Reverends Emmett Price and Irene Monroe stopped by the Boston Public Radio studio on Monday to discuss rapper Kanye West’s latest foray into gospel music with his album “Jesus is King,” which was released Friday.
“The music is absolutely phenomenal, but the point is: I think he’s doing what a lot of prosperity gospel ministers do. Monetizing his life. ... Church is big business,” Monroe said.
“Jesus is King” is already projected to become West’s ninth No. 1 album on the Billboard Hot 200 albums chart.
"He’s definitely selling merchandise, capitalizing on the commodification of this,” Monroe said. "He even has vestments, which is his clothing line!”
Monroe went on to admit that contemporary faith-based music has the potential to grow congregations, and drew comparisons between West and gospel artist Kirk Franklin. “Adding contemporary music brings young people to the church,” Monroe added. "Kirk Franklin revolutionized gospel music by the infusion of hip hop and gospel."
Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist and the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail and a visiting researcher in the Religion and Conflict Transformation Program at Boston University School of Theology.
Price is professor of worship, church & culture and founding executive director of the Institute for the Study of the Black Christian Experience at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Together they host the
All Rev’d Up podcast, produced by WGBH.
