--- title: Christian Rapper Lecrae Hits iTunes Charts with New Album 'Gravity' description: An evangelical Christian rapper has taken over the iTunes hip-hop/rap chart. Three of the top 10 spots, including slots No. 1 and No. 2, have... canonical: https://time.com/archive/7121374/everything-you-need-to-know-about-lecrae-the-christian-rapper-who-is-1-on-itunes/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2012-09-06T18:06:49.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-16T06:01:17.222Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Everything You Need to Know About Lecrae, the Christian Rapper Who Is No. 1 on iTunes og:description: A two-minute bio on hip-hop's God-loving, chart-topping artist og:url: https://time.com/archive/7121374/everything-you-need-to-know-about-lecrae-the-christian-rapper-who-is-1-on-itunes/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5b36500c7f02525e/698a8fabc9e94119f212330c/lecrae.jpg?branch=production&width=600&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 600 og:image:height: 338 og:image:alt: lecrae og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Everything You Need to Know About Lecrae, the Christian Rapper Who Is No. 1 on iTunes twitter:description: A two-minute bio on hip-hop's God-loving, chart-topping artist twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5b36500c7f02525e/698a8fabc9e94119f212330c/lecrae.jpg?branch=production&width=600&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) # Meet Lecrae, the Christian Rapper Tearing Up the Charts > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) Sep 6, 2012 6:06 PM UTC  Courtesy Reach Records by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) Sep 6, 2012 6:06 PM UTC An evangelical Christian rapper has taken over the [iTunes hip-hop/rap chart](http://www.apple.com/euro/itunes/charts/top10hiphopalbums.html). Three of the top 10 spots, including slots No. 1 and No. 2, have belonged to Lecrae ever since his new album, _Gravity_, dropped on Sept. 4\. With the deluxe version of the album atop the chart all week and the regular rendition sidling right behind it in the second position, Lecrae [is expected to sell 60,000 copies](http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2012/September/TobyMac-Hits-No-1-on-Billboard-200-Chart/) in the opening week, easily a first for a Christian rapper. His lyrics certainly don’t match those on the rest of the hip-hop chart, giving his record a distinctly family-friendly feel. Here’s what you need know about the new hip-hop king: • Lecrae is certainly no stranger to topping charts. In 2008 his album _Rebel_ became the first Christian rap album to take the top spot on _Billboard_’s Top Gospel chart. It spent 78 weeks there. • [Reach Records](http://reachrecords.com/artists/show/Lecrae), the label that released _Gravity_, is actually an independent label owned by Lecrae. He has a stable of Christian rappers signed to it. (**MORE:** [The Nonbeliever’s Guide to the Creation Festival](http://entertainment.time.com/2012/06/28/the-non-believers-guide-to-creation-festival-8-things-you-need-to-know/)) • The lyrics are what set Lecrae’s albums apart from other rap discs. When he raps about going “higher,” he’s referring not to drugs but God, saying, “the closer I get to you, the higher I feel.” Athletes [Tim Tebow](http://topics.time.com/tim-tebow/), Bubba Watson and [Jeremy Lin](http://topics.time.com/jeremy-lin/) have all praised him for his straightforward, Gospel-inspired message. [Lin said](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BHqw-h2Rus), “An artist you have to check out is Lecrae … he raps a lot about the Gospel, and I really enjoy his lyrics.” • [This week on Instagram](http://instagram.com/p/PKdT5KDSUC/), Lecrae pointed out the difference in his lyrics, writing, “Dear Hip-Hop, this didn’t happen because of swag, drug references, or stripper anthems. #Godisgood” • At age 19, Lecrae attended a conference at the prodding of a friend and heard James White deliver a message that he says “turned his world upside down and showed him his need for a savior.” • Lecrae was raised by his mother and has lived in San Diego, [Denver](http://topics.time.com/denver/) and Dallas, where he pursued the street life he idolized as a child, according to his website bio. But after adopting a new worldview and committing to following Jesus, he started [speaking and rapping in Dallas](http://reachrecords.com/artists/show/Lecrae) and volunteered at a juvenile detention center while creating his debut album, _Real Talk_. • In 2005 he co-founded [ReachLife Ministries](http://reachlife.org/about/), a resource center to “help bridge the gap between biblical truth and the urban context,” according to the ministry’s website. • Lecrae’s album _Rehab_, released in 2010, reached No. 3 on the albums chart on iTunes and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Rock/Rap Gospel album. • Born and initially raised on the south side of Houston, the 32-year-old now lives in Atlanta with his wife and three children. • A typical line in a Lecrae verse, from “Fuego,” off the _Gravity_ album: “Feed the hungry and touch the sick. We gon’ help the homeless and love the kids.” **MORE:** [Faith-Based Filmmaking: Sherwood Pictures](http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2090429,00.html) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7121374/everything-you-need-to-know-about-lecrae-the-christian-rapper-who-is-1-on-itunes/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7121374/everything-you-need-to-know-about-lecrae-the-christian-rapper-who-is-1-on-itunes/"},"headline":"Meet Lecrae, the Christian Rapper Tearing Up the Charts","datePublished":"2012-09-06T18:06:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-16T06:01:17.222Z","description":"An evangelical Christian rapper has taken over the iTunes hip-hop/rap chart. 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