First, here’s the quote from a New York Times article:
“NEWARK — Lil Wayne had three things to explain. No. 1, a religious confession: “I believe in God and his son, Jesus. Do you?” He interpreted the roar as an affirmative response. No. 2, a professional confession: He said he was nothing without the fans, adding, “Make some noise for what you created!” Noise was made. No. 3: Same as No. 2. More noise.”
I won’t even begin to hate on him. I’m not even bold enough to say that the name Weezy F. Baby isn’t written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Here’s my beef: Our generation, including its most prominent spokespersons, must somehow arrive at an accurate definition of “Christian.” Am I a Christian because I believe the fact that Jesus is the Son of God? Scripture clearly states that belief in facts is not true belief. Real faith, real belief, is replacing my life… my agenda… my values… with Christ’s life… Christ’s agenda… and Christ’s values.
I’ve had the opportunity to listen to Weezy’s most recent CD. As a hip-hop fan, I’m blown away by how incredibly gifted he is. The 1 million copies sold in a week shows that he is the voice of a generation. But the project showed no signs of authentic belief. If his belief is not authentic, our generation must be able to recognize this. If his belief is authentic… well, a question is left unanswered…
IS JESUS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO CHANGE MY LIFE? MY AGENDA? MY VALUES?
Why you judging Bobby? Because Scripture also says that I have a responsibility to. Because if we’re really playing on the same team, we have too many teammates shooting in the wrong basket. Because Christians are horribly misrepresented in the culture, so our generation doesn’t know what one is.
Renewed Vision 
Bobby! LOL!!! You hilarious man! “Weeeeezy F. Baaaaaby!”
This dude has wore me out! But your question “What is a Christian?” is definately a hurdle in American culture. If everyone’s already Christian, who in America can and will recieve the gospel? If everyone evangelizes from different angles concerning what a Christian is, what angle is the correct one? Nice blog bro.
Speaking of hip hop…have you checked out Reach Records, (LaCrae, Trip Lee, Tedeshi) Cross Movement, Flame, Timothy Brindle…there are so many dope Christian rappers that I hope you are down with, but if not go, right now and check them out! Their music is biblically sound, dope beats, its just mad edifying! You will be very happy that you did!!
Grace & Peace
These rappers are also being brought into fame which is a GREAT deception. Though they claim a right to a more righteous angle, the Truth is within the name that they bow to. Ever wonder what the Apostles called the Savior? If you can even open your mind to this question, you may be on your way to true salvation. May Yahweh be in your vocabulary. Seek the Truth.
Yeah… I may have heard them once or twice…
🙂 LOL.
Judging vs. Accountability… the never ending debate!!!!!!!!!
Great thought. I think people forget the term Christian means “Christ-like”. With many celebrities/artists making claims of Christianity then living openly in opposition to that claim it seems as though its more and more confusing for those trying to figure out what it means to be a Christian. Also I’m so glad that there are artists like Lecrae and Trip Lee out there changing the way rap music can be used to touch lives.
“Yeah I may have heard them once or twice” lol! That was funny!
OMG! This is something I have been looking for!! Our generation NEEDS to know the difference between authentic belief and just stating facts! We discuss this in my youth bible study all the time – including this very topic with Weezy. Your perspective has given me insight and I will be sharing it with them!
Awesome blog Bobby!
Great comments folks. Thanks for your interaction.
Tiffany and Drew, let’s pray that God continues to open doors for artists such as Lecrae, Trip, etc. to have wider exposure to the culture.
Jenn, thanks for your insight. I pray that the youth in your Bible study will be challenged by your example of a Godly lifestyle within the culture.
Much love.
Just had this conversation with my daughter who was given backstage VIP passes to hand out for Weezy’s concert. Even though her motive was to see another artist, who cared… she was totally supporting the whole concert.
So I checked him out only to let my daughter know I’m not anti-hip-hop, matter of fact I use to walk to the metro blasting Ice Cube…NWA and I was Mother Theresa, not saved in those day. I still believe Ice Cube is one of the best ever.
When I was saved, my desire to serve, know, and build a relationship with God changed my taste in music. I went from Michael Jackson’s “You are not alone” to Mary J. Blige My Life…(totally ministered to me as I was coming to Christ) to where I am today (loving me some Christian Contemp). You couldn’t tell me the Holy Spirit didn’t use those tools to draw me. He found me right where I was. Now, I said all that say, I’m not trippin about the style of music. Develop your own personal conviction.
Weezy Christian though?
Weezy, lil Wayne…he’s over the top to the point that the song could have a good message and he’ll chime in with his lyrics and jack it up. He not even good. Does he make any sense? I believe his lyrics are a classic case of ‘lasciviousness,’ at its best.
(Rom. 1:28-32) This is an ongoing issue I pray about, challenge others about and warn my daughter about. Every time I visit her Facebook, Myspace…meet her new college friends (Lord help me) and there it is… Of course my daughters excuses are…”I’m not dressing for anyone”…”I like the style”…”The picture’s art” (this one cracks me up)…”That’s just how my friend is, doesn’t mean I’m like her”…”I like the beat”…”You raised me right”…. WHATEVER… mama discerns best…. I just pray for mercy and threaten not to send her money…of course she’s not grown like she thinks she is…
What is lasciviousness…(when your bored research it …good stuff)
Lasciviousness (Lascivious, Lewdness, Licentiousness) is a gross form of wickedness that has sexual overtones in many cases. It starts in a sinful heart (Mark 7:21-22), and manifests itself in fleshly (carnal) actions (Galatians 5:19-21), and can lead to a state of being “past feeling” (Ephesians 4:19).
The word can connote several attitudes or actions. With reference to sexual matters it embraces the concepts of excess, unbridled lust, debauchery, and sensuality. It suggests a disregard for public decency
…connected the term with such things as “wanton (acts or) manners, filthy words, indecent bodily movements,” and “unchaste handling of males and females”
…various forms of lascivious conduct (be it dress, visual entertainment, language, etc.); such actions are sweeping people down a road to destruction.
Hmmmmm, I wonder if Beyonce’s “All u Single Ladies” video promotes Lasciviousness…hmmmmmm?
(Am I bootlegging on Min. Bobby’s blog?…my bad…I need a life)
I’m bored so let me give u a taste of Eph. 4:17-19…study notes from the Bible…I’m not this good yet.
In these verses (Eph. 4:17-19), Paul gives 4 characteristics of the ungodly lifestyle which believers are to forsake.
First, unbelievers are intellectually unproductive. As far as spiritual and moral issues are concerned, their rational processes are distorted and inadequate, inevitably failing to produce godly understanding or moral living. Their life is empty, vain and without meaning.
(I’ll give supporting scripture if u need it…dianna.champ@comcast.net – lol bootleg plug)
Second, unbelievers are spiritually separated from God, thus ignorant of God’s truth (1Cor 2:14) and their willing spiritual darkness and moral blindness is that result. They are blind, or “hard” like a rock.
Third, unbelievers are morally insensitive and licentiousness, they increasingly lose moral restraint, especially in the area of sexual sins. Impurity is inseparable from greediness (“ooh, wow…didn’t know that”) which is a form of idolatry. That same soul may not reach the extremes of vv 17-19 is due only to God’s common grace and the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit…. THANK YOU HOLY SPIRIT!!!
nice
Glory be to the Most High God,but @ least lil wayne is a Christian,thats what he says and we got to believe t.yes,just like any other Christian,we sometimes fall short of the Glory of God,we are not perfact,i think we musnt spend much time trying to judge others,or trying to findout how christian is another christian instead,we shld pray for them so that the holy spirit may focus them more,discussing how devotd is this christian is more of judgin,we as christians also do sin nomatter how hard we try to live like Jesus just like lil wayne bt because hes a celebrity,we give maximium scruitny to hs christian life
This is maybe to light for this conversation but I remember you shooting in the wrong basket back in the day. Great post my brother, love you!
LOL! Yes, I remember that. It was 11th grade at St. John’s. It was a sweet fadeaway off the rebound… LOL.
Bad day for me. Thanks for bringing it up. Now I’ll go and cry!
What up man.
I thought your post was really interesting.
A few weeks ago I conducted a bible study with the young adults about the misuse of christian symbols. Mainly I focused on the use of crosses worn by celebrities and if wearing symbols validates you as a christian and one example was of lil wayne. My text was 1 Samuel when the Isrealites misused the Ark (a symbol in itself) in battle with the Philistines.
I am confronted all of the time with the issue of what it means to be a christian. Like what you said in your post, some people that i talk to (of all ages) believe that being a christian is something you believe in (“I believe Chirst died for my sins…”) but dont live the lifestyle of that because “everyone mess up” or “God knows my sins and will forgiven me” and “he loves everyone” and “God can use anyone” and whatever. I try to hold my own against this and I pray for God’s wisdom but its probably my greatest challenge in winning souls for christ.
I have a question related to all this I would like your help with if you don’t mind. In your post when describing about the definition of a Christian you said “Am I a Christian because I believe the fact that Jesus is the Son of God? Scripture clearly states that belief in facts is not true belief. Real faith, real belief, is replacing my life… my agenda… my values… with Christ’s life… Christ’s agenda… and Christ’s values.” Can you cite scriptural references related to this? It would really be a help to me.
Thanks man.
Hey Charles,
Thanks for the comment. As far as your question, there’s a link to James 2:17-18 there (Even the Demons ‘believe’ and they tremble). Also, if you study the word “believe” as John uses it throughout his gospel, you’ll see that it is more than to believe facts, but to place one’s trust in something. A better translation from the Greek “pisteuo” to English semantics is probably “to entrust.”
Also, when Jesus comes on the scene (Mark 1:14-15) Jesus couple this same belief/entrusting with repentance. Here’s another word we must define correctly. “Repent” is not to “say you’re sorry” but to turn away from a previous lifestyle of sin.
This is just a start, hope this is helpful. Much love.
hey, you guys know eminem’s a christian, right? you can check out his interview with betty bowers; he says it proudly! i checked into this because i kept hearing biblical references in his songs…
Judge to be judged I really believe in ACCOUNTABILITY although we all
seem to fall short of the Glory we must be accountable for what we say and do.I know celebrities are put under a micro-scope but it still is no excuse to
look at one and base CHRIST-like(christian) to an individual.I may call myself
a King but it doesnt make me one your action means alot.We all may fall into a financial bond(job-work)and act out of character Thanks to the LORD who judges the heart.For example, We
can be involved in a conversation that’s not GODLY and our heart is truly not
involved in the conversation but our tongue(hard to control)says something totally different.So I truly believe we all need to be ACCOUNTABLE because
the kids are always watching so like the one person said we need to be CHRIST-Like as much as possible..GOD BLESS…
Remember, even the demons recognized Jesus as God’s son, and One with authority over them. Does thier acknowledgment of the fact that Jesus was God’s son make them any less fallen? Surely not. You must believe and follow to be saved. This is the confusion the enemy has injected into our culture, and this is the distinction that his chosen ones are called to communicate to the world. Bless you all!
thanks
I fink hes a christian.
Well, it be interesting to hear what you think of this, but I’ve appreciated the blog post and comments regardless of mixed variety of opinions.
Interestingly enough, I think to pray for celebrities often, because I really desire that these people, though popular in culture find Jesus. And one of the ones who I’ve been praying for for a long time was and is Lil Wayne. As it’s been stated, he’s popular with the youth and college scene. I’m not much in to much of his stuff, but his song “Mirror” with Bruno Mars regardless of his motives does show a level of honesty and reflection upon his own struggle, it’s worth noting.
Cuz, as a Christian, I feel in no way better than those who don’t know Christ. I know the difference of having the Christ life and grace is huge, but I consider myself both a sinner and a saint, and so I can identify not in degree, but in the way Lil Wayne has for whatever reason put his most recent stuff out there. There is hurt and struggle deep in the soul that all of us can in some way identify with if where honest, and it’s in this way that I can see some truth to the nature of the struggle through some of his stuff. I don’t think he’s entirely sure himself, but I don’t think after what he’s been through that he just is throwing out this confession for nothing, something could really come of this, we must to continue to pray for him.
I continue to pray for him, because I know God really wants him and loves him in the same way He loves us all so well.
I love you lil wayne but jesus love you most.. AMOS From Nigeria.
Lil wayne may state he is a Christian but I believe this is a true trick of the enemy to capture the souls of the you through music. Remember satin was the one who lead the angels in to worship through music. It is timeout for people saying “He said he is a christian so lets believe him”. This is not a game your soul your families soul your fiends soul should be important enough to say NO this is not Christ like. The devil is not playing he is seeking to kill steal and destroy anyone who in their weakest state. Including the young the poor the rich the sick the sad the bum the drunk the family the church the woman the man.
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weezy is a christian thats why he’s an alien
WOW WAYNE A CHRISTIAN WOW wOW wOW!!!am shocked when Wayne changes wow am your biggest fan you’ll ever get like Wayne”my cousin/father”that would be crazy!!!!!ahhh!!!!GOD BLESS AMERICA…TUNECHI!!!
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