The Holy Profane: Religion in Black Popular Music

This work explores the strong presence of religion in the secular music of 20th century African American artists as diverse as Rosetta Tharpe; Sam Cooke; Stevie Wonder; Roberta Flack; Teddy Pendergrass; Marvin Gaye; Earth, Wind & Fire; and Tupac Shakur. Analyzing lyrics and the historical contexts which shaped those lyrics, it examines the link between West-African musical and religious culture and the way African Americans convey religious sentiment in secular styles such as the blues, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, and gangsta rap. It looks at Pentecostalism and black secular music, minstrelsy and its portrayal of black religion, the black church, crossing over from gospel to R&B, images of the black preacher, and the salience of God in the gangsta rap of artists such as Tupac Shakur. Throughout, the text shows the metamorphosis of religious consciousness throughout the 20th century, a change directly related to the evolving social and political situation of African Americans.