Search - Lecrae :: Rebel

Roslyn J. (Hlyfavored1)
Reviewed on 11/19/2014...

I give it 5 stars! I love the beats and the lyrics speak volumes to the Christian world today ~! LeCrae has made a name for himself in the name of Jesus and continues to do so so unapologetically.
If you want great workout/motivational music without the profanity, LeCrae's got it!

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Life-changing pop art

Ben Hodges | Atlanta | 10/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While relatively new, the gospel rap movement has taken off with unbelievable success--lives are changing, records are selling, shows are selling out. God is at work--case closed.



On this record, the first thing that demands the listener's focus has to be Lecrae's openness--the transparency of his words; the cogency of his rhetoric; the totally unfettered, carefree pursuit of and joy in Truth in Christ.



That's something you don't see a lot. On the one hand, this isn't "worldview music"--the lyrics are as explicitly Christ-centered as possible--, while on the other, it's about the farthest thing from "praise music" as well. Instead, this is Jesus music--an all-out cultural assault on our wicked American values which preaches the truth of Jesus, the Word himself, in ways we rarely think about.



His personal honesty and fallibility allow just about any Christian to identify with him, while his resistance to palliate the gospel (or what Paul calls the "offense" of Christ) demonstrates his commitment to Truth over everything else. (He raps about just this; see "Go Hard" and "I'm a Saint.") His words evince an intimacy with Christ that I long for. In this way, this music encourages and edifies in a way that most praise music can only despair of with its patheticly rehashed music forms; lack of innovation; and bland, chintzy lyrics.



That reminds me of his packaging. While the picture of Lecrae standing by his "ride" is downright hilarious as it turns the whole "rap star" image completely upside down, I'm more drawn to the dark city art covering the Digipak case that very tastefully evokes the mystique of the inner city: the ridiculous crime and poverty rates somehow subsisting amid a sea of dollars and skyscrapers; that elusive notion of beauty inhered by darkness--I mean, it's downright perplexing. What are those tall buildings hiding? Their success is phony--they're dark and empty; their light has been removed. The ghettos that surround them in squalor indict them for their (unfortunately) American-style greed and fanciful fabrication of greatness. These pictures, while hollowing out our tallest cultural (and let's be honest--religious) structures, nevertheless infuse these depressing places with a mysterious attraction--and the urgent need for help.



This art is reconstruction in action. We're talking about the Christian requisition of an entire art form. This is monumental! Lecrae has tailored the crunkness of the sickest beats you've ever heard to magnify the truth of the God's Word, to expose the emptiness of American values, to show the weakness of humanity--but above all to delineate the _love_ and _power_ and _lordship_ of Jesus Christ--whom he constantly beckons his listeners to find, love, and worship.



Moreoever, he's advancing a new stage in American Christianity--a "pop-media" enabled return to the scriptures that impugns the American traditions that have unfortunately paralyzed the white American, suburban, conservative congregations from engaging the turmoil on our own shores. Paul went to cities. He planted churches in cities. What are we doing in the suburbs? Let's go back!



I could talk forever about particular lines and rhymes, but you can do that too.



Suffice to say:



This is singing a new song unto the Lord.



Note: I think this is Lecrae's best record--one that even rivals shai linne's _The Atonement_ as best of the genre.



Buy it now. And buy another two copies to hand out to your friends. That's the idea.



Let's do this thing. Let's get this rebellion on!"

Jesus Rebel

Justin Dale Gates-Gilly | California, CA, USA | 09/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a big fan of Lecrae's first two albums "Real Talk" and then "After the Music Stops." And I am now a big fan of Lecrae's third album "(rebel)" it is a new and interesting take on Lecrae's previous styles and it works. I like all the songs I haven't skipped one song and I have listened to it four times in two days of owning it. Buy this album, become a rebel like Jesus and represent the 116 Clique. Buy the Deluxe Edition available at ReachRecords.com

http://www.merchline.com/reach/categorydisplay.3093.c.htm (it comes with a t-shirt, window decal, usb wristband, and the album of course and buy the 116 hat they have on their site it is very comfortable and it shows that your unashamed of the Gospel)

Last thoughts: I love Holy Hip Hop, God, Reading the Bible, Conversing on deep matters like sin and so on. And if you like any of those previous mentioned things you will have a connection to this album, it is a very deep album worthy of Lecrae's first two amazing CD's."