Gravity | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 4, 2012 | |||
Recorded | February–July 2012 | |||
Studio | Music House Studios, Atlanta, Georgia | |||
Genre | Christian hip hop | |||
Length | 56:28 | |||
Label | Reach Records | |||
Producer |
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Lecrae chronology | ||||
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Singles from Gravity | ||||
Gravity is the sixth studio album by American Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released on September 4, 2012. The album features appearances from Big K.R.I.T., Mathai, Ashthon Jones, Sho Baraka and Mali Music, along with labelmates Trip Lee, Andy Mineo, Derek Minor, who was formerly known as PRo, and Tedashii. Producers on the album include DJ Khalil, Street Symphony along with his production team Heat Academy, and The Watchmen. The first single off the album, "I Know", was released on July 24, 2012, and was followed by "Tell the World" featuring Mali Music on August 15, 2012, and "Mayday" featuring Big K.R.I.T. and Ashthon Jones on August 30, 2012. Reach Records released five music videos for the album: "Lord Have Mercy", featuring Tedashii along with No Malice of Clipse, on August 1, 2012, "Tell the World", featuring Mali Music, on October 19, 2012, "Mayday", featuring Big K.R.I.T. and Ashthon Jones, on December 13, 2012, "Fakin'", featuring Thi'sl, on February 1, 2013, and "Confe$$ions", featuring David Banner, on April 30, 2013.
The first week of sales for the album set a new record for Lecrae, with Gravity debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 72,000 units sold, and was the biggest sales week ever for a Christian hip hop album. The bonus track "Fuego" featuring KB and Suzy Rock from the iTunes deluxe edition of the album peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers Songs, No. 13 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital charts, and No. 64 on the Hot Digital Songs charts. Critically, Gravity was very well received, and is considered Lecrae's strongest, most mainstream work to date. It won Best Gospel Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards and Best Rap/Hip Hop Album at the 2013 Dove Awards.
Gravity is a follow-up to the mixtape Church Clothes , which was released earlier in 2012, and Lecrae's two previous studio albums, Rehab , which was released in September 2010, and Rehab: The Overdose , which followed five months later. The Church Clothes mixtape was released for free on May 10, 2012, and was hosted by DJ Don Cannon. It was considered Lecrae's step into the mainstream due to his collaboration with artists such as No Malice of Clipse and the producers 9th Wonder, Boi-1da, S1 and Street Symphony. [5] The featuring of mainstream artists, particularly Don Cannon, was controversial within Christian circles. [6] [7] The mixtape was downloaded on DatPiff.com almost 100,000 times within 48 hours and in less than a month reached 250,000 downloads, a platinum rating on DatPiff.com. [8] [9] [10]
Lecrae said to AllHipHop: "With the release of Gravity, I really wanted to expand on my previous work while still making sure to keep it all very authentic to who I am as an artist as well as a person[.] When I released Church Clothes earlier this year, it was the precursor of what's come with this album. It introduced my music to new audiences, allowing me to impact others." [11]
Lecrae stated in an exclusive video with AllHipHop that after recording Church Clothes in March, he was on the road before beginning recording for Gravity in May. [12] In an article by SOHH, Lecrae revealed that he had started work on the album in February, then wrapped up recording during the mid-year. [13] The album was recorded over the next couple months at Music House Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. [14] On July 10, 2012, Christian hip hop website Rapzilla reported that Lecrae had shot a music video with No Malice of Clipse and with his labelmate Tedashii. [15] The report included photographs from the video set. [15]
Much of the production on the album was handled by producers with whom Lecrae has worked with in the past, chiefly The Watchmen and Heat Academy. [11] The Watchmen consists of the producers J.R., Alex Medina, and Wit while Heat Academy is led by Street Symphony. [14] [16] DJ Khalil, whose past production work includes Recovery by Eminem, produced the track "Mayday", which features Big K.R.I.T. and American Idol season 10 finalist Ashthon Jones. [17] Tyshane, who previously contributed to a track from Church Clothes, co-produced the song "Violence" with ThaInnaCircle. [17] [16] Other producers include Dirty Rice, DJ Official, Dru Castro, and Joseph Prielozny. [16]
Besides Big K.R.I.T. and Ashthon Jones, the album also features appearances by The Voice finalist Mathai, Mali Music, and Reach Records artists Trip Lee and Tedashii. [11] [18] [19] [20] On working with Big K.R.I.T., Lecrae stated to Billboard that K.R.I.T. had already reached out to him before the collaboration to show his appreciation for Lecrae's honesty. In an interview with AllHipHop, Lecrae mentioned that both he and Big K.R.I.T. have similar backgrounds, having both grown up in the Southern United States and struggled with religion under the influence of a religious grandmother. [12]
On May 31, 2012, Rapzilla posted an article featuring photos and tweets from the Gravity recording sessions. [14] A teaser video for the album was released on YouTube on June 20, 2012, and announced that the album would be released in the latter half of 2012. [21] [22] On July 10, 2012, Family Christian made the album available for pre-order, and Rapzilla used this information to announce the following day that the release date was September 4, 2012. [23] Also on July 10, Lecrae posted photos from his video shoot with No Malice and Tedashii. [15] [24] Rapzilla responded a few days later with speculation over the possibility that in one photo Lecrae's T-shirt bore the logo of Gravity. [25]
On July 17, 2012, Lecrae performed with his labelmate Andy Mineo at an Apple Store in SoHo, New York City. [26] [27] The performance included live renderings of songs from Rehab and Gravity. [27] The following day, Lecrae held an exclusive preview session of the album at The Cutting Room with his industry friends and select publications including AllHipHop and Billboard . [17] [18] [28] The cover art to Gravity was revealed the day after, along with an official announcement of the release date. [29] [30]
The lead single from the album, "I Know", was released on July 24, 2012, as a complimentary free download upon pre-ordering of the album. [31] On July 27, 2012, Billboard reported about Gravity in its daily news show The Beat. [32] Rapzilla also made the single available for streaming on SoundCloud. [1] On the same day, the album's tracklist was revealed. [16] [31] The music video for "Lord Have Mercy" was released on August 1, 2012. [33] On August 7, 2012, a deluxe version of Gravity was made available for preorder on iTunes. [34] This version includes three bonus songs featuring appearances from Suzy Rock, Tenth Avenue North, and KB, and according to Rapzilla, the album already reached the No. 9 spot on the iTunes Hip-Hop/Rap Chart. [34] Later the same day, the deluxe version moved up the No. 2 spot on the iTunes Hip-Hop/Rap Chart and No. 18 overall on iTunes. [35] On August 14, 2012, Lecrae launched a website for the album, and released the single "Tell the World" featuring Mali Music on August 15, 2012. [3] [36] According to a photo posted on Lecrae's Instagram account, on August 15, 2012, Lecrae held another private listening session at New Era Flagship Store in Atlanta. [37] On August 23, 2012, Rapzilla reported that Lecrae had shot a music video with Mali Music for the single "Tell the World". [38] The following day, a promotional video for the album, entitled "It All Comes Down", was released. [39] The fourth single for the album, "Mayday", featuring Big K.R.I.T. and Ashthon Jones, was released on August 30, 2012. [4] The music video for "Tell the World" was released on October 19, 2012, and announcements were made that Lecrae had filmed music videos for "Fakin'", featuring Thi'sl, and "Mayday". [40] [41] [42] The video for "Mayday" aired December 13, 2012 on the MTV Networks channels MTV Jams, mtvU, and MTV2. [43] On February 1, 2013, Lecrae released the music video for "Fakin'" on MTV and MTV2, and it quickly reached No. 1 on the MTV.com Top Video Picks. [44] [45] Lecrae released the fifth and final music video from the album, "Confe$$ions", on April 30, 2013, on BET's 106 & Park [46] It features an acting appearance by David Banner. [47]
When asked what sets Gravity apart from his previous releases, Lecrae stated that "Obviously, there's more risk involved in terms of just making more mature music that's not as straight [and] explicit. it's dealing with bigger issues. People may have to think a little bit more. The production is a lot bigger and more advanced than it's been. Lyrically, as an artist, I think I've written some of the best lyrics I've ever written." [18] Lecrae provided insight into the album's concept during an interview with Family Christian, stating that "Gravity is loosely based on Ecclesiastes and I think what Solomon was trying to do was bring some weight to life and that’s really what I want to do, to paint some sober pictures." [48] He described that "there’s a sober picture of how it’s only for a short period of time, it’s short-lived, or that we still have Jesus. So that’s what I would call a weighty part, a gravitational pull to remind us of who we are in Jesus." [48] Billboard stated that Lecrae increased his level of production for Gravity and "mixed reggae and soul influences with his signature brash sound." [18] AllHipHop described the album as opening with "an influx of instruments like violin, drums, guitars". [17] "I Know" was described as having one of the hardest beats on the album, while "Mayday" was considered one of the most "organic" sounding tracks. [17] "Violence" was considered one of the most energetic tracks, and was described as "caribbean-esque" with a dancehall vibe. [17] [49] After the music video for "Lord Have Mercy" was released, an article in The Christian Post article compared the song to the Kanye West single "Mercy", both in its title and musical style. [50] The article elaborated that "like Kanye West's song, "'Lord Have Mercy' features slowed down sampled vocals for its chorus along with heavy bass and an overall dark tone." [50] It noted the appearance of No Malice in the video, stating that "the chorus seems to sample his voice." [50]
In a blog for the Houston Chronicle , hip-hop writer Sketch the Journalist posted an article on the cover and promotional artwork for Gravity. He compared the cover as a combination of those from Quarantine by GRITS and Get Rich or Die Tryin' by 50 Cent, and compared the promotional art to that of Braille and S1's CloudNineteen. [51] Sketch subsequently updated the post based on a reader comment, and added the cover of De La Soul's AOI: Bionix in combination with the promo art for CloudNineteen in his comparison of Gravity's cover art. [51]
Three release parties were held for the album. The first occurred on September 28, 2012, in Manchester, United Kingdom, followed by Denver, Colorado on the 27th and Houston, Texas, on the 28th. [20]
In support of the album, Lecrae toured with his entire label roster, consisting of Tedashii, Trip Lee, KB, Andy Mineo, and PRo, along with special guests Propaganda and Thi'sl. [11] [19] [52] The tour ran from October through November and stopped at 30 cities across the United States and Canada. [11] [19]
Upon its release, Gravity debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, with 72,000 units sold. This set a career high for Lecrae, whose previous highest sales week was 27,000 units with Rehab, and was the best sales week ever for a Christian hip hop album. [53] [54] By September 23, 2012, the album had sold 103,000 copies. [55] In the first week of sales, the iTunes deluxe edition of the album reached number No. 1 on that vendor's hip-hop/rap albums chart, while the regular version of the album came in second place, a feat that prompted writ-up on Lecrae in Time . [56] Rapzilla initially reported that the deluxe edition of the album had also reached the No. 2 spot on the overall iTunes album chart, and this report was subsequently updated to reflect deluxe version of Gravity reaching No. 1 on that chart. [57] In addition, the bonus song "Fuego" from the deluxe edition reached No. 5 on the iTunes top hip-hop/rap songs chart. [58] The song charted at No. 20 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers Songs, No. 13 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital charts, and No. 64 on the Hot Digital Songs charts. [59] According to Inquisitr, in the same week of the release of Gravity, the iTunes version of Church Clothes jumped to the No. 4 spot on the top hip-hop/rap albums chart. [60] As of November 28, 2012, the album has sold 150,000 copies in the U.S. [61]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllHipHop | 8.5/10 [62] |
Allmusic | [63] |
CCM Magazine | [64] |
Christianity Today | [65] |
Cross Rhythms | [66] |
DaSouth.com | [67] |
Jesus Freak Hideout | [68] [69] |
New Release Tuesday | [70] |
RapReviews.com | 8/10 [71] |
Rapzilla | [72] |
Both AllHipHop and Billboard were very positive toward Gravity after a preview listening session, considering it Lecrae's strongest and most mainstream work to date. [17] [18] AllHipHop stated that "overall, it appears that Lecrae is ready to offer one of his most broad and, dare-we-say, mainstream albums in terms of sound; yet, it still manages to capture the trueness of what he has always stood for and rapped about. If anything, Gravity is a giant step forward for his expanding career, and it will surely be a welcome addition to many 'Top 10' lists when 2012 comes to a close." [17] Indie Vision Music in announcing the cover of Gravity called the album "likely the biggest Christian hip hop album yet". [30] AllHipHop listed "Mayday" as one of the standout tracks on the album, noting the "beautiful" melody and hook by Ashthon Jones. [17] The reviewer considered "Violence" a personal favorite, calling Lecrae's line "Grew up under Tupac, bible verse and two glocks" one of the most powerful lines on the album. [17] Parlé Magazine also was favorable to the song, stating "That track is definitely going places." [28] Jonathan Landrum of The Associated Press was favorable to the album, saying that "in his sixth album 'Gravity,' Lecrae delivers a strong piece of work. He's not afraid to rap about his past mistakes, supplying inspirational rhymes filled with Christian values backed by well-produced secular hip-hop beats." [73] In its track-by-track review of the album, The Boombox stated that "based on the warm reception to Church Clothes, this LP is set to stir the pot further in the realm of both of hip-hop and Christianity." [74] David Jeffries of Allmusic gave the album four out of five stars, declaring that Lecrae makes Gravity's various genre experiments and jumps in style "sound effortless and natural". [63] He asserted that "while Rehab is the more rewarding album in the end, this one is more persuasive and immediate, making it an easy entry point into this gifted artist's discography." [63]
In an initial review by Jesus Freak Hideout, Kevin Hoskins rated the album four out of five stars, calling the album solid but finding that the album's R&B passages "pale in comparison to the other tracks stylistically and are not necessarily needed." [68] Hoskins listed the songs "Falling Down," "Power Trip," "Lord Have Mercy," and "I Know" as some of the best tunes, and called "Lucky Ones" a "perfect song." [68] New Release Tuesday called Gravity one of the most anticipated releases of the year. [49] In its review, the site gave the album four out of five stars, stating that the recording in many ways lives up to the anticipation, but had three or four too many songs that detract from the album's whole. [49] Rapzilla was very favorable to the album, rating it four-point-five out of five and calling it the most important album in the history of Christian hip hop. The reviewer, Armond Goss, listed the tracks "Lord Have Mercy", "Fakin'", and "Buttons" the low points on the album, but said that those were the only problems that they found. [72] "Confe$$ions", "Power Trip", and "Gravity" were all listed by as extremely strong, but Goss considered the track "Mayday" as the best track "sonically, lyrically and conceptually" on the album, stating that DJ Khalil's production work "provides the perfect backdrop for K.R.I.T. to walk into your church in the middle of service and express his frustrations with hypocrisies and for Crae to walk in behind him and calm the mob down while still co-signing K.R.I.T.’s verse." [72] The Houston Press summarized the album by stating that "by and large, Gravity acts and dresses like a stand along rap album built from the same organ drenched and string heavy foundation that Houston's style of G-funk did in the '90s. It's another "heavy" rap album to drive away from the same escapism tactics rap loves to dwell in." [75]
At CCM Magazine , Andy Argyrakis said that Lecrae has "officially arrived as the top star in the scene", and that the artist has "his finger on today's production trends (and certainly being ahead of the curve on a few occasions), his rhymes are packed with so much authenticity that even the most mainstream-minded listener has the potential to connect." [64] Anthony Peronto of Christian Music Zine rated the album 4.75 out of five, and said that "loosely inspired by the book of Ecclesiastes, Gravity is so far the most important CHH album ever made and bridges the gap between Christian and the secular rap scenes." [76] At Cross Rhythms, Steve Hayes wrote that this is Lecrae's "finest project to date", called it "brilliantly produced [and] explosively impacts the listener", and said the release would be "enjoyed for years to come." [66] New Release Tuesday's Mark Ryan noted that "there are 3 or 4 songs too many on the album that detract from the album as a whole", which is the reason he did not "get overly excited", but he did affirm that "fans and newcomers alike will enjoy the album". [70]
Gravity won Best Gospel Album for the 2013 Grammy Awards. [77] This was the first time that a hip-hop artist has won this award. [78] At the 2013 Dove Awards, the album won Rap/Hip Hop Album, and the song "Tell the World", featuring Mali Music, won Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year. [79] Gravity also won Best Rap, Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year at the 2014 Stellar Awards. The album was also nominated for Top Christian Album at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards.
On July 19, 2012, Rapzilla posted an article entitled "Is Lecrae and T.I. similar to Kanye vs 50 Cent?", which noted that Trouble Man by T.I. was scheduled for release the same day as Gravity. [80] The article speculated that the potential cultural impact of Gravity could be like that of Kanye West after his 2007 competition with 50 Cent. [80] The writer, Steven Patton, stated that "we may be on the cusp of another watershed moment this coming September. Two artists living in Atlanta and largely the front runners of two different ideologies are releasing a new album on the same day." [80] A few hours after being posted, the article was updated stating that the release date for Trouble Man was being pushed back to September 19. [80] However, the release date was subsequently returned to September 4, before T.I. announced that he was pushing the album back indefinitely. [81] [82] Trouble Man ultimately was released on December 18, 2012, and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 179,000 copies. [83]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Drop (Intro)" |
| 2:55 | |
2. | "Gravity" (featuring J.R.) |
| J.R. | 3:42 |
3. | "Walk with Me" (featuring Novel) |
| The Watchmen | 3:15 |
4. | "Free From It All" (featuring Mathai) | 3:34 | ||
5. | "Fallin' Down" (featuring Swoope and Trip Lee) |
| The Watchmen | 4:58 |
6. | "Fakin'" (featuring Thi'sl) |
| Heat Academy | 4:06 |
7. | "Violence" |
|
| 3:09 |
8. | "Mayday" (featuring Big K.R.I.T. and Ashthon Jones) |
|
| 4:54 |
9. | "Confe$$ions" |
|
| 3:18 |
10. | "Buttons" |
| Heat Academy | 3:46 |
11. | "Power Trip" (featuring PRo, Sho Baraka and Andy Mineo) |
|
| 3:58 |
12. | "Lord Have Mercy" (featuring Tedashii) |
| Heat Academy | 3:36 |
13. | "I Know" |
| The Watchmen | 3:18 |
14. | "Tell the World" (featuring Mali Music) |
| Heat Academy | 3:36 |
15. | "Lucky Ones" (featuring Rudy Currence) |
|
| 4:37 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
16. | "No Regrets" (featuring Suzy Rock) |
|
| 3:36 |
17. | "Higher" (featuring Tenth Avenue North) |
|
| 3:08 |
18. | "Fuego" (featuring KB and Suzy Rock) |
|
| 3:47 |
No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
16. | "Misconception (DJ Official Remix)" (featuring Beautiful Eulogy, Propaganda, and DJ Efechto) |
| 4:23 |
17. | "I Know (Tha Kracken Remix)" |
| 3:12 |
Gravity: The Remix EP | |
---|---|
Remix album by DJ Official and Alex Medina | |
Released | December 26, 2012 |
Genre | Christian hip hop |
Label | Reach Records |
Producer |
|
On December 26, 2012, DJ Official and Alex Medina released a remix version of the album, Gravity: The Remix EP, as a free digital download. [90] [91] It features the producers Gawvi (formerly known as G-Styles), Big Juice, D-Flow, Black Knight, and Tyshane. [92]
No. | Title | Remixing producer | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Drop (Intro)" | Alex Medina | 1:49 |
2. | "Free From It All" (featuring Mathai) | Black Knight | 4:24 |
3. | "Fallin' Down" (featuring Trip Lee & Swoope) | Black Knight | 5:11 |
4. | "Fakin'" (featuring Thi'sl) | DJ Official | 3:59 |
5. | "Violence" | Alex Medina | 3:00 |
6. | "Mayday" (featuring Big K.R.I.T. & Ashthon Jones) | Big Juice | 4:40 |
7. | "Confe$$ions" | Gawvi | 3:17 |
8. | "Buttons" | D-Flow | 4:01 |
9. | "Power Trip" (featuring Derek Minor, Sho Baraka & Andy Mineo) | Alex Medina | 3:51 |
10. | "Power Trip" (featuring Derek Minor, Sho Baraka & Andy Mineo) | Gawvi | 4:17 |
11. | "Lord Have Mercy" (featuring Tedashii) | DJ Official | 4:12 |
12. | "I Know" | DJ Official | 3:35 |
13. | "Tell the World" (featuring Mali Music) | Tyshane | 3:49 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [102] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Lecrae Devaughn Moore is an American Christian rapper. Since having began his career in 2004, he has released ten studio albums and three mixtapes as a solo artist, as well as three studio albums as a lead member of the hip hop group 116 Clique.
The discography of Lecrae, an American Christian hip hop artist, consists of 11 studio albums, two of which were collaborative; four mixtapes; two extended plays, one of which was collaborative; 136 singles, including 79 as a featured performer; 77 music videos, including 39 as a featured performer; and 87 guest and other appearances. Lecrae debuted with Real Talk in 2004 through Reach Records; the album was re-issued the following year by Cross Movement Records. After the Music Stops followed in 2006 and his third solo album, Rebel, was released in 2008 and reached No. 1 on the Gospel chart, the first Christian hip hop album to do so. Rehab, his fourth solo album, was released in 2010 and reached No. 1 on the Gospel, Christian, and Independent charts, and garnered a nomination at the 53rd Grammy Awards. Rehab: The Overdose, was released on January 11, 2011, and peaked at No. 1 on the Christian and Gospel charts. Lecrae began garnering mainstream attention when he performed at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher and was featured on the Statik Selektah song "Live and Let Live" from his Population Control album.
Church Clothes is the first mixtape by Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released for free on May 10, 2012, and hosted by DJ Don Cannon. It featured No Malice of Clipse on the song "Darkest Hour", and included production work by 9th Wonder, Boi-1da, S1 and Street Symphony. Label-mates Tedashii and Andy Mineo, as well as other fellow Christian hip-hop artists such as Dre Murray, Thi'sl, Swoope, Christon Gray, and Braille, also made appearances on the album. The mixtape was downloaded 100,000 times in 48 hours, and met with critical acclaim. It received controversy in Christian media upon its release due to its condemnation of hypocrisy in the Christian Church and Lecrae's collaboration with the mainstream producer Don Cannon. A shorter, remastered EP version was released on iTunes on June 25, 2012. The EP debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Christian Albums and Gospel Albums charts.
"Mayday" is a song by Christian hip hop recording artist Lecrae, featuring guest vocals from fellow American rapper Big K.R.I.T. and American Idol finalist Ashthon Jones. Released on August 30, 2012, it is the fourth single off the album Gravity, which was released on September 4, 2012. The song's lyrics focus on religion, spirituality, and the role of grandmothers in developing faith and stability. It features a confession by Big K.R.I.T in which he expresses frustration with Christian hypocrisy. The song has been well received by critics and is considered one of the best songs off the album, with the lush instrumental production by DJ Khalil and the vocals by Ashthon Jones attracting particular praise. Stylistically, "Mayday" is described as having both a very "raw" and "organic" sound and R&B flow, with "chaotic" and "funky" production.
The discography of American Christian hip hop artist Andy Mineo, formerly known as C-Lite, consists of three studio albums, three mixtapes, one compilation album, twenty-one singles, including seven as a featured performer, fourteen music videos, including six as a featured artist, and fifteen guest appearances on various albums. Originally from Syracuse, Mineo initially achieved success as a producer in Upstate New York, and was a member of the hip hop group Fat Camp, signed to Syracuse University's Marshall Street Records. After moving to New York City where he re-dedicated his life to Christ, he closed down his production studio and restarted his career. He released his first mixtape Sin is Wack Vol. 1 in 2009. After providing sung vocals for the song "Background" by Lecrae from the album Rehab, he experienced a surge in popularity and became highly sought after for collaborations. His 2011 single "In My City" featuring Efrain from Doubledge also garnered attention, as did his appearance on the song "Reverse" by Tedashii from Blacklight. He signed to Reach Records in 2011 and dropped his stage name "C-Lite" in favor of his legal name. Under this name he released another mixtape, Formerly Known, in 2011. In May 2012 he debuted a four episode web series entitled Saturday Morning Car-Tunez in which he remixed classic hip hop songs. The four songs were subsequently released for free as a compilation album. His debut full-length studio album, Heroes for Sale, was released April 2013.
Derek Laurence Johnson Jr., better known by his stage name Derek Minor and former stage name PRo, is an American Christian rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, actor, and screenwriter. He co-founded the hip-hop record label Reflection Music Group (RMG) with Doc Watson, and signed to Reach Records in a joint venture between the two labels in 2011. In 2012, Johnson announced that he had changed his stage name from Pro to Derek Minor. In 2014, he announced that as his two-album contract with Reach was complete, he would no longer be publishing releases through that label.
Heroes for Sale is the debut studio album by American Christian hip hop artist Andy Mineo, released on April 16, 2013. It follows up Mineo's 2011 mixtape Formerly Known. Considered one of the most anticipated Christian hip hop albums of 2013, Heroes for Sale includes features from Lecrae, Trip Lee, KB, Christon Gray, Krizz Kaliko, and for KING & COUNTRY among others. Three singles were released for the album, "AYO!" on January 28, 2013, "Bitter" on March 5, 2013, and "You Will" on April 2, 2013. A music video for "AYO!" came out on January 31, a three-part webseries was launched on February 6, and a documentary entitled "Everything Must Go" was released on April 9. Lyrically, Mineo based the album concept around the brokenness of human heroes, and the album has a very transparent and personal tone. Stylistically, it mixes electronic-influenced hip hop music with a variety of other genres, including hymns, reggaeton, jazz, R&B, heavy metal, classical, dubstep, second line, acid jazz, psychedelic funk, and jack swing. The album debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200, No. 4 on Top Rap Albums chart, No. 1 on the US Top Christian Albums and No. 2 on the UK Top Christianhart.
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, Trip Lee, Andy Mineo, 1K Phew, WHATUPRG, Anike, Hulvey, Limoblaze, and Jackie Hill Perry. The hip-hop collective 116 operates under the label and consists primarily of the label's solo acts. The artists Sho Baraka, Derek Minor, Aha Gazelle, KB, and Gawvi were formerly signed to the label, and DJ Official was under the label until his death.
"Confessions", styled "Confe$$ions", is a Christian hip hop song by Lecrae from his album Gravity, released on September 4, 2012. Lyrically, the song critiques the pursuit of wealth and expresses the emptiness and lack of peace that comes with materialism.
The discography of Trip Lee, an American Christian hip hop artist, consists of eight studio albums, including three as a founding member of the group 116 Clique, one EP with 116 Clique, thirteen singles, including three as a featured performer and two with 116 Clique, fourteen music videos, including three as a featured performer and two with 116 Clique, a contributed track to a compilation album, and twenty-nine guest appearances.
The discography of Tedashii, an American Christian hip hop artist, consists of five studio albums, four extended plays, including three as a founding member of the group 116 Clique, a remix EP by 116 Clique, fourteen singles, including five as a featured performer and two with 116 Clique, thirteen music videos, including seven as a featured performer and two with 116 Clique, a contributed track to a compilation album, and twenty-four guest appearances.
Church Clothes 2, officially Church Clothes, Vol. 2, is the second mixtape by Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released on November 7, 2013 by Reach Records. Hosted by Don Cannon, it follows Lecrae's previous mixtape, Church Clothes, and Grammy Award-winning full-length album Gravity, both of which came out in 2012. Two versions of the album were released, a free version with host Don Cannon, and a commercial version off iTunes without the DJ. The first single off the album, "Round of Applause", was released on May 14, 2013. On May 21, a remixed version of the song, featuring rapper B.o.B, was released. A second single off the album, "I'm Turnt", dropped on October 18, 2013. The mixtape was downloaded over 100,000 times on DatPiff.com in the first two weeks and debuted at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 chart, No. 1 on the Top Christian and Gospel charts, and No. 3 on the Top Rap chart.
Beautiful Eulogy is a Christian experimental hip hop group and production team from Portland, Oregon, signed to the label Humble Beast. Composed of rappers Braille and Odd Thomas and producer Courtland Urbano, the group coalesced in 2011 while the three artists were involved in the creation of Braille's seventh release, Native Lungs. Known for its experimental and eclectic sound, the group melds myriad styles of hip hop with genres such as folk, electronic, hymn tunes, and modern worship music. After contributing a song to the charity compilation King Kulture and making a guest appearance on Lecrae's Church Clothes, the band released its debut album, Satellite Kite, on June 19, 2012. A second album, Instruments of Mercy, came out on October 29, 2013. Called one of the most innovative hip hop groups in Portland, Beautiful Eulogy has met with critical acclaim, with particular praise directed at the group's creative, unconventional sound and deep theological lyrics.
Heartbeat is the seventh studio album by Christian hip hop recording artist Da' T.R.U.T.H., released on April 15, 2014 by Da' T.R.U.T.H.'s own label, Mixed Bag Records. It features artists such as Braille, Capital Kings, Chris August, Lecrae, Papa San, and Tedashii, and production by Black Knight, DJ Corbett, Justin Ebach, Jordin Endow, Epikh Pro, J.R., Joseph Love, Alex Medina, Carlin Muccular and S1.
The discography of Propaganda, an American Christian hip hop and spoken word artist and poet from Los Angeles, California, consists of five studio albums, two EPs, twelve compilation appearances, eleven music videos, including one as a featured performer, and twenty-three guest appearances.
Anomaly is the seventh studio album by American Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released on September 9, 2014, through Reach Records. The album features appearances from Crystal Nicole, Kari Jobe, and For King & Country, along with label-mate Andy Mineo. Anomaly met with a positive critical reception, and the song "Nuthin", released for streaming as a single on July 1, 2014, was nominated for the 2014 BET Hip Hop Awards in the best Impact Track category. The album also fared well commercially, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with over 88,000 copies sold. It also debuted at No. 1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart, marking the first time that any artist has ever topped both the 200 and Gospel charts. Anomaly won Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year at the 2015 GMA Dove Awards, and Rap, Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year at the 2015 Stellar Awards. Two songs earned a nomination for the 2015 Grammy Awards; "All I Need Is You" was nominated for Best Rap Performance, and "Messengers", featuring For King & Country, won Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.
Instruments of Mercy is the second studio album by Portland, Oregon-based experimental hip hop trio Beautiful Eulogy, released through Humble Beast Records on October 29, 2013, in both free and commercial format. Like its predecessor, the album features a highly eclectic folk-hip hop fusion melded with numerous other styles such as electronic, indie, hymn tunes, and contemporary worship music. Courtland Urbano, the main producer of the trio, eschewed the use of digitally-generated effects and instrumentation in composing the music for Instruments of Mercy, instead relying solely on analog and natural sounds. A single from the album, "Vital Lens", was released as a digital download on September 10, 2013. The album fared well commercially, charting at No. 6 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart, and was lauded by critics for its diverse and creative sound and deeply theological lyrics. PQ Monthly called the group "one [of] the most innovative hip-hop acts in Portland."
Nelson J. Chu, known professionally as DJ Official, was an American Christian hip hop DJ, record producer and songwriter. He was a member of the Christian hip hop collectives 116 Clique and The Cross Movement.
'Insane producer creativity in this room. @IQwitMusic, @jrinstereo, @mrmedina, @dirtyricemusic, and Joseph P working on music. #Gravity'
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