Kanye West has been known as both spiritual and heretical, often sharply dividing opinion between the fans and the media. Does he ascribe to any religion?
Kanye West considers himself a born again Christian, as well as one by birth. While interested in other religions and often referencing them in his lyrics, Kanye “fully converted” to Christianity, even renouncing secular hip-hop and focusing on gospel music completely.
While celebrities often hesitate to talk about their religious views, Kanye has often spoken up on both sides of the fence. Read on to learn about the artist’s fascinating history with God and religion!
Kanye’s Journey Towards Being Born Again Began In Africa
As far back as January 2019, Kanye West was seen online leading gospel choirs. West was deep in seclusion and confusion abounded over what his activities and plans were. In October 2018, it had been reported that West was in “what is known as Africa” to grab the soil and gain inspiration for his music and upcoming album, the then-titled Yandhi.
Yandhi soon turned into the album titled ye, as well as an eponymously titled project with Kid Cudi as the collective KIDS SEE GHOSTS. These albums featured little of what Kanye had promised in Uganda, such as the never-before-heard sounds of Africa, but they were recorded in the mountains of Wyoming, no doubt a place that helped Kanye reflect.
Footage soon emerged of tracks from KIDS SEE GHOSTS being performed as gospel songs, tweeted out by Kanye’s wife Kim Kardashian West. This was the first concert of Kanye West’s Sunday Service Choice, which featured Kanye delivering a “sermon”.
Thus, the Sunday Service performances exploded into the limelight. Starting as invitation-only events for the likes of Brad Pitt, Katy Perry, and Courtney Love, these concerts featured rewrites of popular music as hymns with Christian-themed lyrics.
However, Kanye and his ilk were quick to dismiss this as a “church”, simply focusing on bringing the message of Christ to the “young ones” with a musical ministry.
Finally, West released his ninth solo studio album with the title Jesus Is King. He went public with his comments about Jesus saving him (in a general sense as well as from alcohol). His first album without any profanity, Jesus Is King, was followed by Jesus Is Born, credited to the Sunday Service Choir as led by Kanye West, with a remix album and a follow-up titled God’s Country planned for 2020.
Kanye Was Raised Christian Right From Birth
Kanye’s birth father separated from his mother Donda West before Kanye was even five years of age. In 2009, in a retrospective interview, Kanye stated that it wasn’t an option to not be a Christian growing up, but in his adult years, he grew distant from the church and learned to have “super respect” for other faiths and ideas.
Kanye’s upbringing and subsequent soul-seeking have been reflected in his music from the start. One of his first hits was the single Jesus Walks in which Kanye claims to stand up for Christian ideals and the figure of Jesus Christ in a world that is ashamed to put such messages on the radio.
On his collaborative album with Jay-Z titled Watch The Throne, however, Kanye came out with a track titled No Church In The Wild, with guest artist Frank Ocean questioning “What’s a god to a non-believer?” on the chorus.
One can ascertain that this seeking and searching with a birth-based bias towards the religion of Christianity might have figured into Kanye’s ultimate decision to come out as a full-fledged Christian artist as well as claiming to have been “radically saved”. Even more than ten years back in the same interview from 2009, West admits to having Christianity “embedded in him”.
Kanye Is Always Willing To Learn More
While Kanye is often lambasted in the media for his outrageous and controversial statements – and rightfully so – there’s also seen an effort on the part of the rapper to learn more about opposing viewpoints.
Case in point is when Kanye posted his search history in 2018, featuring activists for the Women’s March, Palestine, and even Islamophobia.In signature Kanye fashion, the post was made with no caption or comment from his end, sparking a discussion and making a point about the diverse culture we live in, with all ends of all spectrums speaking from the same platforms and sharing online and offline spaces equally. One can see why West describes himself as a “thought leader”.