One of the most popular Christian rappers in America says he doesn't make Christian music.
In an interview with TeenVogue about his most recent album "Coloring Book," Chance the Rapper said he still considers himself a Christian rapper even though he doesn't like to label his work as Christian.
"One of my biggest fears with 'Coloring Book' was that it would be labeled," he said in the interview. "I hate labels. I never sought out for people to recognize it as a gospel album. I dont make Christian rap, but I am a Christian rapper. When I was going out and trying to fully give glory to God, in my setting, I feared that people would be dismissive of it, like, 'This is Christian rap, Im not trying to hear it.'"
But that wasn't the case, he said. Instead, people were very accepting of his work, regardless of their religious affiliations. It made them think, he said.
"I think thats always the goal of art, is to make people ask themselves questions," he said.
In the interview, Chance the Rapper also spoke about where he gets his inspiration from, how his life has changed as his popularity has grown and what it's like to work with Kanye.
But Chance the Rapper isn't the first artist to express his concerns over making Christian art or being labeled as Christian. Just last month, Pure Flix founder and CEO David A.R. White said he and his company, which recently released "God's Not Dead 2," also face many challenges creating Christian content for a larger audience.
"The major networks like the audience of faith," White said, according to the Deseret News, "but when you have to go to the audience and say faith things on television, well, we might be too open. Theyre worried well make the audience uncomfortable, like Jesus freaks."
Read the entire interview with Chance the Rapper on TeenVogue here.
In an interview with TeenVogue about his most recent album "Coloring Book," Chance the Rapper said he still considers himself a Christian rapper even though he doesn't like to label his work as Christian.
"One of my biggest fears with 'Coloring Book' was that it would be labeled," he said in the interview. "I hate labels. I never sought out for people to recognize it as a gospel album. I dont make Christian rap, but I am a Christian rapper. When I was going out and trying to fully give glory to God, in my setting, I feared that people would be dismissive of it, like, 'This is Christian rap, Im not trying to hear it.'"
But that wasn't the case, he said. Instead, people were very accepting of his work, regardless of their religious affiliations. It made them think, he said.
"I think thats always the goal of art, is to make people ask themselves questions," he said.
In the interview, Chance the Rapper also spoke about where he gets his inspiration from, how his life has changed as his popularity has grown and what it's like to work with Kanye.
But Chance the Rapper isn't the first artist to express his concerns over making Christian art or being labeled as Christian. Just last month, Pure Flix founder and CEO David A.R. White said he and his company, which recently released "God's Not Dead 2," also face many challenges creating Christian content for a larger audience.
"The major networks like the audience of faith," White said, according to the Deseret News, "but when you have to go to the audience and say faith things on television, well, we might be too open. Theyre worried well make the audience uncomfortable, like Jesus freaks."
Read the entire interview with Chance the Rapper on TeenVogue here.