Michael Halcomb is not your average New Testament Ph.D candidate.
In academic circles, he can usually be seen presenting papers at scholarly gatherings as well as producing online Biblical-language web resources for those studying Hebrew, Greek, Theological French or Theological German. However, Halcomb has another identity--that of "Halc", Christian hip hop artist and spoken word performer.
So how does a white kid living in rural Kentucky who spends most of his time studying ancient texts end up writing, recording and producing a rap album??
I recently discussed this and other questions with "Halc" (and will be reviewing the album in more detail at Disciple Dojo in the near future). Here's our conversation:
JM:
I came across your work through a spoken-word video you posted on Youtube about End-Times ideas that Christians have been led to believe by certain teachers and authors. Give us a quick summary of that message and how you got the idea to do the video. Also, what was the reception to it in general?
Halc:
The video you’re talking about is titled “Debunking Rapture Theology: A Spoken Word” and is still up on Youtube. The reception to that from non-dispensationalists was, of course, welcoming. Some found it affirming and some even found it a little humorous. Really, I wasn’t trying to make fun of anyone or to make a joke of this theological issue but I must say, some of the rhetoric is strong and challenging to dispensationalists. As one might expect, rapture believers took offense at the video. While I received a good number of comments on Facebook when I streamed the video there (and my website as well), several dispensationalists have commented on Youtube. They’re view is that I “flunked hermeneutics” and that rapture teachings have been around since the time of the church fathers. Overall, I’d say that depending on whether or not one is a dispensationalist determines how receptive they are/aren’t to the video. Still, I stand behind what I say there.
JM:
Tell me about how the album came about. What was your overall vision for it? What does the title signify?
Halc:
Well, now we’ve switched gears from some of my spoken word stuff, to my new rap project titled “Inscripted Project”. The album came about over a 2 month time period (Feb-Mar 2011). During this time period I was also editing a Bible dictionary that will be released this April. Basically, after I’d spend 5-6 hours a day editing, I’d take some time to deflate by producing music and then writing lyrics.
Being a PhD student and having been in higher education for nearly a decade now, finding creative outlets is a healthy thing. In this season of my life, I’ve found that returning to one of the things I love most, music, has been very refreshing. Essentially, I’ve found a niche where I can bring my appreciation for rap music and biblical studies together.
My overall vision for the album was to bring a biblically contextual type of lyrical sophistication to the Christian rap game. This, in turn, would provide the foundation for theologically substantive lyrics.
For example, on Tablets you will find terms like: A.N.E. (Ancient Near East), Mesopotamia, Deuteronomists, Tanak, Coded Covenant, Yahweh, Elohim, Zeus, Alcamene, Ecclesia, Wesley, Methodist, Tolstoy, Elie Wiesel, St. Martin of Tours, Constantine, etc. Blended in with all of this are Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Amharic (Ethiopic) words and/or phrases. So, the vision was to be lyrically sophisticated and substantive on the one hand, and musically enjoyable (and somewhat sophisticated) on the other hand.
The title of the album, Tablets, is a reference to the 10 Commandments. So, following the order of the Tanak’s arrangements of the Commandments, I related 1 of each of the 10 songs on the album to 1 of the 10 Commandments. The title is also related to the project name: “Inscripted Project”. Inscription has to do with writing or engraving or embedding. Of course, the 10 Commandments were said to have been inscribed upon stone tablets. All of my future projects will be related to this idea of inscription as well.
JM:
You’re a Biblical scholar at an Evangelical institution…How did you get into hip hop??
Halc:
Well, honestly, I’ve listened to hip hop since I was a teenager and it has just stuck with me. In a lot of rap there is a realness that I can resonate with. My family history is littered with drugs, alcohol, infidelity, pain, etc. I think that a lot of rap songs touch on those same issues.
Sometimes those issues come across as being glorified, while at other times rappers are merely trying to describe the things they’ve seen, heard and experienced as real while growing up. I’d venture to say that as for me, writing rhymes is an outlet, a way to get feelings and emotions out; it can be therapeutic and even healing.
JM:
Who are your biggest musical influences?
Halc:
In the realm of rap, my musical influences are mostly secular. In fact, I spent a lot of my teenager years imagining that when I finished high school, I would join the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Their style, creativity and rawness was always appealing to me. Plus, I could relate to a lot of what they were saying. Laced throughout their music are spiritual, even scriptural themes and ideas. While I find myself in a place that is different from them perhaps theologically and ethically, I find myself drawn to their creativity, talent and harmony.
Tupac has influenced me as well. The ruggedness and richness of his poetic skill is just mind-blowing to me. The world lost one of its great poets when Tupac died. Again, I don’t advocate all of the views he held or promoted. Likewise, I don’t agree with a lot of the things he did in his life, but I do appreciate his realness.
In the last few years, I’ve also enjoyed some of Jay-Z’s stuff. Many Christians have come out in full-force against Jay-Z but again, I’ve found an authenticity in him and lyrical depth that is simply stunning. For example, many have hated on him for the third verse of his song “Empire State of Mind”. What we might do, however, is realize the lyrical ingenuity there instead of beating him down. I have exegeted those lyrics in another Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6Gsy_jMeRw.
Outside of rap, I grew up listening to Bob Seger, John Mellencamp, Creedence Clearwater Revival and similar pop-folk rock artists. I still enjoy listening to their stuff too.
JM:
Who are your biggest theological influences?
Halc:
This is a bit of a tricky question. First and foremost, I’m a biblical exegete. Secondly, I’m a theologian. So, most of my influences are Bible scholars. In that list I would include Ben Witherington, III, Fred Long, Jerry Sumney, David Fiensy and members of The Context Group. I enjoy studying the socio-cultural world(s), out of which the New Testament was produced. This includes the study of ancient rhetoric, cultural norms, social practices, etc.
Still, I do have some theological influences. One of the most influential theological books I’ve ever read is Stanely Grenz’s “The Social God and the Relational Self”. Most of my theological influences have been Trinitarian scholars such as Colin Gunton, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Jurgen Moltmann, John Zizioulos, Clark Pinnock, John Wesley, etc.
JM:
A decade ago, Christian hip hop was primarily derivative and laced with prosperity-Gospel aspects (T-Bone, BB Jay, Gospel Gangstas, etc.). Within the last few years, there’s been a surge of theologically-reflective artists almost exclusively from Young Reformed circles (Flame, Lecrae, Shai Linne, etc.). What do you bring to the table that’s been lacking in Christian hip hop?
Halc:
Well, to be honest, I have not listened to a lot of Christian hip hop, mainly, for the reasons you listed above. A lot of Christian rap has been theologically shallow, culturally defensive/insensitive and biblically illiterate. However, when I hear guys like Shai Linne, I am encouraged; he is someone I can listen to, even though our theologies differ at points. For me, what I hope to bring to the table more than anything else is biblical context. I mean, it’s so easy to just read the Bible on a surface level and to write rhymes about it.
For example, others have written rap songs about the 10 Commandments, but those songs simply tell listeners to obey and follow them. What I did on Tablets, however, was to parse out each of the Commandments in a creative way. One example is found in track 9, Malignin’. There, I talk about what it meant in the Ancient Near East to bear false witness against one’s neighbor. While this was inclusive of gossip, it did not just mean that. When one digs into ANE texts and culture, they realize that the practice of hiring false witness for court was a common practice. This was especially prevalent among the rich. So, the rich could bring a charge against the poor. To help substantiate the charges, they could hire multiple witnesses, false witnesses, to help them plead their side of the story. Essentially, when this took place, the poor person stood no chance of winning and therefore, they could and often would, be prosecuted. I mention this in the line where I say, “Like in the A.N.E./those cats sold faux testimony/hired bogus witnesses/to help put away some of they enemies.”
I do this type of thing all throughout the album—hopefully in relevant ways. So, yeah, a stronger bent towards biblical context is important to me.
Just as well, I do not want to be a Christian rapper who advocates a Church-against-the-world mentality. I do not subscribe to the Christ against culture model that many Christian rappers do. I would rather see Christ as both the apex of culture and at the same time working within culture.
I think there is a certain arrogance to Christian rappers—especially those who’ve transitioned from a drug life or some other destructive way of living into the church—who are always criticizing and hating on society or the world, that turns a lot of people off to Christian rap. That’s not who I want to be theologically, missionally or evangelically.
JM:
How do you see your music influencing your work in the field of NT scholarship?
Halc:
My music and my work influence each other. Writing lyrics is similar, in some ways, to writing research papers. Mixing down a song is similar, in some ways to editing a paper. Performing a song is similar, in some ways to delivering a paper. So, there is crossover in that sense.
However, in the bigger picture, my music reminds me to use my words responsibly and to give the Bible the respect that it deserves and to share it without abusing it or watering it down. Educated and sophisticated rap is a good thing; we need more of it. Hopefully, my music can also help me relate to students; I’ve already seen that happen, in fact.
Just as well, there is the point I always arrive at when writing or researching, that I ask the “So What?” question. Really, this is an issue of relevance. I think that rap reminds me to ask this question frequently. It also pushes me to continue being culturally sensitive and aware, as well as biblically sound.
JM:
Should we expect to see Halc performing at any future SBL (Society for Biblical Literature) or ETS (Evangelical Theological Society) gatherings?? ;)
Halc:
Well, as far as performing my music, I’d say not.
However, I am presenting a paper in San Fransisco in Nov of 2011 titled “Decoded: Exploring Biblical-Apocalyptic Imagery in Rap”. There, I will use Bone Thugs-n-Harmony as a test case and I will examine their use of Biblical-Apocalyptic imagery within their songs (and videos). So, if you’re at SBL, be sure to come out to that session.
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If you’d like to keep up with Halc's musical endeavors, be sure to visit www.InscriptedProject.com where the album is currently available at a discount ($3.99! Definitely worth downloading!).
You can also find Michael Halcomb's exegetical, theological and cultural musings at www.MichaelHalcomb.com.
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