Unashamed Tour

Unashamed TourFor many Christians, it is a challenge to find Christian music that is as good as the mainstream music they enjoy. And, for most hip-hop fans, “Christian” and “rap” seem to be mutually exclusive terms. Is it possible to produce Christian hip-hop that is as good or better than the mainstream? Is it possible to be a hip-hop artist and live a Christian lifestyle fully devoted to God and devoid of the drugs, sex, greed and lies that secular hip-hop artists seem to live for? Lecrae Moore and his crew prove this possible.

This fall, artists Lecrae, Tedashii, Trip Lee, PRO, Andy Mineo and KB will be performing at the 5th annual Unashamed tour, presented by Reach Records and sponsored by Grand Canyon University and Logos Bible Software. The tour starts on October 4 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and will visit 30 cities around the U.S., including Miami on October 21, before drawing to a close on November 18 in Memphis, Tennessee.

The verse that Reach Records is centered around is Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” The Reach website asks, “Are you Unashamed? Join the movement.”

Award-winning hip-hop artist Lecrae will be performing songs from his Grammy-nominated album Rehab as well as from his newly released album Gravity. Fans will hear him perform music from his new album for the first time live. Trip Lee will be performing tracks from his critically acclaimed album The Good Life and Tedashii and PRo will be performing new music from their projects in progress. KB, a new addition to Reach Records, will perform songs from his album Weight & Glory.

The highlight of the Unashamed Tour is undoubtedly the icon of Christian rap, Lecrae. Known for his bold, honest lines full of biblical truth, valuable lessons and relatable thoughts, Lecrae has made an indelible mark in the music industry through his catchy beats, tight lyrics and, above all, bold and outspoken love for Christ.

As a youth, Lecrae wanted to be a part of glorified street life and took up rapping as a hobby and a way to convey his thoughts. After high school, this hobby became a career. When he was 19, Lecrae attended a conference and heard a man named James White share a message that he said “turned his world upside down and showed him his need for a Savior.”

While living in Dallas, Lecrae volunteered at a juvenile detention center and used his God-given gifts of speaking and rapping to minister to the kids incarcerated there. During this time, he also began working on his debut album, Real Talk. However, his pursuits were far from focused merely on himself. Lecrae wanted to help create a company based on biblical truth that would help train the next generation to follow the Lord. In 2005, he co-founded ReachLife Ministries, along with the Reach Records label. In 2006, Lecrae released After the Music Stops, his sophomore album, containing hits like “Jesus Musik” and “Send Me,” and earning a place on Soundscan’s Christian Hip Hop/R&B chart for two years after its release. In 2008 Lecrae released Rebel, which became the first Christian rap album to reach the No. 1 position on Billboard’s Top Gospel Charts, and remained on the Billboard charts for 78 weeks. His 2010 album, Rehab, caught the attention of mainstream media and culture, receiving nominations for multiple awards including a Grammy for Best Rock/Rap Gospel album. Rehab debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart and reached No. 3 on iTunes, No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Christian chart, and No. 1 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart. Lecrae’s 2012 album Gravity smashed expectations after its release on September 4. The album earned three of the top 10 spots, including No. 1 and 2 on the iTunes hip-hop/rap chart, and sold over 70,000 copies in its debut week.

Throughout his journey, Lecrae has not defined success as most hip-hop artists do. For him, it’s not about money, drugs, sex and parties. His lyrics speak truth amidst the lies of the world, in line with his mission to exalt Christ above all else. An example of this can be found in his lyrics from “Don’t Waste Your Life”: “Magnify the Father why bother with something lesser/ He made us so we could bless Him and to the world we confess him.” After the incredible success of Gravity last month, Lecrae tweeted, “Dear Hip-Hop, this didn’t happen because of swag, drug references, or stripper anthems. #Godisgood.” Lecrae remains humble and seeks to spread the hope of Jesus Christ into the lives and hearts of everyone, everywhere. He attributes his success to God and gives all the glory to his Father. As he rhymes ,“Your money your singleness marriage talent and time/ They were loaned to you to show the world that Christ is Divine/ That’s why it’s Christ in my rhymes/ That’s why it’s Christ all the time/ See my whole world is built around him He’s the life in my lines (Don’t Waste Your Life).”

Check Lecrae and his crew out for yourself when the Unashamed tour hits Miami on October 21. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com or unashamedtour.com.

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