A Year in CHH
A Retrospective on Entering and Enjoying the Subculture
“Why would I listen to Christian rap when I can just listen to the real thing?” I think we’ve all heard this question when talking to our friends about the genre. In college, when I started diving deep into hip-hop, my sentiment quickly turned sour towards CHH. I adopted the mentality that Christian rappers were just cheap knockoffs of their secular counterparts and were just coasting along, happy to ride the coattails of the innovation and creativity of their counterparts. Now, after a year of re-entering Christian hip-hop, here are some of my takeaways:
This article originally appeared in Midnight Donuts #6 from January 2025. Want to read the most recent edition of Midnight Donuts? You can do so here!
1. CHH doesn’t want to be secular hip-hop.
After thinking through my experiences, I’ve found that I went into the genre oxymoronically. On the one hand, I rolled my eyes any time I listened to an artist that sounded like a copycat. On the other hand, I found myself searching for artists I already liked to be represented in CHH, and feeling disappointed when they weren’t. I was viewing the genre not for what it was, but from a warped perspective.
CHH is not secular hip-hop. It doesn’t want to be. Sure, there is an admonition to be had for the artists who are solely influenced by the trends happening in secular rap. But, from my experience, for better or for worse, the artists shaping the genre of CHH aren’t constantly checking over their shoulders to copy off the homework of their secular contemporaries.
That being said, it can be really hard to not compare apples to oranges, and I think I need to do some further investigating on what the overarching relationship is between Christian and secular art in general—specifically how they influence and inform each other. Is CHH a subgenre of hip-hop, or its own thing? Should we dive deeper into this in a Midnight Donuts podcast? Write in and let us know what you think!
2. CHH feels like it’s going somewhere.
There is an undeniable momentum happening in the genre that’s lacking in its secular counterpart. “Hip-hop looking for a renaissance, only problem is the Christians got it” spits nobigdyl., one of the indomitable forces of the scene. One of the key signifiers that a genre is healthy and growing is that its artists feel that it is. Over the course of the past year, I’ve seen what I believe to be a lot of genuine camaraderie between the rising artists of the genre, eager to collaborate with and sharpen each other. As opposed to secular rap feeling like an ouroboros of itself leading to many within the genre to criticize its current state, CHH seems to keep growing in diversity, energy, and outreach. While the new releases might not feel fresh to someone outside looking in, there's no doubting the snowballing creativity being put on display. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the next innovations in music end up stemming from the genre. After all, we’re tapped into the driving source of all Creation, so why shouldn’t it?
3. The culture around CHH is infectious.
One of my personal highlights from 2024 was attending HOLY SMOKE! fest 2024. Not only was it a ton of fun to meet so many of our subscribers for the first time (thank you all so much for your kind words and SHOUT OUT to everyone who subscribed at our tent), but it was my first time going to a Christian music festival. I had conversations with people who flew into Nashville from California, New York, Texas, the Philippines, and everywhere in between, just to be there for those two days. Needless to say, I was shocked at the turnout. I don’t want people in the culture to take for granted how truly special that is.
Observing the crowd in the venue was a really cool experience, too. Whether it was moshing up front to every. single. song. or vibing in the back, everyone was thoroughly enjoying the music in their own way. Everyone maintained a level of mutual respect, and the environment never felt unsafe for a minute. I would feel totally comfortable taking a ten-year-old to HOLY SMOKE!, which is not something I could say about any other festival I've attended. At the end of the day, it truly is Christ flowing through our brothers and sisters that allows us to come together as a body to enjoy the good things God has put on this earth for us, like music and fellowship. And it ultimately acts as a powerful witness to His love for those experiencing it for the first time.
4. The artists really care about this.
Again, I saw this on full display at HOLY SMOKE! Whether it’s in the quality of the recorded music (lots of it even being self-funded) or in the live performances, you can tell the artists are hungry and eager to share their message with us. I don’t think I saw a poor performance at the entire festival. In fact, from the energy that they brought, to the visuals on stage, even the smaller acts outperformed lots of the “big” secular rappers I’ve seen live.
There’s an argument to be made that modern rap isn’t meant to be performed live, which is so sad to me when you see what it can be. And yes, while some genres lend themselves more to vibing on the floor with your headphones on, CHH artists have kicked that excuse to the curb.
At the end of the day, through listening to more CHH music than ever before, I can confidently say that it is not second-rate music (particularly when being compared to its secular counterpart) and its artists are not secondary performers. You can and should be confident bringing up your favorite artists in any conversation about music, because they’ve worked incredibly hard for that right.
And if you’re in a place where you want to learn more and dive deeper into the music and artists that are shaping this genre and pushing it forward... well, don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place! While I may be newer to this subculture, my fellow Midnight Donuts contributors are genuinely the most passionate consumers of the genres I've ever met. If you stay tapped in, you’re sure to find some gems and make some lasting memories, just as I have in the past year.
Recent articles on the site: Taelor Gray x Peace586 Vinyl Review • bødyWash. Interview • nobigdyl. Album Review • Is Hip-Hop A Young Man’s Game? • 3RD CZN Interview
Recent Bonus Batch content: nobigdyl. Concert Review • Midnight Donuts Podcast #1 • Kevin Hackett Interview Audio • FAST FIVE: February 2025 • FAST FIVE: March 2025
 | A guest post by
|