Satanic rap, anyone?

For the past few years, there have been countless rumors regarding Three 6 Mafia's alleged Satanic affiliation. None of these speculations, however, have been fully validated. Out of my love for the group, and overall curiosity on the subject, I decided to do some investigation.\nFirst, there's the introduction to their 2005 hit, "Stay Fly." Many claim they hear "You are God/ You are King Lucifer." Others say it's just the ruffled sampling in Willie Hutch's "Tell Me Why Has Our Love Turned Cold" in the background.\nBut then there's the group's numerals, 666 -- the mark of evil. Three 6 Mafia have explained that the name change corresponds to their expansion from three to six members, but while they are notorious for their shifting lineup, the claim is still suspicious. Perhaps the most infamous departure is Gangsta Boo's, who parted ways with the group after converting to Christianity. \nBut wait! According to Allhiphop.com, the members of Three 6 Mafia are Christians, too. During their 2005 Academy Award acceptance speech for "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," Juicy J thanked Jesus. But so what? DJ Paul thanked almost everyone, including George Clooney. \nSomething tells me Nancy Drew would be wary. \nThere's no denying that the Memphis, Tenn., rap act started out with a "horrorcore" image -- that is, heavy rap incorporating horror themes. Just listen to the lyrics from their jam "Sleep." Later on in their career, however, the group gained mainstream success when their content became more about getting crunk and less about getting demonic. \nBut what is Satanism anyway? Satanism celebrates Satan, who, according to the Official Church of Satan Web site, "represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification." The site has a list of music affiliates, but there is no mention of Three 6 Mafia. That would have been too easy.\nAfter the Dixie Chicks proclaimed their disgust for President Bush, they lost a lot of conservative country fans. If Three 6 declared their love for Lucifer, it's likely that they'd become outcasts in commercial hip-hop, a genre with many religious followers and fans. But maybe Mafia can gain the support of Goth kids. Let's face it though: Nobody wants some "Chapelle's Show" quoting, Hot Topic collar poppin' wannabe saying, "It's hard out there for a Satanist." The last thing the group needs is to stumble in their rise to super-stardom -- especially with an upcoming reality TV show. And if this is the case, I'll respect Three 6 Mafia's privacy.\nAfter weeks of researching, I've found little concrete information on Three 6 Mafia's devil-worshipping, or lack there of. It appears there's no definite answer to this mystery. Maybe Three 6 Mafia want it that way to show that this issue is irrelevant to their integrity as musicians. Personally, I don't care if they are Satanists, Scientologists or Southern Baptists as long as their music is still off the chain. But if Juicy J and the gang expect me to believe they are not somehow connected to Satan, I would like to quote former Mafia member La Chat in saying, "Boy, please. Whatever"