"Mayday" | ||||
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Single by Lecrae featuring Big K.R.I.T. and Ashthon Jones | ||||
from the album Gravity | ||||
Released | August 30, 2012 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:54 | |||
Label | Reach Records | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Lecrae singles chronology | ||||
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Big K.R.I.T. singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
Video on YouTube | ||||
Audio sample | ||||
"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.
Lyrically,the song is based around a line where Big K.R.I.T. confesses his lack of church attendance and expresses frustration with church hypocrisy. [4] In the second verse,Lecrae provide the solution to K.R.I.T.'s struggle and frustration. [5] [6] At a listening party for the album Gravity,Lecrae described the theme of the song as about "'those days when we’re just throwing up a prayer.'" [7] iHipHop appreciated the approach of the song,stating that "when it comes to rap with a positive message,it’s quite difficult for most artist to pull it off without sounding all preachy,and for the lack of a better term,corny. Apart from Lupe Fiasco,Lecrae is one of the few cats that kicks real world raps and not sound like a preacher." [8] HipHopWired also praised Lecrae for managing to speak "on that real without sounding entirely too preachy" and elaborated that this "is a feat in today's pseudo-conscious rap,where a lot of MC's say as they do and not do as they say." [9] In a review for Day &A Dream,journalist Brando noted the performers evocation of their elders and stated how,especially in the Southern United States,grandmothers are "matriarchs to faith and stability and these two men know better than most to convey that message abroad." [10]
AllHipHop stated that sonically,the song is the most "organic" track on the album. [2] StupidDOPE said the track "brings back the raw hip-hop the industry seems to be in need of." [11] NewReleaseTuesday noted the song's role in the sequencing on the album,stating that the song's smoother,R&B sound is a jarring transition from the dancehall vibe of the preceding track "Violence". [12] The lush production style by DJ Khalil was described by Complex as "chaotic" and "funky",and StupidDOPE considered the beat "catchy". [13] [14] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called the track a "massive song filled with crashing cymbals and thundering drums." [7] Brando of Day &A Dream described the song as "soul wrenching" and "piano driven". [10]
After hearing Gravity at a private listening session,AllHipHop considered the song one of the standout tracks on the album. [2] Rapzilla went further and said that the song is easily the best sonically,lyrically,and conceptually on the album. [6] stupidDOPE praised Lecrae for "blending the heartfelt lyrics of the track with an awesome beat and undertone / melody." [11] The rhymes by Big K.R.I.T. and Lecrae were described by HipHopWired as "perfectly fluid",with Ashthon Jones’soulful vocals complementing the lush production work by DJ Khalil. [1] AllHipHop also praised Jones,describing her performance on the song's melody and hook as "beautiful",while Respect Magazine called Jones' vocals "captivating." [2] [3] The single's production work by DJ Khalil has also been praised,with Rapzilla stating that "[Khalil] 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." [6] RESPECT. called the instrumentation by Khalil "incredible." [3]
A music video was filmed for the song and was directed by Motion Family. [15] The video aired December 13,2012 on the MTV Networks channels MTV Jams,mtvU,and MTV2. [16] It features Lecrae,Big K.R.I.T.,and Ashthon Jones in a church attending the funeral service of a friend,with Big K.R.I.T. playing the church organ. [4] [9] [14]
Lecrae Devaughn Moore is an American Christian rapper,singer,songwriter,record producer,record executive,actor,and entrepreneur. To date,Moore 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.
Amisho Baraka Lewis,better known by his stage name Sho Baraka,is an American Christian hip-hop artist and writer who has recorded both independently and as a founding member of the 116 Clique. He was originally signed to Reach Records until leaving in March 2011. He then co-founded a record label and group known as "High Society" with fellow Christian rappers JR,Swoope,and Suzy Rock. His debut album Turn My Life Up was released in November 2007. His second album Lions and Liars,was released March 2010. His third album Talented Xth was released in January 2013. His fourth album,The Narrative, was released in October 2016.
Justin Lewis Scott,better known by his stage name Big K.R.I.T.,is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Meridian,Mississippi,he began his musical career in 2005. He was signed to Def Jam Recordings by Sha Money XL in 2010,and first gained recognition following the release of his single "Country Shit" in September of that year. The following year,he guest appeared on T.I.'s promotional single "I'm Flexin'",which became Scott's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
Rehab is the fourth studio album by Christian hip hop artist Lecrae. It was released on September 28,2010 on Reach Records. According to the Reach Records website,the album's "motto" is "The Christian life is an entrance into rehab." Centered on release and freedoms from inhibiting addictions and habits,Rehab is a highly conceptual album. Rehab is nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album at the 53rd Grammy Awards. The album was named the Best Album of 2010 in the "Best of 2010:Rapzilla.com's Staff Picks" awards,and Lecrae was also named Artist of the Year. The song "Background" and the album itself were nominated for Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year and Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year,respectively,at the 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards.
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;130 singles,including 75 as a featured performer;73 music videos,including 37 as a featured performer;and 86 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.
Ashthon Jones is an American singer from Goodlettsville,Tennessee. Jones finished as the 13th place finalist on the tenth season of American Idol.
American hip hop recording artist and music producer Big K.R.I.T. has released five studio albums,five extended plays (EP),fourteen mixtapes and 45 singles and three promotional singles.
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.
Kevin Elijah Burgess,better known by his stage name KB,is an American Christian hip hop artist and music executive from St. Petersburg,Florida. He is the leader of the hip-hop group HGA. Burgess signed a solo artist contract with Reach Records in 2010. The label has released several projects,including the Who Is KB? mixtape in 2011,Weight &Glory,on July 17,2012,100 EP on March 4,2014,Tomorrow We Live on April 21,2015,and Today We Rebel on October 20,2017. He is also a member of the label's collective 116 Clique.
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.
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.
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.
Something Else is the thirteenth studio album by American rapper Tech N9ne. It was released on July 30,2013,by Strange Music,RBC Records and INgrooves. The album has broken up into three portions –Earth,Water &Fire. Production on the album was handled during 2012 to 2013,primarily by frequent collaborator Seven,among others such as Young Fyre,Drumma Boy,and Fredwreck. The album features guest appearances from B.o.B,Big K.R.I.T.,CeeLo Green,The Doors,The Game,Kendrick Lamar,Serj Tankian,T-Pain,Trae tha Truth,and Wiz Khalifa,among others including several artists from Tech N9ne's Strange Music imprint.
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.
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.
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.
Nelson J. Chu,known professionally as DJ Official,was an American Christian hip hop DJ. He was a member of the Christian hip hop collectives 116 Clique and The Cross Movement.