I doubt you’ve been able to avoid the news of Kanye West’s new body of work. I also doubt that you’re oblivious as to why.
Kanye West, the man who infamously once referred to himself as “Yeezus,” has released a project dealing with his journey in the Christian faith. The project, entitled “Jesus Is King,” is an abrupt change in content for West, which has led to some predictable reactions from within the Christian community.
To say the least, people are split on whether they want to buy or sell Kanye West, the Christian rapper. As for myself, I decided I would wait until I heard the album in its entirety before formulating my own opinion.
A friend and I gave the project a full play-through on a trip to Memphis this past weekend, and that comes with an honest confession. I approached this experience in the way that I approach an obscure movie deep in the bowels of Netflix, with the expectation of consuming unintentional comedy.
Now I know that sounds harsh, but just last year, Kanye dropped a single entitled “Lift Yourself,” and if you’re not familiar with that, then let’s just say you don’t ever really know what to expect with this man’s art.
As far as this album is concerned, I’m left with two main takeaways. The first is that the production isn’t the greatest outside of a couple interesting sound design ideas, such as the use of church choirs, but that isn’t what matters with this project. What’s important here is the message.
Lyrically, the project feels genuine. Whether or not it truly is lies entirely within Kanye’s own mind, but provided we give him the benefit of the doubt, there’s plenty to digest. There are moments where the album is quite shallow lyrically and even corny in the track “Closed on Sundays,” but I still felt as if this was honest work. One has to keep in mind that Kanye is just now putting a focus on his faith. I don’t think we can expect his lyrics to have in-depth theological meaning right off the bat.
That being said, the highlight for me is “Hands On,” a track that digs a little deeper and gives us a glimpse into Kanye’s internal struggle. He addresses the devil with the line, “I’ve been working for you my whole life.” This stroke of honesty grabs your attention and is in sharp contrast with the rest of the genre as a whole.
Again, I will state that only God and West himself know the actual state of his heart, but are we not members of a redemptive faith? Shouldn’t we long for his soul to be saved? Hoping for the best, Gabrielle McClellan follows this perspective with an honest letter to West that can be read below.
An Open Letter to Kanye West from a fellow follower of Christ, Gabrielle McClellan:
Though many are skeptical of your recent and radical change to follow Christ, we welcome you
joyfully and with open arms. Following Jesus in 2019 is no easy task, let alone being in the eyes
of the media and creating a whole new record completely opposite of your norm. I appreciate
the authenticity of your record and your boldness in stepping out and proclaiming Christ from
your platform. As you are navigating these new waters, I would like to offer you some of my
thoughts.
Following Jesus is not easy, but it is so worth it. It is the most important decision of your life. You will
learn or maybe are currently learning that loving Jesus and living in accordance with the
Scriptures are not as easy as it seems. I hope you will stay faithful to the Father and practice what
you preach. The Gospel does not enter only into one area of your life; it takes over your life and
turns it around and upside down. The Gospel is countercultural and revolutionary. I pray you will
persevere through the trials that you will encounter and let the Holy Spirit work in you. Be
faithful to the only one who loves you fully and unconditionally. He is the only one who will ever
be able to fulfill you. Being a Jesus follower is not a promise for an easy life, but a promise and
an undying hope in spending eternity with Jesus.
Community is so important, especially within a local church. The local church is God’s gift to
you- what you do with that gift shows what you think about the Giver. Submerge yourself in the
church and let your brothers and sisters walk with you. These relationships will keep you
grounded and accountable. It is not a perfect family of believers and never will be, but we are
called to work through the messy and bear one another’s burdens.
Being a Christian does not mean that you will no longer struggle with sin. Being a Christian
means that you are no longer defined by that sin. You will never lose the love of your Heavenly
Father. You will hit valleys, you will have relapses and you will feel defeated. These are facts. I will
not lie to you and tell you that you are going to be perfect from here on out. You will battle with
sin until your last breath. However, as Christians, we know one pivotal fact: Christ has already
defeated your sin. The sin you commit in public and behind closed doors, in the past, present
and future all hang on the shoulders of your Savior who died on the cross. You now walk in
the victory of Jesus, so walk confidently.
Lovingly,
Your Sister in Christ