Lecrae

Lecrae Devaughn Moore (born October 9, 1979) is an American Christian rapper, singer-songwriter, actor, and record producer. Beginning his career in 2004, he has released ten studio albums and four mixtapes as a solo artist, as well as recording with the hip-hop collective 116, which he co-founded.

Lecrae's first two studio albums, Real Talk (2004) and After the Music Stops (2006), were both self-released and met with critical praise. His third album, 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. His sixth album, Gravity (2012), and has been called the most important album in Christian hip hop history by Rapzilla and Atlanta Daily World. Along with continued critical praise, it peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and won 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.

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.

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 became the first hip-hop artist to win. 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. Lecrae 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 was raised by his single mother in a poor neighborhood in southern Houston. Shortly after his birth, he moved to Denver, away from his father, then to San Diego. At the age of 6, he was sexually abused by his babysitter. As a teenager, his role models were the rapper Tupac Shakur and his uncle, a member of a street gang.

At age 16, he began using drugs, trying almost every substance except crack and heroin. He started stealing in high school and dealing drugs, using his grandmother's Bible as a lucky charm. 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. 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. He also briefly attended Middle Tennessee State University.

At age 19, he went to a Bible study after being invited by a girl from college. 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. 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. 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. Young people's positive response to Christian rap encouraged them to start a label.

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. On his third release, Rebel, Lecrae slowed down his style on many songs. 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. With the release Gravity, Billboard described Lecrae as incorporating reggae and soul influences into his "signature brash sound." Let the Trap Say Amen blended Lecrae's spiritual lyrics with Zaytoven's trap-style production.

Regarding which musical artists have influenced him, Lecrae, in an interview with Essence, cited Tupac, Nas, DJ Quik, Scarface, and The Cross Movement. 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. Lecrae also names Outkast and Lauryn Hill as major influences, particularly their albums Aquemini and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, respectively. He considers Hill's song "Adam Lives in Theory" the top song that nourishes him spiritually. In the song "Non-Fiction", he lists the Tunnel Rats alongside The Cross Movement as an influence when he was newly converted to Christianity. Theologically, Lecrae follows the Reformed tradition and is considered an influential figure in the New Calvinist movement. 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. 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". Other theologians cited by Lecrae include Tim Keller, Andy Crouch, Randy Alcorn, and Abraham Kuyper. He also looks to Martin Luther King Jr. for inspiration on working out faith in application to social issues.

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."

Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin recommended Lecrae and Hillsong in an interview when asked about his pre-game music. Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and professional wrestler Ezekiel Jackson have also endorsed Lecrae. 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. "Dum Dum", a song by Tedashii featuring Lecrae, was used on an episode of So You Think You Can Dance. Lecrae also created the theme song for a new ESPN SportsCenter block called "Coast to Coast". In September 2024, Kendrick Lamar mentioned Lecrae in an untitled song that media outlets referred to as "Watch the Party Die", to which Lecrae responded with his own track, "Die For The Party".

Lecrae currently resides in Atlanta since relocating there from Memphis in 2009, and is married to Darragh Moore. The couple have three children together. In an interview with HipHopDX, Lecrae stated that Clipse member No Malice sought him out as a spiritual advisor. 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. On August 14, 2020, Lecrae posted a video on his YouTube channel that includes footage of him reconnecting with his long-absent father who now resides in San Diego.

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. 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.

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

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. 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. In mid 2016, Lecrae did a talk about racial reconciliation at Yale University, titled "Knowledge through Narrative: Bridging the Racial Divide in America". 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. 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.

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. 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. After the murder of George Floyd, Lecrae was inspired to write "Deep End", 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.

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

In 2016, Lecrae 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.

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, and in 2015 became the first rapper to win the BET Award for Best Gospel Artist.