Rapper Lecrae May Be the Next Evangelical Voice

Rapper Lecrae is spreading the gospel.

Lecrae Devaughn Moore is a new kind of evangelical archetype. He is a 36-year-old Grammy Award winner. His skill at conversing has made him one of the most prominent musical stars alive when it came to fellow evangelicals, even among Caucasian ones. The six foot four inches smiling former drug dealer has been embroiled in controversies because of his rising stature. He strives to guide those who has embraced his marked approach to the social issues of the day and among those who believe that Lecrae has sold himself to the system.

Rapper Lecrae May Be the Next Evangelical Voice[/tweetthis]

When it comes to Lecrae himself, he is unabashed about his opinions. He says that what he brings in is unique and nobody else can do what he can, describing himself as a clear voice in the middle of the chaos. A majority of evangelicals who prefer Lecrae do so because of his middle of the road stances. U.S. Christians are desperately searching for leaders to guide them away from partisan polarization, and to them, Lecrae has become the model. They not only exhaust the seats at his concert stops, but also purchase his book and listen to his lectures.

For Lecrae, life was a hard knock. He was raised a major part by his mother and also his grandmother in the crime-ridden streets of localities in Houston, San Diego and Denver. In his memoir, named Unashamed, he had tried to fill the hole which was created by his father, who was always absent from his home, by selling and using drugs. He once had dreams of having a lot of sex, engaging in explosive fights with men dating his mother and of making himself a gang-banger. His interest in theater and music came early and soon hip-hop came in to fill the emptiness.

A new evangelical archetype: @lecrae https://t.co/duDnZO2ohU

— Daniel Silliman (@danielsilliman) June 15, 2016

Lecrae believes that rappers have the capability to give pain a voice and the sadness associated with the inner city boys who will be beaten up if they complained about hands they were dealt. In a lecture, he described himself as growing up in “militant” household, with his mother having a keen knowledge of Black Panthers and wanting him to accept her understanding of blackness.

White evangelicals throng Lecrae's concerts, along with soccer moms and young people. Latino and black youths are also found to attend. He plays hip hop sans any obscenities, hip hop concerning Jesus.

Resources

• Lecrae
• Washington Post
• World Religion News
• Amazon – Unashamed

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