KJ-52: Dangerous [Review and Discussion Starter]

SONG: “Superhero” (from Dangerous)

TOPIC: Jesus’ sacrifice

THEME: Jesus is our superhero.

BACKGROUND: Hip-hop artist KJ-52 kicks off his latest album with a head-bopping party track called “It’s Goin’ Down.” A stark contrast to other party anthems from, say, LMFAO, this party is thrown to thank God for what he’s done in his life. “Superhero” is a pounding, catchy piece that exhibits KJ-52’s verbal acrobatics and clever wordplay to show us the one, true superhero. “They Like Me,” a collaboration with Lecrae, talks about some of the racial prejudice they’ve experienced as rappers—sometimes from within the church. He also includes some silliness—in this case a song about doing a dance named after Bill Cosby. The beats are infectious; the rhymes are relentless; KJ’s straight Untouchable—like Eliot Ness.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Who is your favorite superhero, and why? If you could have one superpower, what would you choose? Why do we like stories about superheroes so much? How is Jesus like a superhero? How is he unlike one? Read aloud Philippians 2:6-11. What are some of the “super” things these verses talk about? What has Jesus saved us from? What does Jesus ask in return for his act of sacrifice?

This article first appeared in the May/June issue of Group Magazine.