The ruptures and reconfigurations of identity through Christian Hip Hop in Southern Africa

Abstract

Drawing on research with Christian rappers in Namibia and South Africa, this chapter analyzes multiple instances of the rupture and reconfiguration of individual and collective identities through the influence and practice of Christian Hip Hop. Noting the almost exclusively North American evangelical theological and musical influences upon these Southern African Christian rappers, the chapter examines conflicts with local religious and secular institutions and identities, as well as the globalized forms of religious and racial identity constructed and performed through Christian Hip Hop. The chapter identifies and analyzes four examples of the rupture and subsequent reconfiguration of identity, noting the interrelated nature of these processes.