To John Reuben, there is a natural relationship between Christianity and rap.

“Faith doesn’t tell you a style of music,” Reuben says. “My faith in Christ is who I am as a person, but when you say ‘Christian music’ or ‘Christian hip-hop,’ what does that really mean?”

Reuben will be bringing his experimental hip-hop show — complete with breakdancers — and fellow Christian rap group Mars III to a barn a few miles south of Lincoln Way on Elwood Drive Saturday. He says many people see his genre as a paradox, but he has found a way to make his religious beliefs work with the hip-hop attitude.

“If you were to ask if I’m a Christian rapper — well, I am a Christian, and I am a rapper.”

Freestyling and writing poetry as a young boy, Reuben says he got hooked into the hip-hop culture as young as 15 by performing at open mic competitions. Shortly after beginning to strengthen his hip-hop roots, Reuben deepened his spiritual life as well, which has influenced his music ever since.

“I became an honest believer when I was about 16 years old and my music just started changing naturally,” Reuben says. “I don’t think I ever sat down and said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna write a Christian rap song today.'”

Rather than making a conscious effort to spread his beliefs on listeners, Reuben’s beliefs permeate his very being, and therefore are evident in his songs.

“As an artist, you talk about your experiences and your perspective and your life,” he says. “As I put my faith in Christ, my lyrics just started naturally leaning more in that direction.”

Responses to his success and the ways in which he expresses himself have been mixed, but backlash has not always been related to the religious aspect of his music, he says.

“A lot of times, people have a problem with my music, and it has nothing to do with my faith — they just don’t like my music,” Reuben says with a laugh.

While Reuben admits his music is less accessible to non-Christians, he hopes to reach a broader audience in the future. In order to do this, he says he refuses to conceal his beliefs in order to sell more records.

“It’s definitely not something I’m tiptoeing around about,” he says. “I mean, we’re not going to lock all the doors and do an altar call, but a lot of my songs have definitely been my own personal prayers. It’s not something we try to tuck away in the corner.”

Shots taken at the Christian music industry do bother Reuben, but he says some of the negative comments said about Christian music are justified. “When people throw ‘Christian rap’ out there as almost a diss, that does get under my skin because I think music is horrible all around the board, whether it’s Christian or non-Christian,” he says.

Who: John Reuben, Mars Ill

Where: Blacks Heritage Farm, 26156 30th Ave.

When: 7 p.m., Saturday

Cost: $12