''Church Clothes 3'' is the third
mixtape
A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
by
Christian hip hop
Christian hip hop (originally gospel rap, also known as Christian rap, gospel hip hop or holy hip hop) is a subgenre of contemporary Christian music and hip hop music. It emerged from urban contemporary music and Christian media in the United S ...
recording artist
A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...
Lecrae
Lecrae Devaughn Moore (born October 9, 1979), mononymously known as Lecrae, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record and film producer, record executive, actor, and entrepreneur.
He is the president, co-owner and co-founder of the ind ...
. It was released on January 15, 2016, through his label
Reach Records
Reach Records is an American independent record label specializing in Christian hip hop. The label was founded in 2004 by Ben Washer and the hip-hop artist Lecrae. In addition to Lecrae, the Reach Records roster contains artists like Tedashii, ...
. The mixtape is the third in his ''Church Clothes'' series, and his first major release since his studio album ''
Anomaly'' (2014). It features
guest appearance
In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...
s from
E-40
Earl Tywone Stevens Sr. (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group The Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date, a ...
,
N'dambi,
Propaganda
Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
,
John Givez
John Lawrence Givens (born August 29, 1992), known professionally as John Givez and sometimes Juan Dando, is an American musician, who plays hip hop, R&B, soul, funk and neo soul music. He is cousins with fellow rapper JGivens. John has relea ...
,
JGivens
Jeremiah Timothy Givens (born May 24, 1987), also known by the stage name JGivens, is an American former Christian hip hop musician. He has released four studio albums: ''Run'' in 2011, ''El v. Envy'' in 2013, '' Fly Exam'' in 2015, and ''Domino ...
,
Jackie Hill-Perry
Jackie Hill Perry (née Jackie Hill, born June 21, 1989) is an American poet, writer, and hip hop artist who initially garnered popularity for her performances of spoken word pieces such as "My Life as a Stud", "A Poem About Weed", and "Jig-a- ...
, and then-label-mate
KB.
While the previous two mixtapes were hosted by DJ
Don Cannon
Donald Cannon (born August 2, 1979) is an American DJ, record producer, songwriter, and record executive. Cannon is a co-founder of the Atlantic Records imprint, Generation Now. He was also a member of the prominent Atlanta mixtape collective, ...
, on ''Church Clothes 3''
S1 served as executive producer on the tape. In addition to S1, Epikh Pro, Black Knight,
GAWVI
Gabriel Alberto Azucena who goes by the stage name GAWVI, formerly G-Styles, is an American Christian hip hop artist and music producer, formerly for Reach Records. He was born on September 23, 1988 in the Bronx, New York. He has released three ...
, and others contributed production to the mixtape.
The mixtape was released without any prior announcement or marketing campaign. Available in digital form through
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
and other online vendors, physical copies were made available exclusively through DTLR stores. ''Church Clothes 3'' sold well during its first charting week, reaching No. 12 on the
''Billboard'' 200 and No. 1 on the US Top Christian,
Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
, and
Rap Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Jan ...
charts. It also met with a positive reception from critics. It was highly praised for its high production value and it lyricism, which explores aspects racism,
gang
A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectivel ...
violence, and oppression; however, the mixtape also received some criticism for a lack of creativity and some inconsistency in its lyrical themes.
Alongside the album, Lecrae released a longform
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
entitled "Church Clothes 3: A Short Film", which features the songs "It Is What It Is", "Gangland", "Déjà Vu", and "Misconceptions 3".
The music video was praised for its vintage feel and beautiful visuals. A second video, for the song "Freedom", was released on January 18, 2016.
Critical reception
Cal Moore at The Christian Manifesto gave the mixtape four stars out of five, noting the high quality and sonic diversity of the production values and Lecrae's growth as a lyricism and wordplay. He appreciated Lecrae's increasing social consciousness on tracks such as "Freedom", "Gangland", and "Misconceptions 3", which in his view "pull absolutely ''zero'' punches when it comes to addressing social ills", but found the tracks "Sidelines" (addressing Lecrae's critics) and "Forever" (Lecrae expressing faithfulness to his wife) to be clichéd.
Moore concluded that ''Church Clothes 3'' is a solid release, but that, at times, he found it overly similar to
Sho Baraka
Amisho Baraka Lewis (born January 10, 1979), better known by his stage name Sho Baraka, is an American Christian hip-hop artist and writer who has recorded both independently and as a founding member of the 116 Clique. He was originally signed ...
's release ''
Talented 10th
''Talented 10th'' is the third studio album by American Christian hip hop artist Sho Baraka, released through his own label, Lions & Liars Music, on January 15, 2013. It is the first solo release by Sho Baraka since he left Reach Records in 2011 ...
''.
Victoria Hernandez of
HipHopDX
''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group.
...
rated ''Church Clothes 3'' three-and-a-half out of five, praising the mixtape's production and how Lecrae's lyrics meld social issues with expressions of his faith, but opining that Lecrae did not introduce anything new on the tape. Rap Remnant viewed the mixtape highly favorably, rating it four-point-seven out of five and lavishing praise on Lecrae's lyrical themes of social injustice, racial tension, oppression, and the need for the
Gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
.
Carlin Doyle of Reel Gospel was more mixed, rating the recording three out of five. He likewise praised the lyrical themes of the mixtape, but found that, when compared to Lecrae's 2014 album ''
Anomaly'', the production on ''Church Clothes 3'' is rushed and lacking in creativity.
Kevin Hoskins of Jesus Freak Hideout rated the mixtape four-and-a-half stars out of five, opining that with the solid production, deep message, and accompanying visuals, ''Church Clothes 3'' "so much more than just a mixtape."
Mark Rice, also from Jesus Freak Hideout, gave the mixtape four stars, explaining that he found Lecrae too defensive in his message, but otherwise highly pleased with the release.
A review by ''
The Red and Black
''The Red & Black'' is an independent weekly student newspaper serving the University of Georgia (UGA), updated daily on its website.
History
Students published its first issue in tabloid format on November 24, 1893, from offices in the Acade ...
'' found the mixtape's message regarding African American youth, gang violence, and inequality to be similar to
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...
's ''
To Pimp a Butterfly
''To Pimp a Butterfly'' is the third studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album was recorded in studios throughout the Uni ...
'', albeit that Lecrae took a more direct and blunt approach. They likewise praised the mixtape's production, considering it some of the most diverse production to come from a Lecrae release. However, they found that, as the mixtape progressed, Lecrae resorted to trend-seeking and
brag tracks, which clashed with the earlier themes of social oppression.
Commercial performance
''Church Clothes 3'' debuted at number 12 on the
''Billboard'' 200 selling 29,207 equivalent copies (25,665 in pure album sales).
It also charted at No. 1 on the Christian,
Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
, and
Rap Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Jan ...
charts, as well as No. 3 on the Digital chart.
Track listing
Notes
* "Cruising" contains uncredited vocals performed by
Natalie Lauren
Natalie Lauren Sims (born June 25, 1984), also known by her stage name Natalie Lauren and former stage name Suzy Rock, is a musician, songwriter, graphic designer and visual artist, writer, and music executive from Tulsa, Oklahoma. As a solo a ...
* "Can't Do You" contains uncredited vocals performed by Drew Allen
* "Forever" contains uncredited vocals performed by K.Ross
* "I Wouldn't Know" contains uncredited vocals performed by ELHAE
Charts
References
{{Authority control
2016 mixtape albums
Albums produced by Symbolyc One
Lecrae albums
Political hip hop albums
Reach Records albums
Sequel albums
Political music albums by American artists