Tag: Lecrae News

Lecrae took to Facebook on Tuesday releasing a new video issuing a challenge to people who subscribe to his page.

The video pertains to the new year and he hopes to inspire people to make a change in their lives in the coming months.

“So I’ve been thinking, for 2015 how about we clean out our closet; how ’bout we get rid of the skeletons; how ’bout we don’t live a double life; how ’bout we walk in integrity,” said Lecrae in a Facebook video posted to his page. “As difficult as that may sound, what if we lived that way.”

The Grammy Award-winning rapper went on to further explain that he believes people hold themselves back from this due to their need for acceptance and approval, which Lecrae believes could kill them in the end.

“I always say, if you live for their acceptance you’ll die from their rejection,” he asserted.

Lecrae believes people could better themselves by establishing circles of trust that keep them accountable.

“I think a lot of times we don’t have people in our lives who can really challenge us to be the people that we were created to be because we’re scared to hear the truth about ourselves,” he added. “We’re scared of the rejection or the pain or what it may take to hear some of the real things about ourselves.”

Lecrae discussed three different circles of friends and acquaintances that he has in his life, with the largest being one he shares very little personal information with, and the smallest being the one he shares his most intimate secrets and struggles with. The smallest one allows him to be accountable in all things.

“These are people that I trust, and I don’t mind sharing my deepest darkest stuff with them because they’re making me fight to be who I was created to be. I’m not trying to pretend to be somebody that I’m not. And I think we need those circles,” he continued.

He also said people need to examine their own motives and figure out why they’re doing all the things that they’re doing. He then pointed to a specific scripture which reveals that even when mankind thinks he’s doing the right thing, he might not be.

Lecrae goes on to cite the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 4.

“I care very little if I’m judged by you or by any human court. Indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t make me innocent. It’s the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before it’s appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He bring to light what’s hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God,” (1 Corinthians 4:3-5).

He concluded the video by making the point that people should feel encourage by Paul’s statement, in that God is the ultimate judge, and even with impure motives people can still be used to carry out God’s purposes; and at their appointed time of judgment they’ll receive a reward for what they’ve done.

Christian rapper Lecrae is one of the few to cross the great divide between ‘Christian’ and ‘secular’ music – and part of an even smaller group to do so without a guitar in sight.

In September his seventh album, Anomaly, was the first ever to appear at the top of the Billboard 200 chart and the gospel charts simultaneously.

And from this unique position, he has developed some strong views on where Christian culture has gone astray.

“We’ve limited Christianity to salvation and sanctification,” he said in an interview with the Atlantic. “Christianity is the truth about everything. If you say you have a Christian worldview, that means you see the world through that lens – not just how people get saved and what to stay away from.”

Lecrae is especially critical of the way that the Christian music industry has at times limited artists’ creativity as an expression of their faith, and instead become a routine reproduction of biblical messages.

“The exploitation of believers just to turn a profit – so you care less about making a quality product – so you care less about making a quality product, you just want to keep telling the same stories and repackaging them over and over just to exploit people – I have a problem with that,” he said.

He said his job was less a vocation to redeem the rap industry, known for its preoccupation with sex, drugs and violence, and more an opportunity to use his gifts.

“Everyone’s job, everyone’s vocation, is an extension of their faith and how they see the world. Every job is an act of service,” he said.

And it is because of this calling – to do our jobs well in order to serve God – that he believes there needs to be more emphasis on creating good music.

“In the same way that Jesus was a carpenter, I don’t know if he put his message into all the things he built with his hands – I think he wanted to make good quality craftsmanship,” he said.

Rather than just looking to biblical stories for source material, Lecrae feels Christians should be using their creative gifts to pose questions and challenge social norms.

“Many times, that’s how people see Christian art, or Christians making art: They see the art as having an agenda,” Lecrae said. “Christians have really used and almost in some senses prostituted art in order to give answers instead of telling great stories and raising great questions.”

In a behind the scenes look at his studio and the photo shoot for the album cover of his last release Anomaly, Lecrae told Billboard:

“As a rapper who is a devout Christian, you would think I would struggle or wrestle with compromise because a lot of hip-hop is full of violence and misogyny and so forth but it’s not really a struggle for me because it’s not my reality. It’s not the life that I’m living.”

The rapper, said even winning a Grammy for his 2012 album Gravity has not phased him because he is more focused on reaching those who love rap music.

“I think when I see people win an Olympic medal or win a Grammy, they just have this breakdown moment like I fought so hard but for me, I didn’t fight very hard to win that award. I fight hard to influence culture, to see people’s lives transform,” said Lecrae.

Music, Lecrae explained, is a platform. “A musician has a unique opportunity to be a voice for equality, for unity, for love, for justice but if they really want to take it a step further, go and get your hands dirty,” he challenged.

Anomaly is Lecrae’s seventh studio album. He said the album’s name reflects his experience as a devout Christian who understands rap culture.

Anomaly is currently number one on the Billboard 200 list. It is the first album to top both the Billboard 200 and the gospel charts in the same week.

Talk of the gospel hitting marks in different charts.

Christian hip-hop artist Lecrae currently has the No. 1 album in the country with his newest releaseAnomaly.

The album topped the Billboard 200 with the most sales last week, passing Maroon 5’s V and Jhene Aiko’s Souled Out with 88,000 sales. The other two have 80,000 and 70,000 respectively.

Lecrae will be appearing on national television with a spot on ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’ tomorrow night.

(c) Breath Cast News

This year’s 45th annual Gospel Music Association Dove Awards will be hosted by the renown christian rapper  Lecrae who weeks back became the first christian rapper to hit number one on Itunes.

The awards night, which celebrates the year’s best in Christian music, takes place on October 7 at the Allen Arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, United states of America.

“I can’t wait to be a part of what I believe will be a historic evening,” said Lecrae in a press release, “Co-hosting with a great friend and talented artist makes it even better. Be careful though, who knows what will happen when Bart and I get together.”

Natalie Grant, Hezekiah Walker, Matthew West and Erica Campbell will be performing and are also nominated for awards.

Lecrae made history with his brand-new single “All I Need Is You” this week, becoming the first Christian hip-hop artist of all time to ever reach the number-one spot on iTunes.

The rapper spoke with The Christian Post about the achievement this week and stated that he does not view it as something to brag about.

“I don’t look at it that way,” the rapper said to CP on Wednesday. “I think it’s phenomenal to make music that challenges people to think on morality, spirituality and the betterment of society. Many people do that. Some sing country or jazz – I rap. At the end of the day I’m not here to hold up the banner of a genre. I am here to hold up the banner of Truth. It’s way bigger than genres and charts. I’m fighting to be a voice in culture. A voice in a dark world.”

“All I Need Is You” topped iTunes’ Hip-Hop/Rap song chart, peaking at number one shortly after its release on Tuesday. The achievement not only makes Lecrae the first Christian hip-hop artist to ever garner the top spot, but the rapper is also the first Christian hip-hop artist in history to reach number one on the iTunes song chart overall. Lecrae does not view his success on iTunes as something to brag about in an exclusive with The Christian Post.

Meanwhile, “All I Need Is You” is the newest single off of Lecrae’s seventh studio album “Anomaly,” which is scheduled to hit stores Sept. 9. The song quickly mounted the iTunes Top Songs Chart before peaking at number one on Tuesday, surpassing even Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” that was released the same day. “All I Need Is You” also replaced Jessie J’s “Bang Bang” at the number one spot on iTunes.

The 34-year-old rapper is a multi-award winning artist, including a four time Dove-Award winner and 2013’s Best Gospel Grammy Award winner with his album “Gravity.”