After flying from Amsterdam to Entebbe, Uganda, the team and I were tired, so we planned to spend the night in Entebbe and rest up. After dinner, prayer, and great convo, Dawn (one of the ladies on our team) heard a familiar tune coming from the front room of our living quarters. We gathered around a small television, and watched as a local Ugandan Hip-hop music video show ended featuring a new video from none other than our brother Trip Lee! It was like God was confirming He was with us. I mean, what are the chances that at that moment the very people who would most appreciate seeing Trip’s “Invasion” video were there to see it? God was and is with us.

We woke up and hopped on a plane to Sudan the next day. After an hour in the sky, we came in for a landing on a small dirt road in Yei, Sudan. We are working alongside a Sudanese church and a ministry called His Voice, which has opened multiple orphanages. Upon landing, I had no feelings of anxiety just a desire for God to work.

Once our plane door opened we were moved to tears as some 20 or more children sang to us. “Welcome, welcome to Sudan…welcome brothers…welcome sisters…welcome to Sudan,” their pleasant voices sang. All of these beautiful voices were orphaned, but the provision of God was evident in their smiles. The lead pastor of the Sudanese Church, “Bishop,” allowed the children to look inside our plane, since they had never seen the inside of one before. The widows who are employed to care for the children kept order for the excited faces that were giddy at their first encounter with the interior of an airplane. I was overjoyed.

As we rode into the village, villagers who had been anticipating our arrival greeted us on both sides of the road. Once we pulled up to the compound the church owns, we were greeted again by an array of drums, beautiful singing, and wooden string instruments. It was an overwhelming sight. I was torn between capturing it on film and just taking in the moment. After worship songs and prayer, I was again reminded of what I am always keenly aware of beyond American soil–God’s presence is everywhere. Dinner, free time to gaze into a green peaceful backdrop provided by God, testimony of the Spirit’s work in villagers and a public repentance and acceptance of Christ…my day and my heart is full. Welcome, welcome to Sudan.

Prayers: Open the eyes of my Heart to see God’s immeasurable power. Ephesians 1:18-21

From Reach Records

According to Alex Medina, a particular producer has his stamp on this album…

Yessir!! another one is coming out 1.11.11!!! Fish did his thing on that one!!!!

For those who don’t know who “Fish” (or Phish) is, he’s speaking of DJ Official.

We’ll keep you informed as things unfold.

To try to keep track of how many people we can get to do this, we suggest you tweet this post each time you call up your local station to request to hear Lecrea Rehab tracks. Lets see this move sore!

Unlike so many hip-hop artists who have preceded him in both the Christian/Gospel and mainstream realms, Lecrae offers complex lyrics that give voice and provide thoughtful discourse about today’s challenges. Using his considerable skill for a higher purpose, Lecrae stretches beyond hip-hop’s limitations on both sides of the industry to reach a larger audience hungry for salvation. To that end, Lecrae employs energetic beats and inspired lyricism to meet listeners, saved and unsaved, where they are, addressing their skepticism while also advancing God’s love as the ultimate solution to their woes. As with his previous albums, Lecrae uses Rehab to push beyond stereotypes to capture a generation of believers who would otherwise be lost.

Featuring top-notch production that easily rivals most mainstream hip-hop offerings, Lecrae continues to use his skills for God, expanding his consistent and genuine message of love and redemption with Rehab. Executed with deep thought and reflection, with Rehab, Lecrae further demonstrates his ability to dissect the larger issues of the contemporary world while also reconciling living a righteous life in an often unrighteous world.

“I named it Rehab,” he says of the album’s title, “because I feel as if everyone is looking to find a sense of purpose and worth and value,” explains Lecrae. “We’re all kind of messed up. We all have issues and we all have addictions in one form or the other and I just look to point people to the answers through rehabilitation.”

Staying true to his mission of “giving people authentic, good music that really helps them out,” Lecrae avoids the self-righteous indignation that has prevented some Christians from spreading the gospel. Capturing people at their own crossroads, Lecrae favors “reality” raps that emphasize his own struggles and those of others in hopes of reaching those who are like he once was and “Used to Do It” featuring KB is one of his many vehicles.

Boasting a very musical track slightly reminiscent of the infectious rhythms of the timeless “Little Drummer Boy” that literally defies one to remain still, “Used to Do It” makes clear that both rappers have been where many of their listeners are. “I used to do it too” repeats incessantly throughout the song as the lyrics subtly reveal how finding Jesus transformed each rapper’s life. Alternating lyrics like “now I’m something different” and “saved from my own sins” with “I’m changed” that make up parts of the hook don’t thrive off of preaching, but, rather, peer-to-peer reaching.

By delving deep into the bowels of temptation, “Killa” hits harder. “I know it’s gone kill me/But I just can’t let it go/And it tastes so appealing/It’s got a grip upon my soul” begin the lyrics after several “killa” chants over a sinewy, contemporary track. The brooding production augments the high drama as other lyrics like “sipping on seduction while we eating on some secret sin” and “evil look so lovely covered in her lace of lies” further emphasize how formidable the obstacles along the road to righteousness truly are.

On “Children of the Light,” a collaboration with Christian metal group P.O.D. singer Sonny Sandoval that’s one of Lecrae’s favorite songs on Rehab, a strong guitar riff helps to kick off the track just before the heavy drums thunder in. “We are children of the light/Royal rulers of the day/Saints over the streets of the night/Because only love can lead the way.” Very musically diverse, with an infectious feel that’s a guaranteed chart-topper, “Children of the Light,” which even incorporates reggae, promises a broad appeal that’s sure to be an anthem for Christians of all musical persuasions.

Poised to surpass Rebel, Rehab continues to mesh stellar and artistically inspired production with a purposeful message intended to captivate and steer today’s mislead generation towards salvation. Free of the extremely negative messages that permeate much of contemporary hip-hop but infused with the energy that makes the music so alluring, Lecrae is sure to extend his reign as the world’s leading faith-based hip-hop artist with Rehab.

Born in Texas and raised largely there, with stints in several cities, including San Diego, by a single mother, the Atlanta-based Lecrae, emerged on the music scene in 2005 with Real Talk on Reach Records, the label he co-founded. Well-received, the album peaked at #29 on the Billboard Gospel Albums Chart. His 2006 follow-up After the Music Stops reached #5 on the same chart, even landing at #7 on the Billboard Christian Albums Chart and #16 on the Billboard Heatseeker Albums Chart. Rebel, his third and most successful album to date released in 2008, topped the Billboard Christian Albums Chart for two weeks, becoming the first rap album to do so. In addition, Rebel spent more than 75 weeks on the Billboard Gospel Albums Chart. A critical and commercial hit, Lecrae has received three GMA Dove Award nominations, the industry’s highest honor and even won a Gospel Music Channel award for Best Hip-Hop Video.

Here they are!

“Just Like You” ft Paul on itunes.

“High” ft. Sho Baraka and Suzy Rock.

“Children of the Light” ft Sonny Sandoval and Dillavou.

Preorder Rehab today!
Tracklisting
1. Check In
2. Killa
3. Divine Intervention ft. J.R.
4. Just Like You ft. J. Paul
5. Gotta Know ft. Benjah
6. Used To Do It Too ft. KB
7. Children of the Light ft. Sonny Sandoval & Dillavou
8. High ft. Sho Baraka & Suzy Rock
9. New Shalom ft. PRo
10. 40 Deep ft. Tedashii & Trip Lee
11. Walking On Water
12. God Is Enough ft. Flame & Jai
13. Boasting ft. Anthony Evans
14. Background ft. C-Lite
15. New Reality ft. Chinua Hawk
16. Release Date ft. Chris Lee
17. Bonus Track I Love You ft. Chris Lee

Their Mission…

Our mission is to provide authentic, relevant ministry in your community that brings glory to Christ through our artists and speakers.  Whether you are needing a trainer, DJ, musical artist or speaker for your event, we are here to build a relationship with you while committing ourselves to transforming the culture with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

If I were you, I would get my event started the right way… With Lecrae and Tedashii spittin some mean lyrics at my neighborhood block party!

Lecrae

When I recorded my first album, “Real Talk,” I was just throwing my voice out into the wilderness hoping someone, somewhere, heard basic biblical theology wrapped in common language. I wanted to see people commit their lives to Jesus Christ.

I ended up on a whirlwind of travels across the nation as a missionary to urban culture and anyone influenced by Hip-Hop. I was hurt by some of what I saw. Many were excited about hearing Christ proclaimed in music, but when it was over, there were few solid biblical communities to become a part of to encourage fellowship, prayer, disciple-making, and biblical literacy. So I recorded “After The Music Stops,” a battle cry for believers to devote themselves to an unashamed gospel-centered life.

My platform grew and so did I as a Christian. I was dedicated to serve the body of Christ and see people come to know the Lord. I knew from my daily interactions with people from all walks of life that the way people saw the world needed to be changed, as well as the way people viewed God and themselves. I felt the weight of people saying to conform to living the way most of the world did. This view was unbiblical and only hindered people from truly experiencing the grace and goodness of God, so I challenged them to REBEL.

Now I’m a little older and a little wiser. I can see the mistakes people will make before they make them. I can see not only the fruit of their mistakes, but also the root of their mistakes. Many times we want to attack the behaviors or the external problems in our lives and never realize the cause of those problems are internal and spiritual. Anger, depression, addiction, discontentment are all ills that plague us. Many times, we not only try to fix the effects of these things instead of tackling the cause, but we also don’t think God and His Word have any hope or solutions for them.

Out of a burden to help and also confess my own struggles in this area, I am releasing “REHAB” on September 28, 2010.

The work has been a process, and the title almost didn’t make it once I heard another artist was releasing an album called “Recovery,” but it made too much sense to not move forward with it. My prayer is that people will not just gain practical insight for their lives, but they would find real sympathy from myself and mostly in the High Priest who sympathizes with us–Jesus. He is more than our healer. He IS our healing. He doesn’t just offer us peace. He IS our peace. And He IS our rehabilitation. So find rest for your weary soul and Joy in the midst of life’s ups and downs, with my offering of music. God bless and I hope you like it, but mostly, I hope it points people to JESUS