DOVE AWARDS 2013: Lecrae Applauds Progression of Christian Music Ahead of 'Church Clothes 2' Release (VIDEO)
Christian Hip Hop artist Lecrae spoke about the progression of Christian music following his recent Dove award wins.
The "I'm Turnt" rapper, 34, acknowledged that Christian music has become more widely recognized as "quality" music with unique "substance" during a recent interview with The Christian Post. Lecrae, who has had a remarkable year following the success of his "Gravity" album, won Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year and Rap Hip Hop Song of the Year for "Tell The World" at the Dove Awards 2013.
"It really is a humbling thing to know that people appreciate your music in that capacity. Obviously I make music because I love people and I love music and I never do it with the anticipation of an award in mind but [I'm] just grateful that people appreciate it," Lecrae Moore told The Christian Post exclusively.
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"One challenge that we've slowly been able to overcome is just people seeing the music as quality... people see now that there are extremely talented Christians who aren't just trying to be cookie cutter or knock offs of what the world is producing, but we're creating original music that has its own substance to it," he said.
Earlier this year the Atlanta-based rapper won his first ever Grammy award when "Gravity" was named Best Gospel Album. The award marked a major highlight in Lecrae's music career and subsequently his mother was left in tears.
"It was really great for my mother who cried, you know I think for her especially just spending so much time with me as a youngster and hoping that I wouldn't succumb to the issues in the community and that I would really focus on doing something positive," he explained. "It really [was] a big deal to her to see that kind of come to fruition and so I'm really happy for her more than anything for her being a part of my life like that."
The Reach Records co-founder, who writes and produces his own music, opened up about what exactly inspires him to create music. The Houston-born rapper began singing as a child.
"People's stories. People's stories of redemption, people's stories of transformation and just the reality of life," he responded when asked about his inspirations. "I think a lot of times we see so much stuff that's not real, that's made up and that is not the substantial stuff that we need to see in this world and seeing the reality of things really inspires me to write."
On November 7, Lecrae will debut "Church Clothes Vol. 2" which is a follow up to his "Church Clothes" mixtape. The highly anticipated mixtape he said will showcase "good music."
"Church Clothes 2 is a project that allows me to make music that I normally probably wouldn't put on an album and to really just kind of create some palatable music to engage the listener regardless of their background," he said.
The 44th Dove Awards airs Monday, October 21 at 8PM EDT on the UP network.
Top Dove Award Winners
Artist of the Year: TobyMac
Song of the Year: "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)," Matt Redman, (writers) Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin
Songwriter of the Year: Matt Redman
Rap/Hip Hop Album: Gravity, Lecrae, (producers) Heat Academy, Joseph Prielozmy, J.R., The Watchmen, Dru Castro, Uford Ebong, Tyshane, Thainnacircle, DJ Kahalil, Zach Crowell, Dirty Rice, DJ Official and Rudy Currance
Praise & Worship Album: Burning Lights, Chris Tomlin (producers) Jason Ingram, Ed Cash and Dan Muckala
Contemporary Christian Performance of the Year: "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)," Matt Redman
Southern Gospel Performance of the Year: "What The Blood Is For," Jason Crabb
Gospel Performance of the Year: "Break Every Chain," Tasha Cobbs
New Artist of the Year: for King & Country
Producer of the Year: Ed Cash
For more information on the Dove Awards CLICK HERE
