Philly Pastor Writes Book Dedicated to ‘Dangerous Effects’ of Lil’ Wayne

Philadelphia Presbyterian Pastor Jomo K. Johnson, founder of the Philly Open Air Church, has written a book solely dedicated to the destructive effects of Lil’ Wayne, the self-proclaimed “Best Rapper Alive,” on urban youth, managing to connect the hip-hop superstar to flash mobs, Columbine and Marilyn Manson in a single tome.

“‘Deadest Rapper Alive:’ The Rise of Lil’ Wayne and the Fall of Urban Youth,” examines the “dangerous effects” of Lil’ Wayne’s persona and lyrics through a combination of statistics, history, sociology, ethnomusicology and “Biblical truth.”

In a press release, Johnson called Lil’ Wayne’s music “an epic height of depravity for the Black American and urban culture” and said, “Never has it been seen in the history of African-American music that the culture and generation has embraced and popularized an artist who is not simply immoral but amoral in all of his content, image, and representation. Lil Wayne is Marilyn Manson with darker skin but no one has seemed to notice.”

“Deadest Rapper Alive” draws parallels between the words of Lil’ Wayne and flash mobs, teen solicitation of prostitutes and prepubescent sex and argues that hip hop music has “lost all redeeming qualities and is now unable to become more degenerate than it already is.”

“What Wayne shows by his appearance is that there is no moral standard of appearance. Wayne’s entire upper body, neck, and certain portions of his face are tattooed. He is constantly seen smoking marijuana or sipping from a cup of cough syrup and soda. (This drug, commonly known as ‘sizurrup, is a prescription strength cough syrup containing codeine and promethazine),” an excerpt from the book reads.

It warns parents, church leaders and youth who are “encountering the amoral trappings of Lil’ Wayne” to resist his debauched messages.

“When one seeks to follow the pseudo-philosophical ideology that artists like Lil’ Wayne expound, history has proven with uncanny accuracy that calamity must shortly ensue,” Johnson wrote. “If the tragedy of Columbine could happen in the suburbs, what will happen in the hood?”

“‘Deadest Rapper Alive:’ The Rise of Lil’ Wayne and the Fall of Urban Youth,” is available at Lulu.com and Amazon.com, as well as at the Philly Open Air Church, 2742 Germantown Avenue.