Rapper Lecrae 'Marked' by Industry for Being Christian
Two time Grammy Award-winner Lecrae wowed both the secular and Christian world in 2014 with his critically acclaimed studio album, Anomaly and now his upcoming book, Unashamed, is revealing some of the things he's had to put up with while on his journey to success.
The Reach Records founder took to Facebook on Wednesday to share an excerpt from Unashamed, which is set to release in May. The lone paragraph the rapper shared features his internal dialogue as he's being introduced by an industry executive:
"'I want you to meet Lecrae. He's a Christian rapper.' 'I know who you are,' they would respond with a patronizing smile. 'I'm familiar with your music.' The awkwardness would grow, and I could almost hear their thoughts: Can I cuss around him? He is about to preach at me, or judge me if I drink this whole bottle of Cristal and stumble out of here? Maybe they don't know if they can be fully themselves around me. Or perhaps they don't think they would like the content of my music or the assumptions behind my music or the worldview I hold. Regardless, they don't want to know more. From that point on, it felt awkward. It was like I was marked."
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During an interview with CNN last month, the 36-year-old "All I Need is You" emcee said Christians in general get stereotyped. "For a lot of people, groups, Christians included, issues are homogenized and so to be a Christian I'm either this staunch conservative Republican or I'm this tree hugging liberal," Lecrae said. "You're stereotyped. It's almost assumed that people know what your issues are going to be."
Although Lecrae avoids the title "Christian rapper," the well educated, father and husband is not ashamed of his faith. He and his fellow Reach Record rappers often proclaim the number 116, which is Roman 1:16: "For I am unashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
The verse is also the inspiration behind Lecrae's book, which he says is for all who want to break the mold and be outside of the box, as he strives to do.
"I am writing Unashamed for all those who don't know who they are, who feel confined by the labels given to them," Lecrae said in a statement shared with The Christian Post. "This is for the outsiders looking for peace within."
"As an artist, my ambition is to make honest music, and I feel the same way about writing this book," Lecrae continued. "I want to be honest about where I've come from and what I've learned along the way. I want to influence culture, to help catalyze and inspire, and help other people find understanding. If they find some inspiration and some clarity for their own lives, as they follow my journey, then I will have succeeded."
In a previous interview with Rapzilla, Lecrae revealed that the book will explain why he has stormed the gates of the secular hip-hop community with his music.
"I think a book will help people understand not only the method to my madness, but my heart," he told the Christian rap site. "I also want the book to reveal kind of the faith that I hold and why I believe what I believe."
