Lecrae

Lecrae Devaughn Moore, born on October 9, 1979, in Houston, Texas, embarked on his musical journey in 2004. His early life involved moving between Houston, Denver, and San Diego, raised by his single mother. A period of personal struggle led him to confront drug use and other challenges in his teenage years. A turning point occurred when he attended a Christian conference, which led to a clear presentation of faith and a subsequent commitment to it. In 2004, Lecrae co-founded Reach Records with Ben Washer. His debut album, “Real Talk” (2004), gained recognition, reaching No. 29 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart and receiving a Stellar Awards nomination. This was followed by “After the Music Stops” (2006) and “Rebel” (2008), the latter becoming the first Christian hip-hop album to top the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart and enter the Billboard 200. In 2005, he co-founded ReachLife Ministries, an organization focused on empowering Christian leaders within hip-hop culture.

Lecrae’s career continued to ascend with “Rehab” (2010) and “Rehab: The Overdose” (2011), both achieving significant chart success. A pivotal moment was his performance at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher, which garnered mainstream attention. His sixth album, “Gravity” (2012), debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and earned him a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album, marking him as the first hip-hop artist to achieve this. His seventh album, “Anomaly” (2014), debuted atop the Billboard 200 and Top Gospel Album charts concurrently, selling over 88,000 copies in its first week and eventually achieving RIAA Gold certification. He made appearances on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in 2014 and 2015, further broadening his audience.

In 2016, Lecrae signed with Columbia Records, a move aimed at expanding Reach Records’ international reach. Under this partnership, he released “Church Clothes 3” (2016), “All Things Work Together” (2017), and “Let the Trap Say Amen” (2018) with producer Zaytoven. He departed from Columbia in 2020, seeking greater artistic freedom, and released his tenth album, “Restoration,” independently. Throughout his career, Lecrae has been an advocate for social issues, contributing op-ed articles to Billboard on racial tension and injustice, and participating in initiatives like “This Is Fatherhood” with Dwyane Wade and Joshua DuBois. He also co-founded the 3 Strand Films production studio in 2019 and is involved in real estate ventures aimed at community revitalization.