*Note, some of these projects barely have any info surrounding them. We did the best we could in finding music, images, and information.*
HHHDB and Downline the Zine sourced much of this information.
Christian rap music from 40 years ago was in a totally different place. Across the country, artists with no shared network or industry infrastructure were independently discovering hip‑hop as a tool for ministry. In Indiana, Roger Byrd’s “Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego” appeared on WXIR’s regional compilation. In New Jersey, Crew Devastation released four singles on Gitten Records and even recorded what may be the first Christian rap response record, pushing back against Doug E. Fresh’s claim that he was the first to dedicate a rap song to God. Fire Fighters released Big Man in Iowa as a full‑length cassette that may represent the earliest adult‑focused Christian rap album.
Meanwhile, future superstar MC Hammer was still part of the Holy Ghost Boys, releasing early Christian rap singles with Jon Gibson in 1986. Groups like the New Testament Youth Troop were blending gospel boogie with rap in their own regional scenes. Stephen Wiley, already one of the genre’s pioneers, released Rappin’ for Jesus, further solidifying the blueprint he began with “Bible Break.”
This year laid the foundation for the growth to come in 1987 and beyond.
Roger Byrd – “Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego” from WXIR Christian Album Project Volume II
WXIR‑FM in Plainfield, Indiana, created a yearly compilation series in the mid‑1980s that showcased independent contemporary Christian music from central Indiana. The station ran an annual contest, selected ten original songs from local artists, and pressed them onto an LP titled the WXIR Christian Album Project. In its early years, the contest awarded a recording contract to the top entry; Ray Boltz won the very first project and released his debut album Watch the Lamb on Heartland Records as part of that prize, launching his CCM career.
The second volume in the series, released around 1986, continued this model and featured one of the earliest known attempts at Christian rap: Roger Byrd’s “Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego.” Its inclusion on a regional CCM compilation shows how hip‑hop was beginning to surface inside Christian music circles before the genre had any formal industry support. This early appearance of rap on a local contest LP highlights how Christian hip‑hop was emerging organically in unexpected places, even before national audiences recognized it as a developing style.
Sourced from WorthPoint.com. Buy it, and let us know what it sounds like!
Crew Devastation (4 Singles)
Crew Devastation emerged out of Burlington, New Jersey, in 1986 as one of the earliest documented Christian rap groups to release multiple distributed singles in a single year. All came through the independent label Gitten Records. They worked with soul producers George Kerr and Samm Culley. Their run of releases that year (“No Time to Lose,” “Crew Devastation Theme,” “Good Noyz,” and “We’re All Going to Heaven”) each had long and short vocal mixes, full instrumentals, and scratches from DJs like Tony T and Anthony B. Sledge.
Their most significant moment came with “We’re All Going to Heaven,” a direct response to Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew’s “All the Way to Heaven” from Oh My God! (1986). When Doug E. Fresh claimed his track was “the first time in history a rap song is dedicated to G‑O‑D,” Crew Devastation was already releasing God-centered rap explicitly. They saw the statement as both inaccurate and dismissive. Their answer record functioned as a subtle diss track, pushing back against the idea that mainstream artists were breaking ground that Christian rappers had already been laying. It was never a feud, and it’s uncertain Doug E. Fresh ever heard it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries
Fire Fighters – Big Man
Fire Fighters’ place in Christian rap history centers on their 1986 cassette Big Man. From Sioux City, Iowa, the project might be the first full‑length Christian hip‑hop album aimed at teens and adults rather than children. Recorded at Mastertrax Creative Music & Recording Studios, the album reflects the electro‑funk and early rap aesthetics of the mid‑1980s. It draws influence from Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Flash, and the non–rock‑hybrid side of Run‑D.M.C.
Adult-themed Christian rap albums by Michael Peace, Rev. Rhyme, and Roy Suthard would not appear until 1987. In 1989, the duo would release their follow-up, Committed. The names listed are Dan Delzell (Vocals) and David Wells (Music).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries
M.C. Hammer – “Son of the King”, Jon Gibson – “Ain’t It Pretty,” The Holy Ghost Boys – (3 singles)
Before he became a global pop-rap star, MC Hammer was a member of a Christian rap group called the Holy Ghost Boys. The group was formed in the late 1980s by singer and musician Jon Gibson. Hammer and singer Tramaine Hawkins were also original members.
The Holy Ghost Boys released several singles, including “Word,” “B-Boy Chill,” and “Stupid Def Yal.”
Gibson wrote and produced “The Wall,” which was the first rap hit in CCM history by a blue-eyed soul singer and/or duo, featuring MC Hammer.
In 1986, Hammer released his debut album, Feel My Power. The album featured a song called “Son of the King,” which was a Christian rap song. It was one of the first Christian rap songs to be played on secular radio.
The New Testament Youth Troop – Where’s the Word
New Testament Youth Troop “Where’s The Word?” is Gospel boogie rap from 1986. It is the lesser-known follow-up to this group’s “Gospel Rappin” single from ‘84.
Also found this interview with them from eight years ago!
Stephen Wiley – Rappin’ For Jesus
Stephen Wiley’s “Rappin’ for Jesus” is his second single after 1985’s “Bible Break.” Recorded in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and released on Brentwood Contemporary, the project features Wiley on rap vocals supported by musicians Mike Barnes, Gary Lunn, Tim Akers, and human beatbox performer Damiyon Everly. It’s two tracks, “Rappin’ for Jesus” and “Let’s Praise (Psalm 150).” The release also includes accompaniment tracks, a format common at the time, designed so youth groups, church performers, and street ministers could rap the songs themselves using Wiley’s instrumentals. The single’s impact extended into 1987 with a 7‑inch version containing a radio edit and promotional audio spots. He’d drop his first album in 1988 with Rap It Up.
These songs are a snapshot of the birth of Christian hip hop in 1986. Celebrating their 40th anniversaries in 2026 shows how the genre has grown leaps and bounds.