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  Release Date: Septebmer, 2006
  Website: Educated Figures Website
  Label: Educated Records

Educated Figures “Educated Figures” Album Review
My parents used to make me go to church as a kid. And as far back as I could remember, I hated it. It wasn’t that I was not intrigued by the beliefs or inspired by the stories in the Bible, because I have always enjoyed that part. But even at a very young age, I saw holes in the way the information was presented to us children.  

I remember asking my Bible school teacher how the entire story of Noah was even possible, since he must have been like four hundred years old by the end of the flood. Instead of helping me to speculate or figure it out, she just said that was how it happened because God willed it and urged me to just accept it. And even as a child, I felt that was a scapegoat response. The next week, I told my dad that I didn’t want to go anymore … and I didn’t.

A couple weeks later, my grandmother, a practicing Unitarian Universalist, gave me an old children’s Bible which I still have to this day. I remember her telling me not to take it too literally, but to take from it only what I could and what I felt was meant for me. As the years passed, she also gave me basic books that introduced me to the religions of Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism. That amazed me, because no one at church had ever given me the option or trust to investigate for myself. This helped me create a new view of and appreciation for religions in general.

And then you have religious rappers. In essence, I really want to like religious rappers, regardless of which religion they practice. Unfortunately, they normally fall into the category of my Bible school teacher instead of my grandmother. Many seem to preach constantly, and tell people how they should think, believe and act … often with nothing but blind faith backing their arguments. And this has never fit with my perception of how we should celebrate God. So I’ve always steered clear of religiously-themed hip-hop.

Liberal Christianity in Hip-Hop
Recently, however, I have received quite a few quality spiritual rap albums in the mail, most notably SoberMinded and Educated Figures, that have started to change my mind on the possibilities of Christian rap. I saw EF open a show for Sage Francis in Denver a couple weeks ago, and decided to cop their album based on a solid live performance. Although they cover many topics of various backgrounds in their music, I was very impressed by their ability to demonstrate an open-minded yet critical view of modernist practices of Christianity.

While practicing serious religious thought, the two MCs showed a lot of understanding as to why kids like me loose sight of the Christian religion. One verse seemingly mirrored my story perfectly:

Life is a gift and can be used as a tool
No more rule-based living, now get out of your Christian school
Break out of your shell and see what I see
This world needs a change, not excluding you or me
Please take into heart that you need a demonstration
You will never understand the struggle that these kids are facing
There is a way out, but most are blind to the fact
And with the way you tell them, it doesn’t surprise me why they turn their backs

They also talked about the tendency of religious fundamentalists to judge their fellow human beings, another major problem I have found with followers of many religions over the years. Instead, they urge their listeners to find their own relationships with God, regardless of what the extremists might say:

A new day of existence is now in sight
I see it coming, no more being brainwashed by
Media systems or people pushing religion
Don’t worry about me
God and I got together and we’re both comfortable with our decision
You would understand if you were in my position
But you don’t want to hear my stand or my point
All you wanna do is just stand there and point

The more and more I listened to theologically inspired verses like these from the two MCs, Jericho and Xperiment, the less their music sounded like what I’m used to hearing from Christian rap, and the more it sounded like liberal rap within a Christian context.

Liberal Christianity is based on a continuum of views drawing from a combination of conservative and progressive theological trains of thought. It includes broader views and occasional criticism of conservative Christian beliefs on diversity, literalism, salvation and community. Many followers find it allows people to individualize their beliefs, thoughts and expression of religion based on their personal experiences, which may make it easier for Christianity to maintain modern day applications.

I appreciate religious rappers who have the courage to demonstrate new and unique theological philosophies, especially with a modern day perspective. So peep Educated Figures and their impressive debut self-titled album. It gives yet another example of hip-hop’s ability to bridge the communication gap between people of different backgrounds, and enhance understanding and acceptance. Peace.