We can all name an unfair stereotype. For example, 'All Asian women are submissive'? Nope, not true, no matter what the narcissistic and egotistical fascist President of the United States, Donald Trump believes - or tweets. Not all millennials are entitled and, my personal favourite, not all black women are sassy. By not challenging stereotypes, we are often led to believe these damaging generalisations about entire groups of people.
So when Stormzy released Gang Signs & Prayer (GSAP), it wasn’t just a significant moment because it was an important maker in the unstoppable resurgence of grime. The South Londoner’s album marked a meaningful acknowledgement of how stereotypes of race and faith can create a complex identity for millennials.
There is no doubt that the GSAP album cover is a reference to the Last Supper- the moment in the Bible where Jesus predicts his own death to his disciples, or at the very least, the painting interpretation of the biblical story by Leonardo Di Vinci. While many see the reenactment of the Last Supper for the sake of art as nothing less than sacrilege, Stormzy’s cover makes a powerful statement about black men through the framework of Christian faith. By having a majority of black men in balaclavas sitting at a table filled with Playstation controllers, bottles of (presumably) alcohol and smoke, Stormzy confronts the stereotype of black men only being seen as thugs.
Although Stormzy positions himself as Jesus Christ, which could be a reference to his portrayal as the saviour of grime, it could also have an alternative meaning. It could mean that while he tries to follows a Christian path to treat people equally and without judgement, he knows that because of his race he will automatically be pre-judged by society. This notion of being treated unfairly just for being a black man was seen most vividly last month when the police broke down the front door of his upmarket Chelsea flat because a neighbour believed he was burglar, not the homeowner.
Yet the most intriguing part of the album cover is the black boy that sits beside Stormzy. It is representative of how black men are criminalised by society from childhood. In the painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, Judas sits in the same seat as the small boy and Stormzy subtly illustrates that society sees black males, regardless of age, as the biggest threats and betrayers of societal law and order.
It's not just in the album visuals that Stormzy brings together his Christian identity, stereotypes of black men and black culture. Religious lyrics such as: 'We were doing road and doing church/Looked the devil in his face like motherfucker, do your worst', feature in the song First Things First. On the gospel-inspired and unapologetic tributes to God, Blinded By Your Faith pt1 and pt2, he shows us glimpses of the life he once led and the life he has. By openly talking about his two very different lifestyles, Stormzy humanises his Christian identity. He shows that anyone can have faith and be accepted by God, even if they don’t fit the stereotype of the non-swearing, teetotal, religious zealot that is often portrayed in popular culture and the only image that is upheld within some churches.
The Big For Your Boots hitmaker even pays homage to black women and their Christian experience. The song 100 Bags begins with a recorded voice note from his mother praying for him. The voice note creates a sense of familiarity, as many young black Christian Brits have often experienced those prayers that combine emotions of hope, certainty and forthright love from a maternal mother figure in the black community. Her prayer is also a reminder of how black women for generations have often leaned on Christianity to support them and black men while facing society’s prejudice.
However, Stormzy isn’t the only rapper addressing his race and Christian faith. Chance the Rapper, may not fit the typical mould of an American (black) Christian rapper by condemning the ways of the world and portraying himself as holier than thou. Yet, like Stormzy, he takes a more nuanced approach in who he is as a person of faith, starting with the collaborations on his album. Coloring* Book* features the Chicago Children’s Choir and Kirk Franklin, (possibly the most famous African American gospel artist) and rappers such as Lil' Wayne and Future, who are not exactly known for living squeaky clean personal lives. The juxtaposition of collaborating with music artists that seemingly represent two different extremes highlights the realism that many young Christians often live in a grey area of trying to balance their beliefs with the pressures that exist outside the church.
In his song Blessings, Chance tells listeners 'I don’t make songs for free, I make ‘em for freedom/ Don’t believe in kings, believe in the Kingdom,' which illustrates that while some have the misconceived idea that Christians are constrained, Chance finds liberation in his faith. He goes on to rap: 'Jesus’ black life ain’t matter, I know I talked to his daddy.' Chance finds solace and reliability in Jesus Christ. He knows his life as a black man has little value in white America, similar to how little the Roman Empire valued the life of Jesus, a Jew.
With Stormzy and Chance the Rapper refusing to separate their mistakes, their temptations, social issues and ultimately their lived experiences from their faith, it challenges stereotypes of what it means to be young, black and Christian. Most importantly, by marrying the issues of race and religion together, it tells young black millennials that it is important to know and discuss both the pain and joy that will come from identities. Our job is not to mask the hardships, but to work through them and live our truth out loud regardless of the judgement that may come our way.
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Follow Tobi on Twitter @IamTobiOredein
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.