The Pope picks rap

As reported at Clerical Whispers, the Pope has chosen a rap youth anthem for his upcoming official visit to Britain.

I’m trying with difficulty to imagine the Holy Father putting various CDs in his player until he finally exclaims – “Yes! That’s it! I like that one!” I suspect the organizors selected this for the Pope, and their claim otherwise is part of a PR campaign, which will ramp up mightily in coming days, to show how relevant and in touch with contemporary society Pope Benedict XVI really is.

Either that, or else maybe the Pope’s tastes in popular music are considerably broader than my own.

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Katharine E. Harmon, Ph.D., edits the blog, Pray Tell: Worship, Wit & Wisdom.

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Comments

7 responses to “The Pope picks rap”

  1. Christian Cosas

    …

    It’s not so much rap or hip-hop as it is a kind of Euro-pop dance… thing. Not that the distinction makes it any better.

    *facepalm*

    Reply
  2. Paul Inwood

    Interesting to listen to what is, if we are honest, a very passé track. I was expecting something more original.

    Not too enamoured textually of “Open your hearts wide to the love that is inside”, nor of the refrain “Love is my heart’s cry”.

    Reply
  3. Todd Flowerday

    I also thought it was more electronic than hip-hop. I was less-impressed than I wanted to be, coming from a group that thinks much of western pop is “moribund.”

    A question: how often does composing for a contest produce an excellent result?

    Reply
  4. Charles Culbreth

    Apologies to Paul and any other Britons, but that is so “Love Actually.”
    I mean, you want to get the world’s attention? Have Fr. Stan Fortuna reprise his amazing “School of the Eucharist” at the Hyde rally. At least, you’d hear world class rap as opposed to pap.
    Todd, you are soooooo right. Back up twenty years, when I paid attention to what music was happening at the LAREC, each year I remember thinking upon the unveiling of that year’s “theme song,” “You have to be kidding!” No offense to any composers of that era intended; it’s more about the process. When a politburo deliberates “art” you tend to lose a few Khachaturians (sp?) in such democratic gears.

    Reply
  5. Rita Ferrone

    Smart move on the part of Ooberfuse. It will get them a lot of attention that they wouldn’t receive otherwise, for producing a really dull piece of music!

    As for the PR people who dreamed up the gimmick of “the Pope’s rap” to reach young people, I guess there is a sucker born every minute, but my first thought was how dumb do they think our young people are? They know the Pope doesn’t listen to hip-hop (or euro-pop or whatever this is). This pope simply cannot be re-tooled as a hip, youth-savvy guy. It’s grotesque.

    The thing with the cat, OK, he does like cats. It was sort of clever to write a children’s book about the pope’s cat. But this?

    Reply
  6. Donna Eschenauer

    This one more example of well-intentioned adults thinking they have to do something “special” for young people!

    Reply
    1. Todd Flowerday

      Isn’t that the truth!

      Reply

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