Over the course of his career, about 10 years and counting, Lecrae has learned that
Christian music can be vertical (looking to heaven in praise and worship) or horizontal (examining the struggles people face and empathizing with their pain).
Both concepts suit him, but Lecrae says he's caught some flak for embracing the horizontal approach -- writing gritty rhymes about the detriments of violence, the impact of war or the dangers of street life.
"You have art that's for the church, that talks about how great He is, and the perspective from the church, that talks about what's going on," Lecrae says. "People get up in arms and scared, but I'm simply having a conversation about something else. … I anticipate that, every step of the way. The goal is to encourage young people who want authenticity."
At Winter Jam, Lecrae says, he's ready for a certain amount of skepticism -- and determined to break down the wall with two or three songs. (On recent tour stops, he's warmed up the crowd with "Co-Sign, Part 2," "Round of Applause" and "Fakin'.")
"The first 10 minutes are about trust being established and the perspective understood," Lecrae says. "You have to work for it, but it's been amazing. I try to make it a really seamless experience. Honestly, I'm really trying to tell my story the whole night. There's a narrative of my life experiences and how God is weaving my life together."
When the musician on the other end of the line is Lecrae, a Grammy-winning hip-hop artist, that task seems especially daunting. At age 34, he's already started a record label, founded a nonprofit organization, released several solo albums, topped some Billboard charts and tried his hand at acting.
Lecrae's personal successes, however, are just as important, and even more dramatic than his professional victories.
Communications, a ministry division of the American Family Association. She co-hosts an issues-driven radio show heard daily on the Urban Family Talk radio network.
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