American rapper Lecrae won Best Gospel Album with his groundbreaking project Gravity at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles earlier this week. In doing so, he’s become the first hip-hop gospel artist to win a Grammy.

Lecrae is set to visit Australia this year to perform at Easterfest in Toowoomba.“We’re stoked to have Lecrae join us this year as he’s been by far one of our most requested ‘hip hop’ artists,” says festival director, Dave Schenk. “He’ll undoubtedly pack out the 6,000 capacity Big Top venue Sunday night.”

Backstage at the Grammy’s, Lecrae attributed the success of his album Gravity to the fact that he’s unashamedly truthful about his faith. He says his music stems from his encounter with God.

“I’m not necessarily trying to put a sermon in my songs…I’ve been hit by something bigger than anything known to man, and that’s the power of the Lord, so I’m different, and I hope that people can sense that as they listen to my music.”

Lecrae’s music evidences a world view not commonly found in popular Hip Hop. His music gives a window into the grace he experienced through out his life – with every situation moulding him into the artist and leader he is today. Raised in a single parent home, Lecrae experienced abuse during his childhood, and listened to the low expectations of teachers and counsellors. “I was told that I was not going to make it.” Yet looking back on his life, Lecrae says that it’s a testament to how good God is, that he uses the foolish things of this world, using the least likely candidates. “I’m definitely one of the least likely candidates. It helps me stay humble. There have been a lot of providential circumstances that have got me to where I’m at now.” 

Speaking to Behind the Music, Lecrae says that he’s inspired by real life, by the reality he sees around him. “I’m inspired when I ride city transit or go to an orphanage or go to a prison and see real life. I guess when you see how ugly stuff is the world then you can address it from a different perspective, it helps you to be compassionate and sensitive. But it also helps you to be hopeful, to hope in something bigger and better than what you see around you.”

Lecrae feels a particular connection to people who are cut off from others. He says, “What I get excited about is when my music hits the disenfranchised, the people who feel shunned and no one cares about them. I feel that God has just given me a burden for them.”

“I feel indigenous to the people who feel pushed out, shunned, second rate and I feel that I can bring encouragement to them by letting them know Ephesians 2:10 – you’re the workmanship of God, that he’s created you for the plans he’s already pre-purposed, and that you matter. That you have purpose and significance that is found in your creator. I think that is one of the unique things that God has given me a passion for.”

Lecrae has a dream and a vision for the role he wants to play. He says, “I wanna be an elder statesman of sorts, kind of like a voice of wisdom in the culture. A place that people turn to hear questions answered, to ask questions, and to be able to give some practical, social and spiritual solutions. A cultural sage of sorts, that’s what I dream to be.”

“I hope that people would take away from my music that ‘here is a person who’s had an authentic encounter with God’. This is the result of that encounter.”

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In other news, tobyMac earned a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album with his Eye On It Project. Toby says the past year has seen Christian music build a significant mainstream audience with artists like Lecrae, Chris Tomlin and himself all reaching the top or near the top of the Billboard Top 200.

“There is something in this music that people are drawn to.”

Christian musician Matt Redman led the pack winning two Grammys for the song 10, 000 Reasons [Bless The Lord] in the Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance and Best Contemporary Christian Music Song categories. Israel Houghton’s Your Presence Is Heaven tied with Redman for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song. In other achievements, Gospel duo MaryMary won Best Gospel Song with Go Get It.

Click here to listen to this week’s Grammy news with Cam Want: