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ATTLEBORO - Righteous B describes himself as "a full-time suburban gangsta" and the "Cadillac of Christian hip hop." B may be the only rapper whose front-row audience includes three Franciscan priests and a nun, bouncing along to his beats.

Righteous B performed for a crowd of more than 2,700 at this weekend's Steubenville East conference, held for the last 11 years at Attleboro's LaSalette Shrine.

The conference brings together Catholic teenagers from around the region for a weekend of Mass, music and devotion.

Back home in Ohio, B has a decidedly less "hip hop" persona. Offstage, the former youth pastor goes by Bob Lesnefsky. He's married to his college sweetheart, and they have four children.

Lesnefsky began infusing ministry with hip hop during his days working with inner-city youth at a New York parish. Four albums later, he performs at more than 100 events each year. Lesnefsky started working at Steubenville conferences more than a decade ago, while earning a theology degree at Franciscan University. His alma mater hosted the first Steubenville youth conference in its namesake-city in 1976. Today, there are 14 conferences around North America, where 40,000 teens will gather this summer.

Lesnefsky is not oblivious to the naysayers, who don't like his mix of rap and Christianity. When he first started, he heard complaints almost weekly, but he never believed "that in and of itself the music is evil."

"Pope John Paul II has this quote that I really feel like defines at least my ministry," said Lesnefsky. "What he said was, 'If the Church holds back from culture, the Gospel itself falls silent.' "

Lesnefsky sees hip hop as part of youth culture, a way to speak their language. So far, the artist's brand of rap and worship seems to be working.

Christine Durkee and Elizabeth Sistare, both of Our Lady of the Lakes parish in Oakdale, Conn., have seen Lesnefsky perform previously and were looking forward to a repeat.

Durkee, 14, said, "We chose this first weekend because Righteous B was going to be here. He's upbeat and younger. It's a younger kind of music, and not just church music."

Nathan Chartier, a 17-year-old conference-goer from Nashua, N.H., sees the draw.

"I think his music probably draws a lot of kids in because a lot of kids, and even adults, perceive anything having to do with the Church as being automatically a boring event," said Chartier, who attends Nashua's Immaculate Conception parish.

"When you can inject music that people enjoy into it, and kind of shape it to a medium that they can enjoy, I think it makes it easier to connect."

His fellow parishioner, Jamie Ranslow, also 17, agrees: "It gives worship a New World sense, rather than the Old World Latin." Still, Lesnefsky never wants his music to detract from the message of Christianity.

"What my music's not and what I hope that it never is, is like being a soap salesman for Jesus, trying to make him look cool," said Lesnefsky. "I think that's a fault that we sometimes get into, trying to make Jesus look cooler, and he doesn't need us to do that."

For all his talk about his own cool factor, Lesnefsky is quick to say his hip hop credentials are tongue-in-cheek. He makes no pretense that he's lived a hardened life, often glorified by mainstream rap.

When he's not performing, Lesnefsky still works with urban youth. Three years ago, he started a nonprofit called Dirty Vagabond Ministries, which develops quality urban youth ministries. They now have five full-time youth pastors in three cities.

Whether it's in the inner-city or under a tent at LaSalette, Lesnefsky's goal is clear: "I feel like for me it's great to show kids that living for God is wonderful and exciting, and not in a hokey way, but in a way to say that God is not here to turn you into a boring person. God will actually bring you greater fulfillment and greater joy.

Steubenville East will host a second weekend of events July 18-20. Next weekend, another 2,000 youth are expected to attend for another round of inspirational speakers and music.