Rappin' for Jesus
"Rappin' for Jesus" | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Single by Pastor & Mrs. Jim Colerick | |
Released | 15 February 2013 |
Format | Digital download |
Genre | Hip hop |
Length | 2:32 |
Music video | |
Rappin' for Jesus on YouTube |
"Rappin' for Jesus" is a 2013 song that has been viewed more than 47 million times on YouTube.[1] The song, which raps about Jesus, is allegedly written by a Pastor Jim Colerick and his wife Mary Sue from the West Dubuque 2nd Church of Christ in Iowa.[1][2] The original video was uploaded to YouTube by a Brian Spinney on February 5, 2013. He claimed the video was ostensibly directed by himself with his pastor while in high school.[3] It garnered wider attention after being posted to Reddit.[4]
The Daily Dot concludes the video is fake,[3] while HuffPost considers the matter "debatable".[4] A website for the church that supposedly created the song was created in 2013, despite the church being purportedly shut down in 2004.[2][4] There are no online records of the alleged pastor Jim Colerick. The video also uses the term "swag" in its lyrics to mean "stylish", however, this is anachronistic because this meaning did not appear until after 2010, well after the time this video was supposedly made.[3]
The song, which was allegedly created for a Youth Christian Outreach program, has the chorus line "Jesus Christ is my nigga". In a Christian Post article, pastor Chris English, from GracePoint Church in Dubuque, Iowa, said the use of the word "nigga" was "offensive".[5] He thought the video, parody or not, perpetuated many negative stereotypes about Christians, and as such, would have never worked in an outreach program for young people.[5]
References
- 1 2 Spinney, Brian (February 5, 2013). "Rappin' for Jesus". YouTube. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
- 1 2 "West Dubuque 2nd Church of Christ". www.westdubuque2ndchurchofchrist.org. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- 1 2 3 Hoffberge, Chase (February 13, 2013). "That "Rappin For Jesus" video is obviously fake". The Daily Dot. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
- 1 2 3 "Pastor Raps: 'Jesus Christ Is My N--ga' (NSFW Language)". The Huffington Post. February 11, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
- 1 2 Schapiro, Jeff (February 21, 2013). "Iowa Church's YouTube Hit 'Rappin' for Jesus' Video a Hoax?". The Christian Post. Retrieved August 5, 2018.