I'm 23 and have been into hip hop music since I was in middle school. I still enjoy listening to it and like the sound of the music, but am aware that the lyrical content is garbage. I want to expand my listening palate.

Recently, I have gotten more into Christian music. As silly as it sounds, Kanye's album Jesus is King really inspired me to dig deeper into Christian music. My dad has also listens to Christian music almost exclusively and has done so for as long as I can remember, so I turned to him for some recommendations.

I thought it would be cool to get a thread going where we shared some music with each other! I think music is a unifier and most modern Christian music isn't specific to one religion or another.

Here are some recommendations that I have for anyone!
Man of Your Word by Maverick City Music
Refiner by Maverick City Music
Defender by UPPERROOM
Voice of God by Dante Bowe
Forever Amen by Steffany Gretzinger
Use This Gospel by Kanye West, The Clipse, and Kenny G (had to throw Ye in there )

There are a few songs that make this atheist weak at the knees, but Marty Robins' The Master's Call is one of them. Might not be the sound that you're going for, but that song has sent so many chills down my spine.

dargscisyhp said:

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There are a few songs that make this atheist weak at the knees, but Marty Robins' The Master's Call is one of them. Might not be the sound that you're going for, but that song has sent so many chills down my spine.

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Normally not a country guy, but I loved that! The story telling in the song was really cool. I added it to my library on Apple Music!

jrico2727 said:

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Matt Maher is pretty good, but my favorite country/Christian song is Why Me Lord, by Kris Kristopherson.

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I completely forgot about Matt Maher, being Catholic, I was raised listening to the dude.

For rap, check out Dee-1. His Slingshot David album is my favorite of his.
Some other good songs.
Fight for me by GAWVI and Lecrae.
Keeping On by Jay-Way
Martinelli's by Wordsplayed.

Favorite Christian band (not rap) is Kings Kaleidoscope.

There is actually some really good Christian hip hop as well. Lecrae, Andy Mineo and Trip Lee to name a few.

The Last Stand - Sabaton

Koine. its literally hymns on Contemporary settings. I love it. also amazing Christmas album

If you like rap you might like NF if you haven't checked him out. He's getting pretty big and I wouldn't consider him a Christian artist but he's clean profanity wise with Christian undertones. It is pretty dark in some songs. I really like him.

Hymns - Beth Nielsen Chapman. Originally recorded to be a Christmas gift for her parents.


Light For The World -The Poor Clares of Arundel

For rap, Flame put out an album this year that seemed to get a lot of praise.

I'm a metal head, so I can't help you on rap.

However, the band For Today; is some really good Christian metal.

Martin Q. Blank said:

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Rock and roll is dead

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Go ol school with Project 86

Immaculate Guard said:

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Gregorian chant

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I appreciate Gregorian chant. Tantum Ergo was a favorite of mine when I attended Catholic school and I still get excited when it is played at mass.

My father had an interesting conversation with a priest about it. Our family was seeking a new home church when I was in college and he met with the pastor at a church near our home. One of my father's concerns was the youth program (I have three younger siblings who were all in middle school or high school at the time) and somehow the music at the church came up. Another Catholic Church in the area played more contemporary music and the priest my dad was speaking to said that "contemporary Christian music activates the same endorphins in the brain that sex does" and that he would never expose the youth at his church to that. Incredibly odd to liken Christian music to sex. Needless to say, we did not ultimately become members at that church and we had some Gregorian Chant jokes after that.

Houtkruis (Wooden Cross) by the Afrikaner drummer Ghapi




English lyrics translation:

There was a wooden cross
A rescuer pinned to a wooden cross
Yes there was a wooden cross and therefore I will sing
I remember for David in front of the ark he danced and cheered
After the cross of jesus how will we be able to fold our hands and be silent

Who will be able to silence me
Who will break my guitar string
Who will be able to kill me if my feet want to dance?
break

I do not ask how you feel
When feelings affect decisions at all
Then there was never the pain
When the nails cracked through the blood that wooden cross
Who will be able to kill me?
If my feet want to break loose in dance
Because, there was a wooden cross
Yes, A Savior Attached to a Wooden Cross
Yes, there was a wooden cross
And therefore I will sing
I do not ask how you feel
When feelings affect decisions at all
Then there was never the pain
When the nails through the Blood cracked that Wooden Cross ...
Yes, there was a wooden cross
Yes, A Savior Attached to a Wooden Cross
Yes, there was a wooden cross
And therefore I will sing
Oh, there was a wooden cross
Yes, A Savior Attached to a Wooden Cross
Yes, there was a wooden cross
And therefore I will sing
There was a wooden cross
And therefore I will sing.

swimmerbabe11 said:

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Koine. its literally hymns on Contemporary settings. I love it. also amazing Christmas album

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I gave it a listen.

Another Christmas album I've been listening to is Sovereign Grace's new Christmas album.

I also agree with Pacifist, I enjoy Andrew Peterson. He always takes me back to the days when Caedmon's Call was big.

Lately I've been listening to Chris Renzema alot. Josh Garrels is another good one I'd recommend. My wife and I have really been enjoying the For King & Country Christmas album as well.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds has a large number of songs touching on religious themes. I would suggest listening to it all and then just pay extra attention to the religious material when those songs come up.

Right now, 'There was Jesus' by Zach Williams and Dolly Parton. And 'Evidence' by Josh Baldwin. Incredible songs.

Here's a fun one from way back.




Here's another good one from slightly less far back.

"Cross Movement" is rap with good theology. They have some cool new stuff, I've heard.

I listened to "Ambassador"Christology album way back in 2004. It's still worth checking out for rap that is sound.

I also recommend Matisyahu. He comes from the Orthodox Jewish persuasion. And the Reggae genre is rather timeless.

The O.C. Supertones was a ska band that was pretty good back in the mid 90's. Good theology.

Check out Wovenhand. They have some bluegrass roots in some of it. The Greeks eat Wovenhand up over there, since Wovenhand was used in a popular tv series over there called "The Ten Commandments."
Good theology.

Check out, Jervis Campbell. Came up as a recommendation on Spotify awhile back and have had it on repeat for several months. Reminds me a lot of Hozier, if you're into bluesy-pop with good hooks.

Really amazing voice that reminds me of how many "smaller" artists out there have quality that far surpasses what sells these days.

Lol, that's a great Jon Crist video (and scary true)! Had forgotten how good it is...thanks for the reminder!!

I think I can make a satire video on how to make fun of Christian music