Hip-hop has always reflected what artists are experiencing in real life, and lately more rappers are becoming increasingly open about their faith.
While rap music is often associated with money, relationships, street life and competition, a growing number of artists are also incorporating prayer, spirituality and praise into their music and public lives.
According to Baller Alert, the shift is happening across generations and regions, with artists becoming less hesitant to publicly discuss their relationships with God.
Detroit rapper Skilla Baby recently caught attention during an interview when an alarm on his phone went off reminding him that it was time to pray. Instead of ignoring it, he reportedly stopped the conversation to pray.
Faith in hip-hop is nothing new.
Kanye West famously released “Jesus Walks” on his 2004 debut album, The College Dropout, openly discussing Christianity at a time when religious themes were far less common in mainstream rap. Years later, Ye made faith the center of his 2019 gospel-inspired album Jesus Is King.
Other artists have also included faith, testimony and spiritual growth in their music throughout hip-hop's history.
What seems different now is how comfortable some artists are discussing their beliefs outside of their songs as well.
Hip-hop continues to evolve, and for some artists, that evolution includes being unapologetically vocal about God.