Lecrae’s new album, "Rebel"

Christian hip hop has traditionally been…well…pretty weak. Christians are usually about a decade behind the culture when it comes to arts and entertainment. So whenever people find out that I’m a huge Christian hip hop (or Gospel Rap) fan, they usually look at me with that “Bless your heart” expression in their eyes. (Those of you in the south know what “bless your heart” really means!)

I understand and can sympathize with hip hop fans who’ve only heard of early DC Talk or John Reuben and think there’s not really any Christian hip hop out there that can compete with Jay-Z, Nas, Tupac, 50 Cent, Outkast or Li’l Wayne.

But God has been raising up in the last few years a whole generation of men and women who have a passion for Him and a hip hop heartbeat. Cross Movement, Flame, Da’ T.R.U.T.H., JR, 116 Clique, Trip Lee, Grits, DJ Morphizziz, DJ Maj, Tunnel Rats, Urban D and many many others have arrived on the scene and are claiming hip hop culture for the Kingdom of God. And in my personal opinion, Lecrae is at the head of the pack! I’ve seen him live and this guy transforms the stage and the crowd into a mixture of club, stadium and sanctuary.

His newest album, Rebel, is everything I expected from him. Lecrae has the ability to put the deepest theological and cultural concepts into lyrics that border on genius; yet he’s able to speak to the culture on a level that any kid watching BET or MTV can hear.

Lecrae has a passion for taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth–and additionally, a bigger passion to see those who’ve accepted the Gospel grow in their faith and become full-on disciples of Jesus. Listening to Lecrae, in contrast to much of what clutters the Christian music airwaves, is often much like sitting in a seminary classroom…with a ridiculously good beat. If you’ve yet to discover Lecrae (and those like him), let me be the first to introduce you.

And once you’ve gotten hooked on him, follow it up with the following albums:

“Real Talk” and “After the Music Stops” by Lecrae