Jesse T. Jackson with CHURCH LEADERS recently published an article reporting that controversial “Jesus Is King” rapper Kanye West (“Ye”) was named Billboard’s Top Gospel Artist of 2023 during its annual music awards show on Sunday evening (11/19/2023). This is West’s third straight year of claiming this award, beating out CeCe Winans, Elevation Worship, Kirk Franklin and Maverick City Music.
Two days earlier, West’s track titled “Vultures” debuted in Chicago, revealing antisemitic lyrics and an apparent return to his pre-salvation, explicit lyrics:
“Three gang leaders with me, all times. I don’t know who I f****d last night, I got Alzheimer’s. I don’t know who them hoes is, man, they all lyin’. Brody, tell me who them hoes is, man, they all fine. Runnin’ hooligan, and we with the foolishness. How I’m anti-semitic? I just f****d a Jewish b***h. I just f****d Scooter’s b***h and we ran up like Olympics. Got pregnant in the threesome, so whose baby is it? Whose baby is it? My n***as puttin’ belt to a**, pull up with the switches. This ain’t Jimmy Butler but the heat got extensions. This ain’t Columbine, but we came in with the trenches.”
The CHURCH LEADERS article may be read HERE.
My brothers and sisters, if this is what constitutes the best Gospel music has to offer, then leave me out! This does not bring glory to God. There is no excuse – PERIOD – for writing music such as this and then accepting an award for supposedly being “the best of the best in gospel music.”
Only in our lost world could a writer and singer of vulgar, antisemitic song(s) be simultaneously exalted at the national level for being a superior witness to Christ in the gospel music genre.
Let’s remember what scripture has to say about some of this:
Deuteronomy 7:6 (NKJV)
“For you [the Jews] are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.”
Psalm 33:12 (KJV)
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom [H]e hath chosen for [H]is own inheritance.”
Proverbs 15:28 (NLT)
“The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.”
Colossians 3:8-10 (NKJV)
“But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth [emphasis mine]. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him…”.
Worship music should exalt God and touch hearts for Christ. It can be joyful, reflective, instructive, affirming and many other things, but music with vulgar language IS NOT worship music and it does not bring glory to God or lead others to Christ!
Praise Jesus forevermore!
