Slam Dunk Gospel Choir

By Nina Shen Rastogi

This weekend, L.A. Clippers forward Blake Griffin won the NBA’s
annual slam-dunk contest by leaping over the hood of a Kia Optima.
To underscore the momentousness of the act, the Crenshaw Elite
Choir was brought in to sing R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly” while
Griffin soared toward the basket.

Meanwhile, Chrysler and Eminem recently joined forces in a buzzy
Super Bowl ad that heralded a triumphant comeback for the
beleaguered city if Detroit. In the acclaimed spot, the thrumming
beats of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” eventually build to a mighty
gospel crescendo, provided by the Motor City’s own Selected of God
choir.

Dropping in a gospel choir is a time-honored way of adding a
little gravitas to your song or televised event. (See, for example,
Bruce Springsteen’s performance of “The Rising” at President
Obama’s inauguration concert.) As Slate music critic Jody Rosen
notes over email, a gospel choir is “the default signifier for
moral seriousness in pop.” It’s not only shorthand for spiritual
transcendence and ecstatic communion, but it also—explicitly or
otherwise—capitalizes on the civil rights struggle. It’s also
totally irresistible: Even the schlockiest, most distasteful
gospel-quoter can short-circuit your critical faculties with a pure
pleasure overload