The Hip-Hop Church

Kurtis Blow is rapping for Jesus:

A pioneering rap star is taking hip-hop from the projects to the pulpit.

Kurtis Blow is one of the founders of “The Hip-Hop Church” at two Harlem parishes, which features rousing services fueled by gospel-inspired rap tunes.

“The kids need to learn about God, but even the ones who already know God don’t like the church, because church is boring,” Blow told The Post.

“What we do isn’t boring — it’s energetic, it’s uplifting, it’s spiritual — and the kids can relate to it. We speak the word of God in a language they can understand — rap.”

. . .

Below the altar, Blow mans a DJ booth, rapping and scratching along to artists including 3 Shades of Faith Introducing Prophecy; The Hip-Hop Church Band; guest rappers and break dancers.

In between the beat-driven numbers, the Revs. Stephen Pogue and Darren Ferguson lead the congregation in prayer and deliver inspiring sermons. This February, Blow, 45, will begin studying at the New York School of Ministry to become a full-fledged man of the cloth.

You may be aware that MC Hammer is already an ordained minister; Blow notes the rap-religion symbiosis:

“The younger people really love it because it’s rap, but the adults also like it because there’s a lot of ‘old school’ which they grew up with. The fact is that hip-hop can save the church and the church can save hip-hop,” he said. [emphasis added]

The Blow services are held Fridays at the Abyssinian Baptist Church on West 138th Street and Greater Hood Memorial AME Zion Church on West 146th Street. Other services are offered at the Trinity Episcopal Church of Morrisania in the South Bronx.