Growing up on the south side of Houston, Lecrae Moore was raised by a single mother and heavily influenced by relatives who were gang members. “I was brought up in hip-hop culture, and I idolized my uncles, who were involved in gangs. I even wanted every tattoo those uncles had. I just sat on their laps and soaked it all in.”
As a teen, he was imitating the life his early influences lived before him. Still, he knew something was missing. He kept a Bible in his car as what he calls at that time of his life “a good luck charm.” As it turns out, “luck” couldn’t protect him from getting caught in possession of drugs.
A Merciful Moment
The police officer who arrested him saw the Bible in his car, and asked Lecrae if he knew what that Book is all about. Lecrae replied that he didn’t know, but that he knew he needed to understand. The officer let him go, if he promised to spend some time in the Bible.
Lecrae held up his end of the deal.
“I never wanted to get into that kind of trouble again,” said Lecrae, who has performed at many “Rock” youth evangelism events for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
At the encouragement of a Christian leader, he attended a conference and heard what Jesus Christ had done for him on the cross. Thus began the transformation in his life as he asked Jesus to be his Lord and Savior.
Hearing God’s Call
With a talent already intact, Lecrae began freestyle rapping after Bible studies. Encouraged by his community of believers, he took his gift to the juvenile detention centers to minister to the residents. He later performed at BGEA’s Rock the River Tour West, where he became more passionate than ever about sharing the message that saved his life.
“It is very humbling that I get to do this, and I don’t want to get used to it,” he said at the time. “People are hungering and thirsting for something. I want to serve them with quality music, and more importantly, deliver a message that will challenge and inspire change in their lives.”
The most crucial thing he says he does to prepare for an event like Rock the River in St. Louis (2009) or Rock the Range in Denver (2011) is to pray and focus on the Scriptures. “I spend time in prayer and meditate on God’s truth, and allow that truth to penetrate my heart. If I don’t believe it can change anyone, they are just empty words.”
Although he is well regarded as one of the premier Christian rap artists, he does not forget the depths from which God brought him.
“I have to remember what God did for me. He loved me when I was unlovable. I feel fortunate to have a huge family that extends beyond race and culture. Now, I also have a Father who shepherds us all. When I think about that, it blows my mind. There’s nothing like it.”
Lecrae and Michael W. Smith in Haiti
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