Lyrical Meditation, Yo!

I have found a unique way to meditate on gospel truths. It’s engaging, affecting, and—dare I say it?—even entertaining. What I am referring to is Scripturally-informed rap music. Yes, you heard me right. Ol’ Capper is now a hip-hopper. Just call me Capdog.

Granted, I’m no rap connoisseur. I’ve never really liked rap music, except maybe one or two songs from one particular artist whose name I will not divulge (although it sounds like a kind of candy.) Things started changing when I was exposed to Christian rap artist Curtis Allen, a.k.a. Voice. His music piqued my interest in “Reformed rap.”

Well, a couple weeks ago a friend from church introduced me to an album by rapper Timothy Brindle, entitled Killing Sin. What John Owen did for literature, Brindle has done for hip-hop. The CD is absolutely amazing. In fact, it may be my favorite Christian album EVER! No, I am not exaggerating. With all due respect to Voice, Brindle’s work is far superior. Killing Sin is marked by slick production values, catchy rhythms and melodies, and lyrics that are both startlingly eloquent and theologically rich.

The typical worship song format involves two or more verses, a chorus, and maybe a bridge and/or tag. Even when the content is doctrinally sound, there’s not a whole lot of room for in-depth exposition. But through the use of rap, and aided by Brindle’s poetic mastery, the music on Killing Sin provides a heavy dose of Scriptural truth. And every single song is excellent—from the hilarious opening track to the closing song on the excellencies of Christ. Though the topic of the CD is simple, the tracks don’t just rehash the same truths over and over again. The album provides a rich theological and musical tapestry. Some of the tracks even begin with short snippets of John Piper sermons.

If I had anything critical to say, it would be that Brindle needs some help with his album cover art design (which is not exactly stellar), but that’s a petty concern when all is said and done. You can check out lengthy sound clips from each track of Killing Sin here. Then, go purchase it here. The music will serve your soul and inspire you to fight indwelling sin by prizing the promises of God.

Word.