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Once in a while you hear someone claim that they believe God is a woman. Those times in hip-hop drastically decrease. Being a male dominated culture and having 5%er influence, we either  hear about an all knowing male God or men themselves as God. Women are often used as a metaphor many other things in Hip-Hop. As well as Hip-Hop being perceived as derogatory to women its interesting to consider the few times that God is explicit regarded as a woman and what do they communicate about men's perspective of what a female god would be for
them.

The two songs  I want to look at are "God Interlude" and "Conversations with God" by Andre 3000 and Charles Hamilton respectively.




Charles Hamilton - Conversations with God

     If we look at Andre 3000's God Interlude is a conversation with God. He expected god to be a man , "damn your a girl".  Under that pretense he seems to push forward himself as good possible partner.  For the purposes of The Love Below its appropriate. What is interesting is that he excuses himself about getting head. Stating that this female omniscience being would understand. Depending on how you spin it , either this female god is playing the role of a close female friend or a motherly figure.

 If she is just a close friend it seems appropriate. But if we take into consideration that god is often a person looking out for you and someone you depend on and knows you intimately and is appropriate to judge, its interesting that  painting this female god,  we have Andre sidestep any form of judgement. As if she recognizes men's issues with not wanting to cheat but caving .

He then begs God for a 'sweet bitch' and states that his standards aren't as high. In response we get Andre's response that god catered to his whims. Is that he necessarily believes that in general god caters to him  or is it the premise that female god caters to him? A friend would cater to him most likely but a close female friend wouldn't necessarily do so . She would state it like it is, why does he believe that a female God wouldn't? What does that imply?

So in Andre's song we have a god being a woman such that she caters to his needs, and is presented in a duality of either being a woman or close female friend. Charles Hamilton  instead blatantly saying 'Our Mother' and approaching his female god as a divine. And unlike Andre's which is a monologue , Charles instead has a dialogue.

Charles first question is how to address god. 'Miss, can I call you Miss?'  And she responds to him implying that she is always there to listen " You don't need a phone to reach me". This  works with the concept that a god is omniscient as is always there. So although Charles is extremely informal with his god, we receive an acknowledgement of divinity and some reverence. She says that she was watching him from a far and that the wind is her presence.

Whats interesting is that first verse establishes a relationship between he and god. This however sets up for verse two. In between we have this female god stating  that she loves her more and and displaying that this god has Charles interest at heart. Thus allowing for whatever Charles Hamilton asks next there is expectation and belief that she will do so for him and understandingly so.

 Charles asks if women get mad when he talks about the his past. Its interesting that after establishing a relationship between them the first thing he goes to discuss is relationships. It seems like that even though he established her divinity , he only cares to talk to her about relationships. Is it that even a female divine being can't be removed from love?  He does all this while  using god as a tool to validate his masculinity "your far from a boy to me".

It seems that there is an inherent relationship between being female and discussing sexuality and that a relationship with a divine being cannot even escape this. Charles song is interesting as the purpose and the point of his female god is uncertain. Although he has a second verse highlighting thoughts about relationships. The first and third verse solely existing to talk about relationship. Andre on te other hand uses his female god to talk about relationships as was the point of the The Love Below album.

What do you guys think of these songs and how they present a female god? Are there other songs I missed? Did I get it wrong?

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