Rebirth in the entertainment industry: a not-so joyous experience
Kaitlyn Lundy, News Editor
Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com.
The views and opinions expressed on in this article are solely those of the original author. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of The Vision NGU or North Greenville University.
Secular rap lovers and Christians found themselves crossing paths with the release of Kanye West’s new album “Jesus is King” on Oct. 25 of this year.
The artist has received a lot of ridicule from both the secular world who don’t understand why West is headed in this direction as well as Christians who question the validity of his salvation.
It makes sense for those who don’t know Christ to be taken aback by West’s rebirth as a Christian because of his prominence and the heavily secular music he has previously produced.
But it’s Christians who need to step back from being skeptics regarding his salvation and instead rejoice in the work he is doing for the kingdom. His fame provides a direct connection to some of the most lost people within the entertainment industry.
North Greenville senior, Jazmyne Boozer had some thoughts on the new album. “This is a very monumental moment for Christian culture as you’re seeing secular artists and secular people being saved,” she said.
“Musically I don’t think it’s Kanye’s greatest album, but I’m super proud of him and overall it sounds really good,” Boozer said.
Since “Jesus is King” was released, West has performed the gospel album within two jails in Houston, Texas.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted about the experience saying, “@kanyewest and his choir brought some light and #churchservice to people who needed it today at the Harris County Jail.”
Despite the evidence of West’s efforts to make an impact and spread the gospel, “Jesus is King” has continued to be looked at with an admonishing undertone in regard to both his overall success and this album’s deterrence of that but also in the sense that it’s not good enough artistically.
In comparison to his album, “Ye,” critics see this new album as thrown together and insubstantial as far as overall success goes. Eight months ago, West began to embark on a new album with fans patiently waiting. The album to be entitled “Yandhi” was postponed, but never made it to listeners’ ears. January of this year, he began working alongside a Sunday Service crew making performances with them over the course of the year.
Forbes calls “Jesus is King” “another shambolic album full of prosperity gospel sloganeering and tossed-off Bible references.” This isn’t unlike many other reviews out there on West’s new album.
But I remind you, West is not only a new Christian, but one with a very large audience. He has said in interviews that he feels he is on a mission for God. That alludes to a sense of urgency to begin this journey and evangelize as soon as possible. So, although seemingly “slapped together” and shallow in depth this album may be, it’s a start of a new season for West.
Boozer recalled, “The first thing I noticed when I first listened to his new album is there’s nothing profoundly deep theologically, but it sounded like a baby Christian crying for the first time. It’s very beautiful to think about it like that because when you first get saved, nothing is really deep, you just have this knowledge now. I’m hoping that when he releases his next albums there will be some deeper conversations on Christianity, but right now, Jesus is King, that’s true, and if that’s a revelation in his heart, then he should make an album out of it.”
