The holy profane
Subtitle: religion in Black popular music
By: Teresa L. Reed
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Published: 2003
Place of publication: Lexington, Ky
Language: eng
Number of pages: 183
Subjects: African Americans -- Music -- History and criticism; Popular music -- United States -- History and criticism; Music -- Religious aspects -- Christianity
Description: "The Holy Profane explores the strong presence of religion in the secular music of twentieth-century African American artists as diverse as Rosetta Tharpe, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Tupac Shakur. Analyzing lyrics and the historical contexts which shaped those lyrics, Teresa L.

Reed examines the link between West-African musical and religious culture and the way African Americans convey religious sentiment in styles such as the blues, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, and gangsta rap. She 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 rap of Tupac Shakur."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 169-174) and index
Table of contents: title: Pentecostalism and Black secular music; title: Blues lyrics : voice of religious consciousness; title: Elder Eatmore and Deacon Jones : folk religion as humor in Black secular recordings; title: Rethinking the Devil's music : integration, religion, and crossing over; title: Evolution of the blues preacher : sermonizing modes in Black secular music; title: Postlude : God and gangsta rap : the theosophy of Tupac Shakur