Before winning Grammy Awards, selling platinum records, and releasing the number-one album on the Billboard Top 200 Charts (Anomaly, 2014), Reach Records’ president and co-founder LECRAE released Church Clothes, which is undoubtedly the most important album in his discography.
Lecrae has changed from an artist to a New York Times bestselling author, investor, thought leader, entrepreneur, activist, financial educator, and philanthropist in the ten years after the release of Church Clothes. His goal is still to represent hip-hop and religion with an unapologetically hard edge. The final mixtape in the series, Church Clothes 4, was released today and comprises 13 songs from artists like Andy Mineo, WHATUPRG, nobigdyl, Jon Keith, A.I. The Anomaly, and Jordan L’Oreal.
Lecrae releases the official video for “Still in America,” the fourth track on the album, along with the release.
In this final chapter of Church Clothes, Lecrae reveals that he’s “righteous but ratchet,” explaining, “I’m a child of hip-hop. I grew up with rap music, and God transitioned and transformed me when I became a believer! After that, people felt I didn’t belong in hip-hop anymore. The Church Clothes mixtape series helped them understand there’s a place for artists like me. If Wu-Tang can spit the 5 percent gems, Kendrick can talk Hebrew Israelites, and Ice Cube and Lupe can declare their Islamic faith, why is there no space for Christian hip-hop artists? So, the first Church Clothes (released in 2012) was about me getting mine off and spitting what’s in my heart.”
His passion for hip-hop extends beyond Christian hip-hop, despite the fact that he uses his talent to encourage others to grow in their faith. He says, “I adore the trap and the church, E-40, and Jesus,” in the Church Clothes 4 skits. To that list, you may also include Tupac, Biggie, NWA, Lauryn Hill, Eazy-E, E-40, OutKast, and others. He and Andy Mineo even paid homage to the top musicians in the song and video’s prior release, “Been About It.”
“People struggle with the concept of me being righteous and ratchet. I’ve created music with Zaytoven and connected and collaborated with secular artists like Ty Dolla $ign. You don’t get the righteous music that you appreciate, without the ratchet side of me. The ratchet side is what birthed it. If I weren’t sitting in my uncle’s car, listening to rap music in the hood, I wouldn’t have the skillset or heart I have now. If I didn’t come from the environment that shaped me, I wouldn’t be on the West Side of Atlanta helping to open Peace Preparatory Academy. You don’t get the righteous without the ratchet! I’m both at the same time. It’s the fusion!”
Be the first to comment