Artist Lecrae redefines Christian music genres
By Deanna Smith, Staff Writer //
In May of 2004, the Christian/hip-hop album “Real Talk” struck the world by surprise as 25-year-old artist Lecrae finally stepped out into the musical world. Now that the music industry has taken so many twist and turns, it is a great accomplishment to be highly recognized with a debut album release. Lecrae was once a young kid on the wrong path, getting involved with drugs and larceny until he decided to turn his life around. Hailing from Southside Houston, he got his start after attending a seminar that not only opened his eyes, but also opened a door that he would soon walk through with vigor. After his jump-start with record label Reach, the Houston native then began to quickly climb the music charts, finding a comfy place at the top of Billboard’s top gospel charts with his second album “After The Music Stops.” He had already made a name for himself by being the first Christian rap artist to accomplish this kind of success, but there was no use in Lecrae stopping there.
Lecrae wanted to do more than just sell albums, he wanted to give back to the community. His passion not only showed in his words, but also in his involvement with the communities around him. Staying true to his lyrics, Lecrae has become heavily involved in the nonprofit organization ReachLife, creating a connection to the church in the urban youth. Being a once troubled youth himself, Lecrae has dedicated his musical career to being a voice for those who need a guiding hand just as he did at that tender age. He engages vividly with a lot of the events that ReachLife does throughout the year. More recently, he had an intense sit-down with District Attorney Horton during a SEND conference. Even with his cooperation with the community and rising stardom, Lecrae still continued to completely dominate his genre. With the release of his third album “Rebel,” Lecrae managed to hit number two in iTunes rap downloads, take over the Christian album for two weeks and remain on the gospel music charts for 78 weeks straight. That is one week shy of how long Awolnation’s “Sail” stayed on the charts. No one has really heard of Lecrae, yet he is making himself known among the most popular of artists. He does not let this rise to success stop him from reaching even higher. In 2010, the young artist claimed number 16 on Billboards 200 list, top five in best R&B/hip-hop album charts and the number one highest selling Christian rap/hip-hop album ever. Music has been around for longer than what seems like life itself and he managed to have the number one highest selling Christian rap/hip-hop album in the entire history of music. That is undoubtedly a crowning accomplishment. Already, Lecrae’s 2014 album “Anomaly” has hit the top of the Billboard’s 200 within a month of its release. Needless to say, the young artist will surely pave the way for new genres of Christian music all while lifting up those less fortunate.