I obviously don’t know for certain but I’m pretty sure there’s no way Saigon would have done a song like that if it wasn’t for Lecrae. One just needs to peruse the comments under the music video on youtube to see the impact it’s making on non-religious folk! He’s also forming friendships with the likes of MGK, Big K.R.I.T. and Kendrick Lamar who are all open to Christianity, just imagine if God used Lecrae to influence one or more of those three to give their lives to Christ, an entire new fan base would get the chance to hear Christian music for the first time!
In response to you querying the change in direction that Lecrae’s music has taken, there are three critical questions that should be asked of any Christian artists/bands:
1. Are they serving God?
2. Are they writing songs to glorify God?
3. Are they trying to reach the lost in a relateable manner so that they can hear the great news of our Lord and Saviour?
Ask these three questions of Lecrae’s music and you get a resounding yes to all three. Lecrae is most definitely still serving God, you just have to read or watch some of his interviews to see that. He’s certainly still writing songs to glorify God, a quick perusal through the lyrics for “Tell The World” backs this up big time. He’s most definitely trying to reach the lost in a relateable manner with the Good news of Jesus Christ as explained earlier.
I, along with many others, also have a major issue with the following lyrics in “My Letter To lecrae”,
“....and now I’m so confused, when half of your music drops, it used to be the Gospel, now it seems you’re trying to reach the top, it’s all repetitive now, it’s nothing new to me, where is the substance behind it, what will it do for me, ‘coz truthfully souls our dying daily on these streets, what’s really important?, giving them Christ or giving them all these beats”
Not every Christian song has to be theological or preaching the Gospel, some need to be fun light-hearted tracks and others need to be about struggles. The majority of “Gravity” is about the latter and it shows Lecrae as a normal guy who struggles like the rest of us with the things that seem to hold us down and prevent us from reaching God. I know a lot of non-Christians who listen to Gravity and, if nothing else, they’re hearing about God instead of sex, drugs and violence.
James 4:12 declares, “There is only one lawgiver and judge, He who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” You don’t know the motives behind his songs so I’d politely ask you to please refrain from passing judgement on them in the future.
Also, if Lecrae’s music isn’t providing you with the substance you need there are plenty of other Christian hip-hop artists you could be listening to who would satisfy that; Flame, KJ-52, Group 1 Crew, D-Maub, Young Chozen and Guvna B to name just a few. Christian music needs some artists, like Lecrae, to water down their message and try and reach more people but it also needs to have some artists, like Flame, who are all about gloryfing God to the absolute max to balance things out.
As for the disrespectful backlash you’ve received from some of Lecrae’s fans, I can only apologize on their behalf. It’s easy to react in a negative manner when we as fans are under the impression that one of our favourite artists is “under attack” and it’s certainly not easy to respond in a respectful manner. As previously stated, I don’t believe you were attacking Lecrae’s music or ministry and I believe that, as you say in the song, you were simply reaching out to a brother in the Lord. However, I majorly disagree with what you say in your “Letter To Lecrae Fans” song, “...but what I see here is a bunch of idolatry”. Just because fans defend an artist or a band doesn’t mean they are idolising that artist or band...
Many fans are expecting Lecrae to respond to you in kind, a bit like Eminem responding to Christian rapper KJ-52’s songs “Dear Slim” & “Dear Slim part 2” through a verse in his song “Careful What You Wish For”. For a while I was one of these expectant fans although I’ve now come to realise that I almost certainly don’t want this to happen, there’s just no good that could come from it and, as I’ve previously stated, I believe it best that these issues are dealt with privately.
I really hope that what I’ve said above wasn’t for nothing and that you know I’m not criticising you in any way, shape or form. I completely appreciate and understand the concerns you have about the direction Lecrae’s music is heading in, as I myself have had them, but I’d encourage you to get behind him and support him in what he’s trying to do. His music moved you closer to the God above, I get that, but, with this change of direction, Lecrae is simply trying to reach more people with his music and, hopefully, many more people will be saved as a result.
I wish you all the best in your music career...
God bless,
Iain Moss
P.S. Flame recently released the song “#1 Spot” on his album “The 6th: Man On Fire” (deluxe version of his “The 6th” album) where he laid out his heart and where he lies on this debate. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend you check the track out as soon as possible, along with his interview with DJ Wade-O about the song and the direction some artists’ music is going.
PG. 8