Introduction - Enigma Embodied: The Curious Complexity of Kanye West

Abstract

“There’s no way Hip Hop and religion work. No way!” “I just can’t see anything coming out of religion and Hip Hop. It’s like the two don’t even go together.” “Rap music is of the devil. To say there is any God in it is blasphemous!” These were direct quotes I received when I began my journey into the field of Religion and Hip Hop. I was met with firm opposition and the very notion of combining Hip Hop and religion left many angered, bewildered, confused, but definitely not speechless. It was a trifling time and the very thought of me pursuing a PhD that focused purely on the theological aspects of Tupac Amaru Shakur gave off blasphemous overtones to even the strongest “progressives” of that period. Well, times have changed. The study of Hip Hop in academic settings has grown exponentially