together. Here are the nominees for this year’s Dove Awards for Rap/Hip-Hop album and song of the year: Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year Manafest – Fighter Fighter is the Canadian rapper’s sixth full-length album. If you like rap or hard rock, you will enjoy Fighter. I wasn’t really impressed with this album, but it is very encouraging and loud album for when you need a “wake me up.” The album is more rock then rap, laced with screaming, guitar and electronic sounds. Rap rock isn’t represented well in Christian music, so mad props to Manafest on this album. KJ-52 – Dangerous KJ-52 has been in the game for a long time and is arguably the most polarizing figure in Christian rap. Dangerous is a mixture of different styles and techniques from rock-rap to electro-pop and traditional hip-hop sounds. KJ-52 uses his quirky and self-deprecating sense of humor, combining his personality with his particular style of evangelism in Dangerous, which is sure to please hip-hop fans alike. Andy Mineo – Heroes For Sale This is one of my favorite album titles, and the album goes along with it. Mineo is a rapper who embraces many genres without...