Lecrae

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Lecrae
Lecrae (cropped).jpg
Lecrae in 2014
Born
Lecrae Devaughn Moore

(1979-10-09) October 9, 1979 (age 45)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Education Middle Tennessee State University
Alma mater University of North Texas (BAS) [1]
Occupations
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • producer
  • record executive
  • actor
Years active2004–present
SpouseDarragh Moore
Children3
Awards Full list
Musical career
Genres
Labels
Member of
Website lecrae.com
Signature
Lecrae signature, Billboard Open Letter 2016.png

Lecrae Devaughn Moore (born October 9, 1979) is an American Christian rapper.and singer-songwriter/dancer. 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.

Contents

Lecrae's first two studio albums, Real Talk (2004) and After the Music Stops (2006), were both released independently and met with critical praise. His third, Rebel (2008), became the first Christian hip-hop album to peak atop the Billboard Top Gospel Albums, and his first to enter the Billboard 200. After the release of his fourth album, Rehab (2010), Lecrae began attracting mainstream attention following his performance at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher, and his guest appearance on Statik Selektah's single "Live and Let Live" that same year. [2] His sixth album, Gravity (2012), and has been called the most important album in Christian hip hop history by Rapzilla and Atlanta Daily World . [3] [4] [5] Along with continued critical praise, it peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and made Lecrae the first hip hop artist to win in the category of Best Gospel Album — at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. His seventh album, Anomaly (2014), became his first to debut atop the Billboard 200, as well as the first album to peak both the Billboard 200 and Top Gospel Album charts simultaneously. [6] [7] [8]

In May 2016, Lecrae signed with Columbia Records. He released his third mixtape, Church Clothes 3 (2016), his eighth album, All Things Work Together (2017), and his collaborative album with American record producer Zaytoven, Let the Trap Say Amen (2018). He left Columbia in early 2020, and released his tenth album, Restoration , in August of that year.

He has co-founded three media entities: the record label Reach Records in 2004, the now-defunct non-profit organization ReachLife Ministries in 2007, and the film production studio 3 Strand Films in 2019.

Lecrae received nominations for Artist of the Year at the 43rd, 44th, 45th, and 46th GMA Dove Awards, the last of which he won, and for Best Gospel Artist at the 2013 and 2015 BET Awards, 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). Lecrae has presented on and written about racial tension and injustice in the United States as well as advocated for the preservation of responsibility and fatherhood values 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 worked with Love Beyond Walls to distribute hand-washing stations and food to homeless people in Atlanta.

Life and career

Early life

Lecrae was raised by his single mother in a poor neighborhood in southern Houston. [9] Shortly after his birth, he moved to Denver, away from his father, then to San Diego. [10] At the age of 6, he was sexually abused by his babysitter. [11] As a teenager, his role models were the rapper Tupac Shakur and his uncle, a member of a street gang. [12]

At age 16, he began using drugs, trying almost every substance except crack and heroin. [13] He started stealing in high school and dealing drugs, using his grandmother's Bible as a lucky charm. [14] He was arrested for possession of drugs, but the policeman who arrested him discovered his Bible and made him promise that, if he let Lecrae go, he would live according to biblical principles from now on. Subsequently, he began rehab. [12] He dropped drugs but replaced them with alcohol and partying.

Lecrae received a scholarship to study theater at the University of North Texas, and graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in 2002. [9] He also briefly attended Middle Tennessee State University. [15]

At 19, he went to a Bible study after being invited by a girl from college. [13] He was amazed to see people like himself there, who liked the same books and music, but who were loving. He decided to live for God, but continued to make bad choices. Following a friend's invitation, he attended a Christian conference in Atlanta and was impressed by the performance of a Christian rap group, The Cross Movement. [16] He was also touched by a clear presentation of the gospel by Pastor James White (of Christ Our King Community Church). He then asked forgiveness for his sins and claimed to have experienced a new birth.

Subsequently, he was in a car accident but came out unscathed. [17] [9] In 2003, in a Bible study meeting at Denton Bible Church in Denton, Texas, he met Ben Washer, with whom he would volunteer and sing in a juvenile correctional facility. [18] Young people's positive response to Christian rap encouraged them to start a label. [19]

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 . [20] 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. [21] 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), [22] 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. [23] Also in 2005, the debut album of 116 Clique, The Compilation Album , was released. [24]

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, [25] and received a nomination for a Dove Award, as did the single "Jesus Muzik", featuring Trip Lee. In 2007, 116 Clique released its second album, 13 Letters , [24] reaching No. 10 on the Gospel Albums chart and No. 29 on the Christian Albums chart. [26] 116 Clique also released the remix EP Amped , which peaked at No. 24 on the Gospel Albums chart. [26]

On October 8, 2008, Lecrae's third album, Rebel , 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. [27] [28] It also charted at No. 2 on the Christian Albums chart and No. 15 on the Top Independent charts. [29] 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. [30] 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. [31]

In 2009, he moved to Atlanta and he helped establish Blueprint Church (Southern Baptist Convention). [32]

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. [33] On July 7, Lecrae announced on the Reach Records website that the title of his new album would be Rehab . [34] On August 5, 2010, Rapzilla shared a new song from Lecrae called "Amp It Up". [35] 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. [36] On August 31, 2010, Reach Records revealed the track list for Rehab, released it for pre-order, and premiered a promotional video "Idols". [37] [38] A second promotional video, entitled "I Am Dust", debuted on September 9, 2010. [39] 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. [40] 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. [41] On the same day, 116 Clique released their fourth album, entitled Man Up. [42] On September 7, 2011, Rapzilla announced that Lecrae would be featured on the BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher on October 11, 2011. [43] Lecrae gained popularity after his verse on the cypher trended nationwide on Twitter and was featured on AllHipHop. [44] Lecrae then appeared as a feature on Statik Selektah's song "Live and Let Live" from his Population Control album.

Mainstream breakthrough (2012–2016)

Lecrae (left) and Akon (right) at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards Billboard12-crayola-lecrae.jpg
Lecrae (left) and Akon (right) at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards

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 . [45] The video was noted for including cameos by Kendrick Lamar and DJ Premier, and attracted almost 20,000 views in less than a day. [45] Hosted by Don Cannon, the mixtape featured the song Darkest Hour, in which Lecrae collaborated with No Malice of Clipse. [46] [47] [48] 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. [49] On June 25, 2012, a remastered version of the mixtape, without DJ Don Cannon, was released as an EP for sale on iTunes. [50] Due to issues with sampling, this version was much shorter with only seven songs. [50] 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. [51] [52] [53]

On April 27, Lecrae announced that his next album, Gravity , was to be released in late 2012, and recording sessions began in May. [54] On June 21, 2012, Lecrae appeared live at the Apple Store in Chicago for Black Music Month. [55] The release date for Gravity, September 4, 2012, as well as the album artwork was announced on July 19, 2012, via Rapzilla. [56]

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. [57]

Gravity was released on September 4, 2012, to critical acclaim. [58] Upon its release, Gravity debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, with 72,000 units sold. [59] 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. [60] After the iTunes deluxe version of the album hit No. 1 on that vendors charts, and the regular version at number No. 2, Time wrote an article about Lecrae and his success with the album. [61]

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. [62] On Datpiff.com, the album was download over 146,000 times by November 26, 2013. [63]

On June 3, 2014, Lecrae announced through social media that his seventh studio album would be titled Anomaly . [64] The album released on September 9, 2014. [65] It is supported by the single "Nuthin". [66] It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 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 (2013), TobyMac (2012), LeAnn Rimes (1997) and Bob Carlisle (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. [67] In its second week of sales, the album sold 31,000 copies, bringing the total to 120,000 copies sold. [68] In its third week of sales, the album sold another 17,000 copies, bringing the total to 137,000 copies. [69] Anomaly went on to sell over 500,000 copies, and was certified Gold by the RIAA on August 26, 2016. [70] 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. [71] The song was subsequently released on October 21, 2014, in the iTunes store. [72] The single "All I Need Is You" from the album was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, [73] and on June 12, 2019, the song was certified Gold by the RIAA. [70]

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. [74] He made a subsequent appearance the following year, on January 9, 2015, this time as a featured performer. [74] On January 15, 2016, Lecrae released his third mixtape Church Clothes 3 . [75] 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. [76] [77]

Signing with Columbia and Restoration (2016–present)

Lecrae performing a free concert at Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni, Japan, January 9, 2018. Lecrae at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Jan. 9, 2018.jpg
Lecrae performing a free concert at Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni, Japan, January 9, 2018.

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. [78] [79] [80] It opened at No. 19 on The New York Times Best Seller list. [81] In May 2016, Lecrae signed to Columbia Records, which will release future recordings in conjunction with Reach. [82] [83] 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. [84] In September 2016, Reach Records announced Lecrae's upcoming tour schedule, The Destination Tour (You're Accepted), which ran through October and November. [85] On October 21, 2016, Lecrae released the single "Can't Stop Me Now (Destination)", the lead single from his upcoming studio album. [84] [86] On January 27, 2017, he released the second single "Blessings", featuring Ty Dolla Sign. [87] Lecrae followed this up with the third single "I'll Find You", featuring Tori Kelly, on June 8, 2017. [88] Then, on June 23, 2017, he released a promotional single "Hammer Time", featuring 1K Phew. [89] On August 7, 2017, Lecrae announced his eighth studio album, All Things Work Together , his major label debut. [90] The album was released on September 22, 2017. [91] "Blessings" went on to be certified Gold on April 30, 2019, and "I'll Find You" was certified Platinum on February 26, 2020. [70]

On May 24, 2018, he announced in a DJ Booth editorial that he and producer Zaytoven would release a collaborative album called Let the Trap Say Amen . [92] [93] The album was released on June 22, 2018. [94] 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. [95] 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. [96] I Am Restored will release October 13, 2020. [97] The first single to Restoration, "Set Me Free", featuring YK Osiris, and the accompanying music video, was released on March 20, 2020.[ citation needed ] In May 2020, Lecrae left Columbia, and stated that this would give him more artistic freedom and control. [98] 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.

With American Christian rapper Andy Mineo, he released "Coming In Hot", [99] as a single, and later included on the Reach Records collaborative album titled Summer Eighteen. [100] It has been certified RIAA Digital Gold for more than 500,000 downloads and on-demand streams in August 2021, and Digital Platinum in 2023 for exceeding one million, [101] also becoming a viral song on social networks, [102] even used by personalities like Kim Kardashian and Will Smith. [103] It managed to position itself on Billboard three years after its release, making this a rare phenomenon in music. [104]

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. [105] [106] [107] [108] [109] On his third release, Rebel , Lecrae slowed down his style on many songs. [110] 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. [111] [112] With the release Gravity , Billboard described Lecrae as incorporating reggae and soul influences into his "signature brash sound." [113] Let the Trap Say Amen blended Lecrae's spiritual lyrics with Zaytoven's trap-style production. [114]

Regarding which musical artists have influenced him, Lecrae, in an interview with Essence , cited Tupac, Nas, DJ Quik, Scarface, and The Cross Movement. [115] In an interview with The Christian Post , Lecrae listed his top favorite five hip hop artists as Tupac, Nas, The Ambassador, Snoop Dogg, and Jay Z, though he admires Jay-Z for his business approach rather than his music. [116] Lecrae also names Outkast and Lauryn Hill as major influences, particularly their albums Aquemini and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill , respectively. [117] He considers Hill's song "Adam Lives in Theory" the top song that nourishes him spiritually. [118] In the song "Non-Fiction", he lists the Tunnel Rats alongside The Cross Movement as an influence when he was newly converted to Christianity. [119] Theologically, Lecrae follows the Reformed tradition and is considered an influential figure in the New Calvinist movement. [120] He cites Tommy Nelson, John MacArthur, 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. [121] [122] Lecrae explains that through Nelson, MacArthur, and Piper, he subsequently discovered Charles Spurgeon, John Calvin, and Francis Schaeffer, the last of whom Lecrae calls his "personal hero". [121] Other theologians cited by Lecrae include Tim Keller, Andy Crouch, Randy Alcorn, and Abraham Kuyper. [123] [124] He also looks to Martin Luther King Jr. for inspiration on working out faith in application to social issues. [124]

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." [125]

Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin recommended Lecrae and Hillsong in an interview when asked about his pre-game music. [126] Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and professional wrestler Ezekiel Jackson have also endorsed Lecrae. [127] [128] During March 2014, Lecrae signed a ten-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks, and on April 4, 2014, he performed live at Philips Arena after the Hawks game. [129] [130] "Dum Dum", a song by Tedashii featuring Lecrae, was used on an episode of So You Think You Can Dance . [131] Lecrae also created the theme song for a new ESPN SportsCenter block called "Coast to Coast". [132]

Social activism

Video in which Lecrae discusses the importance of fatherhood

In 2011, 116 Clique and ReachLife Ministries, both headed by Lecrae, launched a media campaign titled Man Up, intended to mentor male urban youths on fatherhood and biblical manhood. [133] 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. [133]

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." [134] [135] 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. [134] Lecrae, Wade, DuBois, Jay Z, and U.S. President Barack Obama all made appearances in the campaign's promotional public service announcements. [134]

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. [136] [137] [138] 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. [139] [140] In mid 2016, Lecrae did a talk about racial reconciliation at Yale University, titled "Knowledge through Narrative: Bridging the Racial Divide in America". [141] [142] [143] 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. [144] At the 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards, Lecrae performed an original composition addressing racial injustice in the United States, referencing the shooting of Philando Castile. [145] [146]

In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lecrae worked with a local non-profit, Love Beyond Walls, to distribute hand-washing stations and food to homeless people in Atlanta. [147] [148] 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. [149] After the murder of George Floyd, Lecrae was inspired to write "Deep End", [150] which was a late addition to Restoration.

Lecrae also serves on the board of Peace Preparatory Academy in Atlanta, a nonprofit school dedicated to the care of those in their school and in their community. [151]

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. [152] [153] In 2020, Lecrae teamed up with Adam Thomason to found the film production studio 3 Strand Films. [154] He is a venture partner in Collab Capital, [155] and has participated in several real estate ventures, including Invest Atlanta and Peace Preparatory Academy, intended to revitalize English Avenue. [156] [157] [158]

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. [159] In an interview with HipHopDX, Lecrae stated that Clipse member No Malice sought him out as a spiritual advisor. [160] On October 20, 2016, Lecrae wrote in The Huffington Post 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. [161] [162] 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. [163]

Discography

Production discography

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2009Uprise Presents: Word from the StreetHimself [31] TV documentary special
2011Man UpKing [164] Short film by 116 Clique [133]
2012A Cross to BearJerome [165] Television film
Welcome to the Family Documentary [166] HimselfShort documentary web film by R.M.G.
2013Everything Must Go [167] Short documentary web film by Andy Mineo
The CrossShort documentary web film by Billy Graham
2014 Believe Me Dr. Malmquist [168] Feature comedy film [168]
2015ChicHimself [169] Documentary film
2018 Superfly [170] Funeral RapperFeature crime film
2019 Breakthrough [171] HimselfFeature drama film
2023 Journey to Bethlehem Gabriel Feature musical film

Books

Awards and nominations

In 2016, he received an honorary doctorate in music from the Canada Christian College of Whitby, Ontario, for his commitment to sharing a message of hope with disadvantaged young people. [172]

Lecrae has won many music awards over the space of his career, including four Grammy Awards and twelve Dove Awards.

In 2013, he became the first hip hop artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album, which was awarded to his sixth album, Gravity , [173] and in 2015 became the first rapper to win the BET Award for Best Gospel Artist. [174]

See also

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Mineo</span> American musician (born 1988)

Andrew Aaron Mineo, is an American Christian hip hop artist, producer, music executive, and video director based in New York City. He is signed to Reach Records and his creative initiative Miner League. In addition to his solo work, he is a member of Reach Records' hip hop collective 116 Clique.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Mineo discography</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reach Records</span> American label of Christian hip hop

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.

<i>Church Clothes 2</i> 2013 mixtape by Lecrae

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.

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.

<i>Anomaly</i> (Lecrae album) 2014 studio album by Lecrae

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.

Aaron McCain, better known by his stage name Canon, is an American Christian rapper from Chicago, Illinois. Canon is best known for his appearance on Lecrae's Rehab: The Overdose and his collaboration with Derek Minor then from Reach Records. Canon also was mentored by Lecrae who then took Canon on the road with him to be his full-time hype-man. After touring with Lecrae, Canon signed with Reflection Music Group and recorded his first EP entitled Loose Canon which was released in 2012. In 2014, Canon experience his first taste of success by reaching the Billboard 200 charts with the release of "Loose Canon, Volume 2." After a near-death accident, Canon was out for a long time, until 2016 when he released several singles and the third volume of his Loose Canon series.

John Lawrence Givens, known professionally as John Givez and sometimes Juan Dando, is an American musician, who plays hip hop, R&B, soul, funk and neo soul music. He is cousins with fellow rapper JGivens. John has released two studio albums, Four Seasons in 2013, Soul Rebel in 2015, while both releases charted on the Billboard magazine charts.

<i>Church Clothes 3</i> 2016 mixtape by Lecrae

Church Clothes 3 is the third mixtape by Christian hip hop recording artist Lecrae. It was released on January 15, 2016, through his label Reach Records. The mixtape is the third in his Church Clothes series, and his first major release since his studio album Anomaly (2014). It features guest appearances from E-40, N'dambi, Propaganda, John Givez, JGivens, Jackie Hill Perry, and then-label-mate KB. While the previous two mixtapes were hosted by DJ Don Cannon, on Church Clothes 3 S1 served as executive producer on the tape. In addition to S1, Epikh Pro, Black Knight, GAWVI, and others contributed production to the mixtape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gawvi</span> American rapper

Gabriel Alberto Azucena, who goes by the stage name GAWVI, is an American Christian hip hop artist and music producer, formerly for Reach Records. Born in the Bronx, New York, he has released three extended plays, five albums, and twenty-three singles including his songs; "In the Water" and "Late Nights."

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  171. ↑ Warren, Steve (April 8, 2019). "Rapper Lecrae and Phil Wickham Say Faith-Based Films Like 'Breakthrough' Give Families Something to Hold On To". CBN News . Retrieved September 24, 2020.
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