Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - For the first time in history a Catholic priest has released a hip-hop album. It is the work of Fr. Egberto In Noh-bin, a forty year old priest, pastor of the Catholic Church Chenongbuk Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The album is called "Stromateis" and contains 13 tracks, including seven rap songs, all written and sung by Noh.
The album title is a tribute to Clement of Alexandria, Father of the Church, who called the third volume of his trilogy on Christian life "Stromateis" (which could be translated as "Miscellaneous").
Fr. Egberto In Noh-bin says that his is an album that is human and expresses emotions like love, hope, pain and anger. The aim is to give hope to the listeners: "This album is the kind of contemporary Christian music (CCM) - says the priest - and the songs are popular in the Church. I hope that many young Catholics can appreciate these songs and I think that the CCM should be rejuvenated in order to attract more young people "
The songs of Noh also highlight the themes of adolescence and social problems. The song "My Conflict 'deals with the problems of youth, while" Pray "is a nice rap song about religious life. "Hypocrites" he rails against Catholics living double standards.
The song "Food Shock" is rather a mockery of the gap between rich and poor. "Consolation" is dedicated to the victims of the Sewol disaster.
Some South Korean gospel singers and musicians, such as Hong Ji-ho and Im Du-bin, collaborated in the album. Fr. Egberto In Noh-bin will perform on August 9 at the Korea Catholic Cultural Center in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, to promote the record.