How Black Music Serves the Black Community In Times of Violence: Exploring the Intersections of Rap and Gospel

In times of crisis, many turn to art for comfort. As the Black community continues to grieve the victims of the Buffalo hate crime, Black music has become a major support system.

Recording artist Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)

I was raised on the rap music of my father and the gospel music of my mother. 

The soundtrack to my early childhood in 2000s Atlanta was all OutKast, Mary Mary, Marvin Sapp, and T.I. The car radio played only rap a…