45 Facts About Lecrae

Lecrae is the president, co-owner and co-founder of the independent record label Reach Records, was the co-founder and president of the now-defunct non-profit organization ReachLife Ministries, is an investor and co-owner of the audio production software MXD, and is a co-founder of the film production studio 3 Strand Films.

Lecrae produced much of his earlier material along with other early Reach Records releases.

In May 2016, Lecrae signed to Columbia Records in a joint deal between his label and Columbia.

Lecrae's debut recording, Real Talk, was released in 2004 through Reach Records.

Lecrae received nominations for Artist of the Year at the 43rd, 44th, 45th, and 46th GMA Dove Awards, the last of which he won, and for Best Gospel Artist at the 2013 and 2015 BET Awards, the latter of which he won, a first for a rap artist.

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Lecrae's filmography includes a role in the television film A Cross to Bear and brief roles in the comedy film Believe Me, crime film Superfly, and Christian drama film Breakthrough .

Lecrae remembers taking a BB gun and standing in the street pointing it to a car, frightening the female driver, simply for fun.

Lecrae tried "pretty much every drug there was to try" except for heroin and crack cocaine.

Lecrae attended a conference after being invited by a friend, though Lecrae admits that his interest was to meet girls and experience the big city.

When he arrived at the conference, Lecrae was awed by the performance of the Christian hip-hop group The Cross Movement.

Lecrae had no seatbelt and the roof and windshield of the car caved in, his glasses were molded into the frame of the car, but he survived completely uninjured.

Lecrae cites this incident as the one which convinced him to commit his life to Christ.

Lecrae went back to school at the University of North Texas.

Lecrae started volunteering and performing at a juvenile detention center, and the reception he received convinced him that offering "hope and encouragement" through music was what he wanted to do.

However, Lecrae still struggled in his faith - as revealed in "Good, Bad, Ugly", in 2002 he impregnated a then-girlfriend.

In 2004, five years after his conversion, Lecrae teamed up with Ben Washer to found Reach Records, and at the age of 25 he released his first album, Real Talk.

In 2005, Lecrae co-founded the non-profit organization ReachLife Ministries, which equipped local Christian leaders with tools, media, curriculum, and conferences that were based on the teachings of the Bible and relevant to hip-hop culture.

Lecrae promised that all proceeds from the single's sales would go directly to the Haiti relief effort.

Lecrae subsequently clarified on his Twitter account that the song was not a single from Rehab, but rather a theme song for Kanakuk Kamps, a chain of Christian camps for which he writes songs annually.

Lecrae gained popularity after his verse on the cypher trended nationwide on Twitter and was featured on AllHipHop.

Lecrae then appeared as a feature on Statik Selektah's song "Live and Let Live" from his Population Control album.

Lecrae became the fifth artist following Chris Tomlin, TobyMac, LeAnn Rimes and Bob Carlisle to score a number one album on both Christian Albums and the Billboard 200.

Anomaly marks the sixth time that Lecrae topped the Gospel Albums chart and the fifth time he topped the Christian Albums chart.

In May 2016, Lecrae signed to Columbia Records, which will release future recordings in conjunction with Reach.

Lecrae explained that he signed this deal in order to increase the international audience for Reach, since his label peaked nationally with the release of Anomaly.

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In September 2016, Reach Records announced Lecrae's upcoming tour schedule, The Destination Tour, which ran through October and November.

In December 2019, the Atlanta Hawks accidentally leaked information about a new Lecrae album coming March 2020 when they posted about a Lecrae performance— in March—that included information about the album: Restoration.

In May 2020, Lecrae left Columbia, and stated that this would give him more artistic freedom and control.

Lecrae considers Hill's song "Adam Lives in Theory" the top song that nourishes him spiritually.

Theologically, Lecrae follows the Reformed tradition and is considered an influential figure in the New Calvinist movement.

Lecrae cites Tommy Nelson, John MacArthur, and John Piper, among others, as early influences on his Christian faith, and Lecrae even titled one of his songs, "Don't Waste Your Life", after the book of the same name by Piper.

Lecrae explains that through Nelson, MacArthur, and Piper, he subsequently discovered Charles Spurgeon, John Calvin, and Francis Schaeffer, the last of whom Lecrae calls his "personal hero".

Lecrae created the theme song for a new ESPN SportsCenter block called "Coast to Coast".

Lecrae, Wade, DuBois, Jay Z, and U S President Barack Obama all made appearances in the campaign's promotional public service announcements.

Lecrae has contributed op-ed articles to Billboard dealing with race relations in the United States, including the 2014 Ferguson unrest, 2015 Charleston church shooting, and 2016 shootings of Alton Stirling, Philando Castile, and five Dallas police officers.

In mid 2016, Lecrae did a talk about racial reconciliation at Yale University, titled "Knowledge through Narrative: Bridging the Racial Divide in America".

Lecrae spoke on hip hop culture at a Nashville TEDx conference, decrying the misogyny and violence rampant in much of hip hop's lyrics but advocating for hip hop to be used as an agent for social change.

At the 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards, Lecrae performed an original composition addressing racial injustice in the United States, referencing the shooting of Philando Castile.

In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lecrae worked with a local non-profit, Love Beyond Walls, to distribute hand-washing stations and food to homeless people in Atlanta.

Lecrae wrote an essay for Billboard in which he discussed the need for humane behavior in the midst of widespread social panic due to the outbreak.

Lecrae has partnered with Oust Labs to be an investor and co-owner of the audio production software MXD, which was founded by Jacob "Biz" Morris.

In 2020, Lecrae teamed up with Adam Thomason to found the film production studio 3 Strand Films.

Lecrae is a venture partner in Collab Capital, and has participated in several real estate ventures, including Invest Atlanta and Peace Preparatory Academy, intended to revitalize English Avenue.

Lecrae is a graduate of the University of North Texas.

Lecrae has won many music awards over the space of his career, including two Grammy Awards and eight Dove Awards.

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