Are science fiction and hip-hop like oil and water? Or can they blend together to make something cool?

The phrase “Hip-Hop science fiction” popped in my mind one day and I had this sudden urge to find out if such a thing existed so I Googled it. My search led me to Nocturne, a rapper out of the Bronx who self-published a hybrid graphic novel called Darkness Bleeds A Million Suns. It starts like this:

“The mid 22^nd Century saw the first wave of ghettoes in space. The kids on Hoorak never heard of a sunset or the budding of spring. They’d never seen waterfalls or a redwood forest. Not even on video. They were all second or third generation space punks born in zero gravity with tall narrow frames and spidery gaits to prove it.”

Nocturne’s graphic novel includes poetry, pictures and rap lyrics. It is not your typical speculative fiction but the concept is intriguing. Nocturne has found a path that needs to be explored by more authors. He’s trying to get Hip-Hop fans excited about speculative fiction in a way that is relevant to them. So the question is…

Does speculative fiction’s future include Hip-Hop?

With a little more help from Google I found out that Hip-Hop and science fiction are already interacting in more a grassroots effort. There’s a Hip-Hop subgenre called nerdcore, which is basically rap music with lyrics about science and science fiction related stuff by rappers who are proud of their so-called “nerdiness”. They have songs with titles like “The Anime Convention” by DJ Snyder, “RPG (Rhymes of Phatness and Greatness)” by Funky49 and “I Play DD” by Krondor Krew. A more mainstream example of this genre would be Weird Al’s “White and Nerdy” parody (which is laugh of loud funny).

Now it’s clear, there is a fan base who like both speculative fiction and Hip-Hop. But why aren’t any speculative fiction authors specifically reaching out to them? The most obvious answer is probably that they simply do not know that such a demographic exists.

You may be thinking—but wait, there are plenty of urban science fiction stories. And there are, but urban and Hip-Hop do not necessarily mean the same thing even though people tend to lump those two terms together. Urban refers to an area and Hip-Hop refers to a style.

So what exactly is the Hip-Hop culture?

I took a course in college about Hip-Hop and I found out that there is a real history behind the evolution of Hip-Hop. And to understand the Hip-Hop culture’s origin you must be familiar with the Five Elements of Hip-Hop which are:

1. Graffiti Art (also known as spray paint art and tagging)

2. Breakdancing (also known as bboying)

3. Emceeing (rapping)

4. DJing (which includes turntables and human beat boxing i.e. what Blake from American Idol does)

5. Knowledge (understanding and preserving the history of the Hip-Hop)

Purists of Hip-Hop believe that Hip-Hop is more than a music genre, it’s a culture. Hip-Hop has several types of subgenres from the positive socially conscious rap to the booty-shaking bling bling gangster rap type. Then there is Hip-Hop's fast growing cousin, reggaeton, that has captivated the hearts of many young Latinos and is gaining mainstream appeal.

Does speculative fiction’s future include Hip-Hop?

If so, we are going to have to be creative and explore new avenues and reinvent old ones. That means coming up with ways that present the speculative fiction genre as more than “just books” but more of an experience. We could develop more multi-media packages and audio-visual presentations. The book could come with a CD for a soundtrack that features Christian Hip-Hop music artists or include a card insert that tells people how to download free songs, podcasts and video podcasts to their iPods. Or we could do book events that showcase the five elements of Hip-Hop.

It’s pretty much a universal truth that teenagers are attracted to loud music, bright flashing lights and dance performances. So what if we come up with a new kind of science fiction convention? Ones that include Def-Poetry Jam-esque sessions, breakdancing, graffiti art, DJs, and rapping alongside all the other science fiction stuff we enjoy? And who says it has to be indoors at a hotel or a convention center? What if it was outside during the summer at a local park? Kind of like a fair. We could come up with all kind of fresh ways to bring science fiction to the Hip-Hop generation instead of waiting for them to come to us.

Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy (CSFF) authors and artists could reach out and impact Hip-Hop fans for Christ in a unique way…and that’s cool.