Rapping with the Gods: Hip Hop as a Force of Divinity and Continuity from the Continent to the Cosmos

Abstract Debunking the myth that rap music was created in the Bronx, New York in the 1970s, this article traces the origins of rap music and hip hop culture to their roots in West Africa and to the ancient Wolof Gods called Raap. The Wolof Gods' impact is most apparent in the divine directive that guides rap artists who are members of the Nation of Gods and Earths, also known as Five Percenters. Not only do these artists continue the tradition of invoking the Gods with lyrical tributes, but they are also contemporary incarnations of Raap who herald themselves as Gods and who use their lyrics to reveal to other Africana peoples their inherent divinity. Despite the watery oblivion of the Middle Passage, concerted attempts at cultural genocide, and centuries of dislocation, the influence of Raap is gloriously evident in the Gods of Rap in their artistic presentation, lyrical complexity, political imperatives, and spiritual depth