'Black Jesus' Show Sparks Ethnicity Debate; Rapper Tedashii Talks Jesus' Skin Color

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The new Adult Swim series "Black Jesus" has sparked some debate over the ethnicity of the historical Jesus Christ.

Christian rapper Tedashii was recently interviewed by VladTV.com where he discussed what Jesus' actual skin color was, and if Christ was closer to resembling an African man or a white European.

"The accuracy of Jesus' ethnicity matters to an extent for me, but probably because of my upbringing here [in the U.S.]," said Tedashii. "Growing up, there was this view of oppression that came from a certain people group, and then when you look to the God that you believe in, and the picture painted for you is the same individual, it does grow this kind of conflict within you to [say] alright, this doesn't make sense."

"To learn and become more educated and realize where he's from, there were no white people," he continued. "This culturally could not have happened or did not exist. Growing up in a black culture [I felt a little better after learning that.]"

Tedashii commented that, for Christians, matters concerning Jesus' skin color and ethnic background are not as important as Jesus' own claim that He is God.

"When I move beyond that point to even more understanding, I'm concerned for accuracy, but I'm more concerned about what He accomplished," Tedashii asserted. "So at the end of the day, [Jesus] could have been Russian, [it's about] what He did for me. He lived, died and resurrected and then gave me a chance at real hope."

"Black Jesus" debuted on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim earlier this year and depicts Jesus as a black man living in modern-day Compton, California. The show has come under fire from many in the Christian community for showing Jesus participating in activities such as smoking marijuana and stealing.

Tedashii understands why it has offended some, but feels that it is only a "caricature," and therefore shouldn't be taken too seriously.

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"I can appreciate people being offended to an extent," he said. "If you take someone who you love dearly or consider to be in high regard, and you start placing them in moments and situations that don't line-up and it's televised — that gives it a little more fuel. It adds to the number of people that are going to see it and it offends them even more."

"The artistic license for them to take something that's a cultural phenomenon and someone as known as Jesus and take a spin on it, to me, it's just funny TV. And I'm not offended by the dude who plays Him and I'm not [saying they should cancel it]. Who he's playing is a caricature of who Christ is, that's not who Christ was."

To watch the full interview click here.