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Prodigal Son Music



Prodigal Son:

(rev. 11/29/06)
A Christian Existential Humanist Art Style

Contents:

  • Introduction
  • Examples
    • Kanye West - "Jesus Walks"
    • Twista, featuring Faith Evans and Cee-Lo - "Hope"
    • Tupac - "Thugs Mansion" and "Who Do You Believe In?"
    • Master P, featuring Steady Mobb'n - "If I Could Change"
    • Snoop Dogg, featuring Stevie Wonder - "Conversations"


Introduction:

The "Prodigal Son" art style is named after the parable of Jesus (Luke 15:11-32) in which a son goes out into the world and spends all his money in riotous living, yet is welcomed back (without reservation) by his father when he returns. It is a style found chiefly in the African-American music tradition. In essence, it consists of three attitudes:
  1. I love God, and God loves me
  2. But I'm not perfect --I don't judge anyone and I don't want anyone to judge me
  3. Because I'm living in the world and I do the kinds of things that people in the world do.

The defining characteristic of Prodigal Son art is a genuine Christian spirituality combined with a lack of preachiness. Generally, the artist is someone with "street credibility", best known for secular songs (dealing with the same kinds of sexual, material, and other non-religious subjects as their peers); rather than a religious artist affecting a hardcore sound.

Prodigal Son music has forerunners in old spirituals and blues songs, and more recently, in the music of artists such as Prince. However, it has only recently come to fruition in the music of a new generation of hip-hop artists.

©2004 Christopher Sunami


Examples of Prodigal Son Music

Artist: Kanye West
Song: Jesus Walks
Sample Lyric:
To the hustlas, killers, murderers, drug dealers even the strippers
Jesus walks for them
Message: "We all need Jesus, and Jesus loves us all"
Comments: This song defines the genre, with the dynamic choir sampled in the background, and the gritty, confessional lyrics in the foreground.


Artist: Twista featuring Faith Evans and Cee-Lo
Song: Hope
Sample Lyric:
I wish the way I was living could stop, serving rocks,
Knowing the cops is hot when I’m on the block, And I
Wish my brother woulda made bail,
So I won’t have to travel 6 hours to see him in jail
Message: "Keep hope alive"
Comments: Twista, a rapper best known for fast-paced urban rhymes, does get a little preachy in this song, but he throws in enough street references to maintain his credibility. The best part of the song is the hook, soulful enough to put a gospel choir to shame.


Artist: Tupac
Songs: Thugz Mansion and Who Do U Believe In?
Sample Lyric (Thugz Mansion):
Little LaTasha sho' grown
Tell the lady in the liquor store that she's forgiven, so come home
Maybe in time you'll understand
Only God can save us
Sample Lyric (Who Do U Believe In?):
I see mothers in black cryin, brothers in packs dyin
Plus everybody's high, too doped up to ask why
Watchin our own downfall, witness the end
It's like we don't believe in God cause we livin in sin
Message: "Can God love a thug?"
Comments: Visionary rapper Tupac shows his spiritual side on these two posthumous releases.


Artist: Master P featuring Steady Mobb'n
Song: If I Could Change
Sample Lyric:
If there's a heaven for a gangsta, Lord put me to sleep
cause your best friend turn into your enemy
crooked cops is dirty in this shaded game
Lord take me out the ghetto
I wanta make a change
 Message: "Help me, Lord"
Comments: Master P, known as a pioneer of the gritty, urban "Dirty South" sound, included this heartfelt plea for mercy and salvation on the soundtrack to his movie "I'm Bout it."

Artist: Snoop Dogg, featuring Stevie Wonder
Song: Conversations
Sample Lyric:
And you can catch me down on my knees
Askin' the Lord please
Even G's pray
Hey, with difficulty comes ease
 Message: "Everyone needs God"
Comments: Original gangster rapper Snoop Dogg, previously best known for weed-drenched profanity-laced rhymes (and pornographic sidelines!) shows a surprising depth and maturity on this signature piece from his new release "Tha Blue Carpet Treatment".

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