Lecrae Devaughn Moore (born October 9, 1979),
mononymously known as Lecrae, is an American
rapper, singer, songwriter,
record and
film producer,
record executive
A music executive or record executive is a person within a record label who works in senior management and makes executive decisions over the label's artists. Their role varies greatly but in essence, they can oversee one, or many, aspects of a re ...
, actor, and entrepreneur.
He is the president, co-owner and co-founder of the independent record label
Reach Records, was the co-founder and president of the now-defunct non-profit organization ReachLife Ministries, is an investor and co-owner of the audio production software MXD, and is a co-founder of the film production studio 3 Strand Films. To date, he has released ten studio albums and three mixtapes as a solo artist, and has released three studio albums, a remix album, one EP, and numerous singles as the leader of the hip hop group
116 Clique
The 116, formerly 116 Clique (pronounced one-one-six click), is an American Southern Christian hip hop collective originally from Dallas, Texas signed to the Atlanta-based Reach Records. The group performs a wide variety of contemporary hip ho ...
. He produced much of his earlier material along with other early Reach Records releases. Lecrae, in reference to him being labelled as a Christian rapper, has stated that his music is just hip hop, though it reflects his Christian faith. In May 2016, Lecrae signed to
Columbia Records in a joint deal between his label and Columbia. He left Columbia in May 2020.
Lecrae's debut recording, ''
Real Talk'', was released in 2004 through Reach Records. His third solo album, ''
Rebel
A rebel is a participant in a rebellion.
Rebel or rebels may also refer to:
People
* Rebel (given name)
* Rebel (surname)
* Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution
* American Southerners, as a form of self-identification ...
'', released in 2008, became the first Christian hip hop album to reach No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Gospel chart. ''
Rehab'' followed in 2010, and Lecrae began attracting mainstream attention when he performed at the 2011
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
Hip Hop Awards Cypher and appeared on the
Statik Selektah song "Live & Let Live" from ''
Population Control
Population control is the practice of artificially maintaining the size of any population. It simply refers to the act of limiting the size of an animal population so that it remains manageable, as opposed to the act of protecting a species from ...
''. On May 10, 2012, Lecrae released his first mixtape, ''
Church Clothes'', which was hosted by
Don Cannon.
Considered his breakthrough into mainstream hip hop, the mixtape was downloaded over 100,000 times in less than 48 hours. His sixth studio album, ''
Gravity
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...
'', came out on September 4, 2012, and has been called the most important album in Christian hip hop history by
Rapzilla and ''
Atlanta Daily World''.
The album debuted as the best-selling album overall in the iTunes Store, No. 3 on the
''Billboard'' 200 and won the
Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album
The Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the Gospel music genre. Honors in s ...
at the
2013 Grammy Awards
The 55th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 10, 2013, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET ...
, marking the first time that a hip hop artist received this award. Lecrae released his seventh album, ''
Anomaly'', on September 9, 2014. It debuted at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 with 88,587 copies sold through the first week, the first album to top both the ''Billboard'' 200 and the Gospel chart simultaneously. He released a third mixtape, ''
Church Clothes 3'', on January 15, 2016, an eighth studio album, ''
All Things Work Together'', on September 22, 2017, and a ninth studio album, ''
Let the Trap Say Amen'', a collaborative project with
Zaytoven
Xavier Lamar Dotson (born January 12, 1980), professionally known as Zaytoven, is an American trap music record producer, disc jockey, and keyboardist from Atlanta, Georgia. He has released collaborative projects with artists including Gu ...
, on June 22, 2018. His tenth studio album, ''
Restoration'', was released on August 21, 2020.
Lecrae received nominations for Artist of the Year at the
43rd,
44th, 45th, and
46th GMA Dove Award
A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Awar ...
s, the last of which he won, and for
Best Gospel Artist at the
2013 and
2015 BET Awards
The 15th BET Awards was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on June 28, 2015 and was televised on BET. This year marked the ceremony's 15th anniversary and the milestone was celebrated throughout the show, which was hosted by ...
, the latter of which he won, a first for a rap artist. Lecrae's filmography includes a role in the television film ''A Cross to Bear'' (2012) and brief roles in the comedy film ''
Believe Me'' (2014), crime film ''
Superfly'' (2018), and Christian drama film ''
Breakthrough'' (2019). In the social sphere, Lecrae has presented on and written about
racial tension
An ethnic conflict is a conflict between two or more contending ethnic groups. While the source of the conflict may be political, social, economic or religious, the individuals in conflict must expressly fight for their ethnic group's positio ...
and
injustice in the United States as well as advocated for the preservation of responsibility and fatherhood as a value among men in the United States. In 2013 he partnered with
Dwyane Wade and
Joshua DuBois in the multimedia initiative ''This Is Fatherhood'' as part of the
Obama administration's Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative, and in 2020 during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
worked with Love Beyond Walls to distribute hand-washing stations and food to homeless people in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
.
Life and career
Early life
Lecrae was raised by his single mother in a poor neighborhood in southern
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...
.
Shortly after his birth, he moved to
Denver, away from his
Drug addiction father, then to
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
. At the age of 6, he was sexually abused by his babysitter. As a teenager, his role models were the rapper
Tupac Shakur and his uncle, a member of a street gang.
[Jonathan Landrum Jr.]
Christian rapper Lecrae opens up about troubled past in book
seattletimes.com, USA, May 12, 2016
At age 16, he began using
drugs, tasting almost every substance except crack and
heroin.
He starts stealing in high school and dealing drugs, using his grandmother's
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...
as lucky charm.
[Steve Almasy,]
For the rapper, a new life, a new message
cnn.com, USA, November 10, 2010He is arrested for possession of drugs, but the policeman who arrests him discovers his Bible and makes him promise that if he lets him go he will live according to his principles from now on. Subsequently, he begins a
rehab.
He drops drugs but replaces them with alcohol and throwing parties.
He receives a scholarship and goes to study theater at the
University of North Texas but does music instead of going to his classes.
He dropped out of his program and went to
Middle Tennessee State University.
At 19, he goes to a
Bible study after being invited by a girl from college.
He is amazed to see people like him there, who like the same books and the same music, but who were loving. He decides to live for God, but still makes bad decisions. Following a friend's invitation, he attends a Christian conference in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
and is impressed by the performance of a Christian rap group,
The Cross Movement. He is also touched by a clear presentation of the gospel by Pastor James White (Christ Our King Community Church), asks forgiveness for his sins and claims to have experienced a
new birth.
Subsequently, he is the victim of a car accident and comes out unscathed. He returned to the
University of North Texas and earned a degree in
Sociology and Electronic Media in 2003.
That same year, in a Bible study meeting at Denton Bible Church in
Denton, Texas there, he met Ben Washer, with whom he would volunteer and sing in a
juvenile correctional facility. Young people's positive response to Christian rap encourages them to start a label.
Early career (2004–2011)
In 2004, five years after his conversion, Lecrae teamed up with Ben Washer to found
Reach Records, and at the age of 25 he released his first album, ''
Real Talk''. The following year it was re-released by
Cross Movement Records and reached No. 29 on the ''Billboard'' Gospel Albums chart, staying on the chart for 12 weeks. The album later received a nomination at the 2007
Stellar Awards. In 2005, Lecrae co-founded the non-profit organization ReachLife Ministries (no longer operational since April 2015), which equipped local Christian leaders with tools, media, curriculum, and conferences that were based on the teachings of the Bible and relevant to hip-hop culture. Also in 2005, the debut album of 116 Clique, ''
The Compilation Album'', was released.
After the success of ''Real Talk'', Lecrae then released his second studio album on August 15, 2006. ''After the Music Stops'' charted at No. 5 on the ''Billboard'' Gospel Albums chart, No. 7 on the ''Billboard''
Christian Albums chart and No. 16 on the ''Billboard''
Heatseeker Album charts, and received a nomination for a
Dove Award, as was the single "
Jesus Muzik
"Jesus Muzik" is the second single from Lecrae's second studio album, ''After the Music Stops''. It is critically acclaimed and was nominated for two GMA Dove Awards. ", featuring
Trip Lee. In 2007, 116 Clique released its second album, ''
13 Letters
''13 Letters'' is the second compilation album by the Christian hip hop group 116 Clique. It charted at No. 29 on the ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor adve ...
'',
reaching No. 10 on the Gospel Albums chart and No. 29 on the Christian Albums chart.
116 Clique also released the
remix EP ''
Amped'', which peaked at No. 24 on the Gospel Albums chart.
On October 8, 2008, Lecrae's third album, ''
Rebel
A rebel is a participant in a rebellion.
Rebel or rebels may also refer to:
People
* Rebel (given name)
* Rebel (surname)
* Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution
* American Southerners, as a form of self-identification ...
'', entered the ''
Billboard'' charts at No. 60 with 9,800 units sold and topped the ''Billboard'' Gospel Album charts for two weeks, the first hip-hop album to do so. It also charted at No. 2 on the Christian Albums chart and No. 15 on the Top Independent charts. In 2009, the album received a nomination at the 40th Dove Awards, as did the
Flame song "Joyful Noise", which featured Lecrae and John Reilly.
2009 also saw Lecrae's first film role, when he appeared in the documentary ''Uprise Presents: Word from the Street'' by the UK-based TV channel OHTV.
In 2009, he moved to
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
and he helped establish Blueprint Church (
Southern Baptist Convention).
On February 5, 2010, Lecrae released a
charity single entitled "Far Away", a tribute to the victims of the
2010 Haiti earthquake. Lecrae promised that all proceeds from the single's sales would go directly to the Haiti relief effort. On July 7, Lecrae announced on the Reach Records website that the title of his new album would be ''
Rehab''. On August 5, 2010, Rapzilla shared a new song from Lecrae called "Amp It Up". Lecrae subsequently clarified on his Twitter account that the song was not a single from ''Rehab'', but rather a theme song for Kanakuk Kamps, a chain of Christian camps for which he writes songs annually. On August 31, 2010, Reach Records revealed the track list for ''Rehab'', released it for pre-order, and premiered a promotional video "Idols". A second promotional video, entitled "I Am Dust", debuted on September 9, 2010. Upon its release, ''Rehab'' hit No. 16 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, making it one of the highest selling Christian hip hop albums at that time.
On September 22, 2010,
Rapzilla reported that the ''Rehab'' packaging came with an advertisement encouraging buyers to purchase another upcoming album, ''
Rehab: The Overdose'', which saw release on January 11, 2011. It included 11 new songs and featured several other Christian artists such as Thi'sl and
Swoope. ''Rehab: The Overdose'' debuted at No. 15 on the ''Billboard'' 200. On August 29, 2011, Lecrae announced through Twitter that on September 27, 2011, he would release a special edition of ''Rehab'', entitled ''Rehab: Deluxe Edition''. On the same day, 116 Clique released their fourth album, entitled ''Man Up''. On September 7, 2011, Rapzilla announced that Lecrae would be featured on the
BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher on October 11, 2011. Lecrae gained popularity after his verse on the cypher trended nationwide on Twitter and was featured on
AllHipHop.
Lecrae then appeared as a feature on
Statik Selektah's song "Live and Let Live" from his ''
Population Control
Population control is the practice of artificially maintaining the size of any population. It simply refers to the act of limiting the size of an animal population so that it remains manageable, as opposed to the act of protecting a species from ...
'' album.
Mainstream breakthrough (2012–2016)
On February 16, 2012, Rapzilla announced that Lecrae was preparing to release his first mixtape, ''
Church Clothes''. On May 3, 2012, Lecrae premiered his music video for the title track of his ''Church Clothes'' mixtape online on ''
XXL''.
The video was noted for including cameos by
Kendrick Lamar and
DJ Premier, and attracted almost 20,000 views in less than a day.
Hosted by
Don Cannon, the mixtape featured the song ''Darkest Hour'', in which Lecrae collaborated with No Malice of
Clipse. ''Church Clothes'' was downloaded more than 100,000 times in less than 48 hours on DatPiff.com, and in less than a month reached 250,000 downloads, a platinum rating on the website.
On June 25, 2012, a
remastered version of the mixtape, without DJ Don Cannon, was released as an
EP for sale on
iTunes.
Due to issues with
sampling, this version was much shorter with only seven songs.
Upon its release, the EP debuted on the
''Billboard'' charts at No. 10 on both the Christian Albums and Gospel Albums charts for the week of July 14, 2012.
On April 27, Lecrae announced that his next album, ''
Gravity
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...
'', was to be released in late 2012, and recording sessions began in May. On June 21, 2012, Lecrae appeared live at the
Apple Store in Chicago for Black Music Month. The release date for ''Gravity'', September 4, 2012, as well as the album artwork was announced on July 19, 2012, via Rapzilla.
On August 30, 2012, the rapper
Saigon announced that Lecrae would be one of the featured artists on his upcoming album ''
The Greatest Story Never Told Chapter 2: Bread and Circuses'', due November 6, 2012.
''Gravity'' was released on September 4, 2012, to critical acclaim.
Upon its release, ''Gravity'' debuted at No. 3 on the
''Billboard'' 200, with 72,000 units sold.
The album also debuted at No. 1 on the Christian, Gospel, Independent, and Rap Album charts, No. 3 on the Digital Albums chart, and 24 on the
Canadian Albums Chart. After the iTunes deluxe version of the album hit No. 1 on that vendors charts, and the regular version at number No. 2, ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' wrote an article about Lecrae and his success with the album.
On November 7, 2013, Lecrae released his second mixtape, entitled ''
Church Clothes Vol. 2'', hosted once again by Don Cannon. The mixtape debuted at No. 21 on the
''Billboard'' 200, No. 1 on the ''
Billboard'' Christian Albums and Gospel Albums charts, and No. 3 on the
Rap Albums chart.
On Datpiff.com, the album was download over 146,000 times by November 26, 2013.
On June 3, 2014, Lecrae announced through social media that his seventh studio album would be titled ''
Anomaly''. The album released on September 9, 2014. It is supported by the single "Nuthin". It debuted at No. 1 on the ''
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of ar ...
'' with over 88,000 copies sold through the first week. It is the first time an album tops both the ''Billboard'' 200 and the Gospel Albums chart. Lecrae also became the fifth artist following
Chris Tomlin
Christopher Dwayne Tomlin (born May 4, 1972) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, and worship leader from Grand Saline, Texas, United States, who has sold over 7 million records. He is a member of Passion Conferences an ...
(2013),
TobyMac (2012),
LeAnn Rimes (1997) and
Bob Carlisle
Robert Mason "Bob" Carlisle (born September 29, 1956) is an American Contemporary Christian singer and songwriter. He performed with several bands, most notably Allies and Billy Thermal, before launching a solo career where he received a Grammy ...
(1997) to score a number one album on both Christian Albums and the ''Billboard'' 200. ''Anomaly'' also marks the sixth time that Lecrae topped the Gospel Albums chart and the fifth time he topped the Christian Albums chart. In its second week of sales, the album sold 31,000 copies, bringing the total to 120,000 copies sold. In its third week of sales, the album sold another 17,000 copies, bringing the total to 137,000 copies. ''Anomaly'' went on to sell over 500,000 copies, and was certified Gold by the
RIAA on August 26, 2016.
As a reward to fans for their support in helping his album go No. 1 on ''Billboard'', Lecrae released a new song, "Non-Fiction", as a free download on September 17. The song was subsequently released on October 21, 2014, in the iTunes store. The single "All I Need Is You" from the album was nominated for
Best Rap Performance at the
57th Annual Grammy Awards, and on June 12, 2019, the song was certified Gold by the RIAA.
To promote ''Anomaly'', on September 18, 2014, Lecrae appeared on
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performing alongside
The Roots, the program's
house band.
He made a subsequent appearance the following year, on January 9, 2015, this time as a featured performer.
On January 15, 2016, Lecrae released his third mixtape ''
Church Clothes 3''. The mixtape debuted at No. 12 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and No. 1 on the Christian, Rap, and Independent charts, selling some 29,207 units.
Signing with Columbia and ''Restoration'' (2016–present)
In August 2015, Lecrae announced an upcoming memoir titled ''Unashamed'', which on May 3, 2016, was published through B&H Publishing Group, a subsidiary of
LifeWay Christian Resources. It opened at No. 19 on
The New York Times Best Seller list. In May 2016, Lecrae signed to
Columbia Records, which will release future recordings in conjunction with Reach. Lecrae explained that he signed this deal in order to increase the international audience for Reach, since his label peaked nationally with the release of ''Anomaly''.
In September 2016, Reach Records announced Lecrae's upcoming tour schedule, The Destination Tour (You're Accepted), which ran through October and November. On October 21, 2016, Lecrae released the single "Can't Stop Me Now (Destination)", the lead single from his upcoming studio album.
On January 27, 2017, he released the second single "Blessings", featuring
Ty Dolla Sign. Lecrae followed this up with the third single "
I'll Find You", featuring
Tori Kelly, on June 8, 2017. Then, on June 23, 2017, he released a promotional single "Hammer Time", featuring 1K Phew. On August 7, 2017, Lecrae announced his eighth studio album, ''
All Things Work Together'', his major label debut. The album was released on September 22, 2017. "Blessings" went on to be certified Gold on April 30, 2019, and "I'll Find You" was certified Platinum on February 26, 2020.
On May 24, 2018, he announced in a DJ Booth editorial that he and producer
Zaytoven
Xavier Lamar Dotson (born January 12, 1980), professionally known as Zaytoven, is an American trap music record producer, disc jockey, and keyboardist from Atlanta, Georgia. He has released collaborative projects with artists including Gu ...
would release a collaborative album called ''
Let the Trap Say Amen''. The album was released on June 22, 2018. In December 2019, the
Atlanta Hawks accidentally leaked information about a new Lecrae album coming March 2020 when they posted about a Lecrae performance—also in March—that included information about the album: ''Restoration''.
In an interview with Black Enterprise, Lecrae said that he is excited to put out some healing music, that there is always "hope, healing, and restoration available if you seek it". In the same interview, Lecrae discussed his forthcoming second book, ''I Am Restored: How I Lost My Religion but Found My Faith'', which will be a follow up to his first book ''Unashamed''. ''I Am Restored'' will release October 13, 2020. The first single to ''Restoration'', "Set Me Free", featuring
YK Osiris, and the accompanying music video, was released on March 20, 2020. In May 2020, Lecrae left Columbia, and stated that this would give him more artistic freedom and control. ''
Restoration'' was released on August 21, 2020. On December 3, 2021, Lecrae released ''No Church In a While'', a ten-track collaboration album with 1K Phew.
Influences and musical style
Lecrae's musical genre is predominantly
Southern hip hop and has been described as falling under the styles of
crunk,
gangsta rap, and
hardcore hip hop
Hardcore hip hop (also hardcore rap) is a genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Run-DMC, Schoolly D, Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy, it is generally ch ...
.
On his third release, ''
Rebel
A rebel is a participant in a rebellion.
Rebel or rebels may also refer to:
People
* Rebel (given name)
* Rebel (surname)
* Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution
* American Southerners, as a form of self-identification ...
'', Lecrae slowed down his style on many songs. ''
Rehab'' was noted for its stylistic diversity, particularly on the song "Children of the Light", which featured Dillavou and
Sonny Sandoval and incorporated rock, and
reggae influences. With the release ''
Gravity
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...
'', ''
Billboard'' described Lecrae as incorporating reggae and
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...
influences into his "signature brash sound."
''Let the Trap Say Amen'' blended Lecrae's spiritual lyrics with
Zaytoven
Xavier Lamar Dotson (born January 12, 1980), professionally known as Zaytoven, is an American trap music record producer, disc jockey, and keyboardist from Atlanta, Georgia. He has released collaborative projects with artists including Gu ...
's
trap-style production.
Regarding which musical artists have influenced him, Lecrae, in an interview with ''
Essence'', cited
Tupac,
Nas
Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones.
Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to:
Aviation
* Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea
* National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia
** Nas Air ...
,
DJ Quik,
Scarface, and
The Cross Movement. In an interview with ''
The Christian Post'', Lecrae listed his top favorite five hip hop artists as
Tupac,
Nas
Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones.
Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to:
Aviation
* Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea
* National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia
** Nas Air ...
,
The Ambassador,
Snoop Dogg, and
Jay Z, though he admires Jay-Z for his business approach rather than his music. Lecrae also names
Outkast and
Lauryn Hill as major influences, particularly their albums ''
Aquemini'' and ''
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'', respectively. He considers Hill's song "Adam Lives in Theory" the top song that nourishes him spiritually. In the song "Non-Fiction", he lists the
Tunnel Rats
The tunnel rats were American, Australian, New Zealander, and South Vietnamese soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the Vietnam War.
Later, similar teams were used by the Soviet Army during the Soviet–Afghan ...
alongside The Cross Movement as an influence when he was newly converted to Christianity. Theologically, Lecrae follows the
Reformed tradition and is considered an influential figure in the
New Calvinist movement. He cites Tommy Nelson,
John MacArthur John MacArthur or Macarthur may refer to:
*J. Roderick MacArthur (1920–1984), American businessman
* John MacArthur (American pastor) (born 1939), American evangelical minister, televangelist, and author
* John Macarthur (priest), 20th-century pr ...
, and
John Piper, among others, as early influences on his Christian faith, and Lecrae even titled one of his songs, "Don't Waste Your Life", after the book of the same name by Piper.
Lecrae explains that through Nelson, MacArthur, and Piper, he subsequently discovered
Charles Spurgeon,
John Calvin, and
Francis Schaeffer
Francis August Schaeffer (January 30, 1912 – May 15, 1984) was an American evangelical theologian, philosopher, and Presbyterian pastor. He co-founded the L'Abri community in Switzerland with his wife Edith Schaeffer, , a prolific autho ...
, the last of whom Lecrae calls his "personal hero".
Other theologians cited by Lecrae include
Tim Keller, Andy Crouch, Randy Alcorn, and
Abraham Kuyper.
He also looks to
Martin Luther King Jr. for inspiration on working out faith in application to social issues.
According to ''
Miami New Times'', he frequently tells the press: "My music is not Christian, Lecrae is." He continues: "I think Christian is a wonderful noun, but a terrible adjective. Are there Christian shoes, Christian clothes, Christian plumbers, Christian pipes? I think if you're going to, you should label it hip-hop... hip-hop is a particular poetic style. Labeling it with the faith assumes that the song is going to be some kind of sermon, but there's a lot of social and political things that I don't think make it gospel or Christian music." He also stated, "I like to wrap my mind around a total situation. I'm a social anthropologist. If I never been homeless, let me try to be homeless for a week and soak up that information. More like a method actor. So for me it's spending time with people and talking about things from their perspective."
Popular culture
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The ...
guard
Jeremy Lin recommended Lecrae and
Hillsong in an interview when asked about his pre-game music. Former NFL quarterback
Tim Tebow and professional wrestler
Ezekiel Jackson have also endorsed Lecrae. During March 2014, Lecrae signed a ten-day contract with the
Atlanta Hawks, and on April 4, 2014, he performed live at
Philips Arena
State Farm Arena (formerly Philips Arena) is a multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta, Georgia. The arena serves as the home venue for the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Atlanta Hawks. It also served as home to the National Hockey Le ...
after the Hawks game. "Dum Dum", a song by
Tedashii featuring Lecrae, was used on an episode of ''
So You Think You Can Dance''. Lecrae also created the theme song for a new
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
''
SportsCenter'' block called "Coast to Coast".
Social activism
In 2011, 116 Clique and ReachLife Ministries, both headed by Lecrae, launched a media campaign entitled ''Man Up'', intended to mentor male urban youths on fatherhood and biblical manhood.
It features concert tours and a curriculum centered on a short film and a studio album, both titled ''Man Up'', and since 2012 has also featured a string of conference events.
In May 2013, Lecrae partnered with
NBA player
Dwyane Wade, filmmaker Art Hooker, and
Joshua DuBois, the former head of the
Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships under the
Obama administration, to create the national media campaign ''This Is Fatherhood'', an initiative "devoted to restoring America's commitment to healthy fatherhood."
The campaign began on May 1 with a "This is Fatherhood Challenge", in which contestants could submit videos, songs, and essays about fatherhood through June 10. The winners received cash prizes and a trip to Washington, D.C., for a ceremony on
Father's Day. In addition, Lecrae offered studio time and mentoring to the grand prize winner.
Lecrae, Wade, DuBois,
Jay Z, and U.S. President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
all made appearances in the campaign's promotional public service announcements.
Lecrae has also contributed op-ed articles to ''Billboard'' dealing with
race relations in the United States, including the 2014
Ferguson unrest, 2015
Charleston church shooting, and 2016 shootings of
Alton Stirling,
Philando Castile, and
five Dallas police officers. In these articles, Lecrae has called for understanding and empathy across racial divides and willingness to listen to the oppressed, and also pointed out the need for spiritual healing through Jesus Christ. In mid 2016, Lecrae did a talk about racial reconciliation at
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...
, titled "Knowledge through Narrative: Bridging the Racial Divide in America". He also spoke on hip hop culture at a Nashville TEDx conference, decrying the misogyny and violence rampant in much of hip hop's lyrics but advocating for hip hop to be used as an agent for social change. At the
2016 BET Hip Hop Awards
The 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards were held on September 17, 2016 and aired on October 4, 2016 at Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The nominations were announced on August 18, 2016.
For a third consecutive year, Drake heads the list ...
, Lecrae performed an original composition addressing racial injustice in the United States, referencing the
shooting of Philando Castile.
In March 2020, during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, Lecrae worked with a local non-profit, Love Beyond Walls, to distribute hand-washing stations and food to homeless people in Atlanta. He also wrote an essay for ''Billboard'' in which he discussed the need for humane behavior in the midst of widespread social panic due to the outbreak. After the
murder of George Floyd, Lecrae was inspired to write "Deep End", which was a late addition to ''Restoration''.
Other business ventures
Lecrae has partnered with Oust Labs to be an investor and co-owner of the audio production software MXD, which was founded by Jacob "Biz" Morris. In 2020, Lecrae teamed up with Adam Thomason to found the film production studio 3 Strand Films. He is a venture partner in Collab Capital, and has participated in several real estate ventures, including Invest Atlanta and Peace Preparatory Academy, intended to revitalize
English Avenue.
Personal life
Lecrae currently resides in Atlanta since relocating there from Memphis in 2009, and is married to Darragh Moore. The couple have three children together.
In an interview with
HipHopDX, Lecrae stated that
Clipse member
No Malice
Gene Elliott Thornton Jr. (born August 18, 1972), better known by his stage name No Malice (formerly known as Malicious and later Malice), is an American rapper from Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is best known for being one half of hip hop duo C ...
sought him out as a spiritual advisor.
On October 20, 2016, Lecrae wrote in ''
The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' that he has been struggling with depression and doubt, which was partly caused by the backlash he received from many
American evangelicals who are critical of his public stance on race-related issues. On August 14, 2020, Lecrae posted a video on his YouTube channel that includes footage of him re-connecting with his long-absent father who now resides in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
.
Discography
* ''
Real Talk'' (2004)
* ''
After the Music Stops
''After the Music Stops'' is the second studio album released by Christian rap artist Lecrae on September 24, 2006. The album received a Stellar Award nomination for "Rap/Hip-Hop/Gospel CD of the Year" and a Dove Award nomination for Rap/Hip-Hop ...
'' (2006)
* ''
Rebel
A rebel is a participant in a rebellion.
Rebel or rebels may also refer to:
People
* Rebel (given name)
* Rebel (surname)
* Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution
* American Southerners, as a form of self-identification ...
'' (2008)
* ''
Rehab'' (2010)
* ''
Rehab: The Overdose'' (2011)
* ''
Gravity
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...
'' (2012)
* ''
Anomaly'' (2014)
* ''
All Things Work Together'' (2017)
* ''
Let the Trap Say Amen''
(with Zaytoven
Xavier Lamar Dotson (born January 12, 1980), professionally known as Zaytoven, is an American trap music record producer, disc jockey, and keyboardist from Atlanta, Georgia. He has released collaborative projects with artists including Gu ...
) (2018)
* ''
Restoration'' (2020)
* ''No Church In a While''
(with 1k Phew) (2021)
Production discography
* Self-release – ''
Real Talk'' (2004) - Executive producer with John K. Wells, Ben Washer, and Chris Carreker
** 01. "Souled Out"
** 02. "We Don't"
** 03. "Aliens"
** 05. "Represent"
** 07. "Take Me As I Am"
** 09. "Nothin'"
** 11. "Who U WIt"
** 13. "Wait Intro"
** 14. "Wait"
*
Json – ''The Seasoning'' (2005) - co-produced with
So Hot Productions
{{Infobox musical artist
, name = So Hot Productions
, image =
, caption =
, image_size =
, landscape = yes
, background = group_or_band
, alias =
, ...
and C.I.
* Self-release – ''
After the Music Stops
''After the Music Stops'' is the second studio album released by Christian rap artist Lecrae on September 24, 2006. The album received a Stellar Award nomination for "Rap/Hip-Hop/Gospel CD of the Year" and a Dove Award nomination for Rap/Hip-Hop ...
'' (2006)
** 10. "The King"
** 16. "Unashamed"
*
Trip Lee – ''
If They Only Knew'' (2006) - co-produced with DJ Official, Tony Stone, Mac the Doulous, So Hot Productions
*
Tedashii – ''
Kingdom People
Tedashii Lavoy Anderson (born March 8, 1977), known simply as Tedashii, is an American Christian hip hop artist and member of the hip-hop troupe, 116 Clique. He also hosted the NGEN Radio show "Serium". Tedashii has released five solo albums, ' ...
'' (2006) - Executive producer with Ben Washer
** 02. "Houston We Have a Problem"
** 04. "Off Da Hook"
** 09. "Lifestyle"
** 15. "No More"
** 19. "In Ya Hood (Cypha Remix)"
*
Sho Baraka – ''
Turn My Life Up
"Turn My Life Up" is the first studio album of the Christian rap artist, Sho Baraka. It was released through Reach Records and peaked at No. 43 on the ''Billboard'' Gospel album charts.
Reception
WitWize of Rapzilla had the following to say ...
'' (2007) - co-produced with Bobby Taylor, DJ Official, BenJah, and So Hot Productions
* Self-release – ''
Rebel
A rebel is a participant in a rebellion.
Rebel or rebels may also refer to:
People
* Rebel (given name)
* Rebel (surname)
* Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution
* American Southerners, as a form of self-identification ...
'' (2008)
** 09. "Change"
* Self-release – ''
Gravity
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...
'' (2012) - Executive producer
* Self-release – ''
Anomaly'' (2014) - Executive producer
* ''
Church Clothes 4'' (2022)
** 10. "
Fear Not" - co-produced with Juberlee,
CuBeatz
Cubeatz (sometimes stylized as CuBeatz) are a German hip hop production and songwriting duo from Sindelfingen, consisting of twin brothers Kevin and Tim Gomringer. Originally embarking on their careers within German hip hop in the 2010s, they ...
, Vinnyforgood, and Luis Bacqué
Filmography
Books
* ''Unashamed'' (B&H Books, May 3, 2016)
* ''I Am Restored: How I Lost My Religion but Found My Faith'' (October 13, 2020)
Awards and nominations
In 2016, he received an
honorary doctorate
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
in music from the
Canada Christian College of
Whitby (Ontario)
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The town is on the Yorkshire Coast at the mouth of the River Esk, North Yorkshire, River Esk. It has a maritime, mineral and tourist economy. The fishing port emerged ...
for his commitment to sharing a message of hope with disadvantaged young people.
Lecrae has won many music awards over the space of his career, including two Grammy Awards and eight
Dove Awards. In 2013, he became the first hip hop artist to win the
Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album
The Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the Gospel music genre. Honors in s ...
, which was awarded to his sixth album, ''
Gravity
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...
'', and in 2015 became the first rapper to win the
BET Award for Best Gospel Artist
The BET Awards Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award is given to an urban contemporary gospel artist. The winner is determined based on sales and overall quality of content released within the eligibility period. The award was originally ...
.
See also
*
References
External links
Lecrae's Artist PageLecrae's Story
{{Good article
1979 births
Living people
20th-century American writers
20th-century Calvinist and Reformed Christians
21st-century Calvinist and Reformed Christians
African-American activists
African-American Christians
African-American male rappers
African-American poets
American male poets
African-American record producers
American Calvinist and Reformed Christians
American Christian writers
American hip hop record producers
American music industry executives
Businesspeople from California
Businesspeople from Georgia (U.S. state)
Businesspeople from Tennessee
Businesspeople from Texas
Calvinist and Reformed writers
Columbia Records artists
Cross Movement Records
Grammy Award winners
Hip hop activists
Male actors from Atlanta
American performers of Christian hip hop music
Poets from California
Poets from Georgia (U.S. state)
Poets from Tennessee
Rappers from Atlanta
Rappers from Houston
Rappers from Memphis, Tennessee
Reach Records
Reach Records artists
Southern hip hop musicians
University of North Texas alumni
West Coast hip hop musicians
21st-century American rappers
Record producers from Texas
Articles containing video clips
African-American investors
American venture capitalists
Film producers from Georgia