What’s the difference between a business and a ministry? While the answer to this may seem simple, when placed in the context of Christian music, it is sometimes hard to know where one stops and the other begins.
While many Christian artists would agree that the music they make has an ultimate end goal of sharing the gospel, there is an endless amount of views on how the money earned from the music should be used. While some within the industry might see their work as more of a ministry, others regard it strictly as a business for profit, as well as endless combinations of the two views sprawled about in between.
Rapzilla.com interviewed several Christian hip hop artists to gain their perspective on the issue in order that fans might gain a better understanding of this controversy.
“My career is definitely a ministry. But there are aspects that have to be ran as a business. I work a full-time job, so to take time off work, time from my family and travel, there has to be financial backing,” said RMG recording artist B. Cooper. “Flights aren’t free. Hotels aren’t free. Food isn’t free. My mortgage also isn’t free. That being said, I believe it’s a healthy mix. Most people that bring me out or book me are parts of ministry themselves. The money that goes to me is typically money given to the ministry to minister and reach the people. It’s all a cycle.”
Much like B. Cooper, most artists within Christian hip-hop work full-time or at least part-time jobs to maintain a more stable financial situation. When it comes to issues such as supporting a family, there typically isn’t much of an argument. It’s what goes beyond that where the controversy lies.
“[Most artists] have definitely not nailed that balance [between ministry and business],” said Tucson, Arizona based artist Joey Jewish. “When I was first starting off in this industry, I thought everybody else’s mind was just like me…You notice very quickly that, I think probably like any other industry, it’s very diluted. There’s a few real good men, then there are those who are far out and in it for the gain, and they are basically using Jesus as a hustle.”
According to Joey, this sort of abuse of the Church’s generosity took on multiple different forms ranging from small to severe.
“Whether it was going to a church and walking out the back door and you see some dudes hitting a sneak of coke or something, that we’re just about to get on stage, to people who had managers and I could see them like ‘Hey, we’re not doing anything my artist gets this much,’” Joey said
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