Praise be! Hip-hop art gets religious

[Big Booger]

Picture a classic Byzantine icon of the crucified Christ. The savior's body, having been taken down from the cross, is surrounded by his grieving loved ones. Now imagine that scene in the 21st century. Replace the body of Jesus with that of slain gangsta rapper Tupac Shakur, laid out on a car hood, with friends such as Dr. Dre and Suge Knight standing round mourning.

Or why not replace the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus with producer-rapper Dr. Dre clutching superstar Eminem?

This remix is how artist Tom Sanford paints his hip-hop heroes. Sanford sees the process as analogous to the creation of music -- sample a track, then mix in your style, turning it into something new.

View some of the works:





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