While the rap game is controlled mostly by Eminem, Little Wayne, and Drake, Lecrae's new album entitled Rehab slipped under the radar this week. Becoming the number two hip hop album upon release Lecrae evolves as a rap artist sampling different beats, and maintaining a great message to every song. Rehab overdoses at seventeen tracks featuring artist such as Trip Lee, Sho Baraka, Pro, Kb, and much more. Rehab succeeds on being unique and holding its own against secular rap artists, showing that rap doesn't have to be all about cash and materialism.
My only complaint with "Rehab" is that he has very few solo songs on here. This album exploding with seventeen songs, has at least eighteen counted feature albums. This also is a compliment though as he works with artists like So Baraka, Tedashii,Pro and Trip Lee. Anytime Lecrae is on the mic though he expresses how he is "a living testimony so you can do it to". His lyrics are well thought out and meant to reach many people. One of my favorites is " New Reality" which opens with the line "Dear you yeah you the person listening its God using me trying to get your attention, yeah".With lyrics like that I hope to see Lecrae get more respect in hip hop.
With Rehab while the message is still about Christ its also about Lecrae's internal problems and struggles with sin. Just Like You ft J Paul is the best example as Lecrae shares how he suffers from not having a father, and how he is affected from it. Lecrae still brings in heavy beats in songs like Killa, Walking on Water, High, 40 Deep, and New Shalom. In the song Children of the Light Lecrae has a hip hop, rock and reggae beat all in the same track to show how he has truly evolved. Many artists have difficulty combining styles(Rebirth) and while its not amazing it still sounds really good. Boasting has an acoustic beat and a slower feeling to it while Gotta Know has a more jazzy style to it.
Its good to see Lecrae back on the mic, and with seventeen songs Rehab is worth a purchase.Also Rehab is worthy of its title as it boasts a diverse rap sound and an evolution in sound. One of the things I admire about Lecrae is though with all the fame and offers from other artists, he will not give in. Lecrae will be true to his message and not sell out, something other artists should pay attention to. This is how we do it! Congrats to Lecrae for such a good album.
