Religion and spirituality are important to many successful mainstream and underground artists. It is no surprise given the significant influence "the church" (Protestant denominations, mainly) has in African-American communities. Not only historically has faith provided solace, sanctuary and strength, but in contemporary America, "the church" refers to an entire support system, lifestyle and identity.
Hip-hop musicians especially, draw inspiration for their music from the mysteries of the world. Religion and hip-hop are very closely related, if only because the subject manner of rapping runs from violent and amoral to godly and righteous. Many embrace this paradox wholeheartedly and see no contradiction.
Kanye West made this distinction in his song "Jesus Walks" where he repeatedly declares his devotion to Jesus while noting that you "They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus/That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes/But if I talk about God my record won't get played Huh?".
Islam
Islam has been a spiritual and political force within communities of color in the United States since at least the 1960s when the Nation of Islam gained national attention under the dynamic leadership of Malcolm X (who subsequently left and disavowed his support of the group). Many conscious hip hop artists, who see their music as a tool for political and social change, have embraced Islam. The most famous Muslim rappers are Freeway, Mos Def, Nas, Ice Cube, Paris, Common, Q-Tip, Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli, Chamillionaire, Papoose, Beanie Sigel, and Jurassic 5.
Internationally, Islam figures prominently in French hip hop, where the majority of artists are Muslims of primarily Algerian descent, in Arabic hip hop, and in Iranian hip hop.
Judaism
The only Jewish artists to have gained large-scale success in hip hop are the Beastie Boys, although Orthodox Jew Matisyahu has recently gained considerable attention. Remedy is a Jewish affiliate of the Wu-Tang Clan. Former The Roots member and producer Scott Storch is also Jewish. Less well known is Princess Superstar.
Judaism has not been a major force in hip hop for the fairly obvious reason that it is not a major force in the spiritual lives of African-American communities from which most hip hop artists in the United States originate. Recently the hip hop scene in Israel, where the majority of rappers are Jewish has gained international attention.
Christianity
Christian Hip hop is by far the most common form of overtly religious hip hop and many of the artists in this sub-genre are actually ordained ministers.
Christian Hip Hop (originally Gospel Rap, also known as Holy Hip Hop or Christ hop) is a form of hip hop music which uses Christian themes to express the songwriter's faith. Only during the 1990s did the term "Christian hip hop" become descriptive of this type of music. While the audience is typically Christian, the music is also used in missions work for the purpose of evangelization. Christian rap and hip hop artists are professed Christians who often use their background as a positive issue to spread their religion.
Paganism
Neo-Paganism is the fourth-largest religious denomination in the United States, and by far the fastest growing. Though not as prominent as other religions in hip hop, pagan rappers include Emcee Lynx, a conscious hip hop artist from Oakland, California who self-identifies as a Druid, and The Heretics. There are many other less well-known artists as well.
Hinduism
Hinduism has gained prominence in the hip hop scene not only in India, but also in other parts of the world where there are large Hindu populations - and in the UK, particularly west London, and the Silicon Valley / South Bay region of California in particular. In India, hip hop music is often mixed with Bhangra and Electronica to produce a high-energy fusion incorporating traditional Hindu musical traditions and high-speed raps. Panjabi MC is one of the best known artists in this sub-genre with his song "Mundian To Bach Ke".
