I just finished reading Brennan Manning‘s book “The Ragamuffin Gospel” (which I hope to review in coming weeks) and also heard this song by Lecrae recently and it struck me that “Take Me As I Am” is in many ways Manning’s book rapped out.

But, you can judge for yourselves.

Outside of the artists in the Square Peg Alliance, there is perhaps no musician today making better music or exhibiting more biblically edifying and encouraging music than Lecrae. This artistry is no more apparent than in his newest (and by far, best) offering to date, Rebel.

The album opens up with an awesome track aptly named “Rebel Intro”. This track sets the tune for the rest of the album with its direct statement that Jesus was a rebel, not because He was disobedient or rebellious per se, but because He was a “sanctified troublemaker” and obedient in perfection to the Father. The energy is maintained with the track “Don’t Waste Your Life”, and honest heart-felt appeal borrowed from the writings of John Piper to not waste your life on trivial pursuits, but to live life for the glory of God and for His renown.

Lecrae continues the plea to be a rebel in this world with the driving “God Hard” and the incredibly transparent, humbling and self-effacing “Indwelling Sin”, “Breathin’ to Death” and “Desparate”. The album continues with application in “Change”, “Fall Back”, “Live Free” and “Got Paper”.

Rebel ends in great encouragement with the songs “I’m a Saint” (reminiscent of Derek Webb’s “Saint and Sinner”), “The Bride” and “Beautiful Feet”. “The Bride” is an especially reassuring defense of the Church’s identity as Christ’s Bought Bride. Christians take a lot of flak in the World, many times justifiably so, yet this song asks us to consider ourselves not primarily as sinners, but as sinners loved by Jesus.

The whole album is worth a good long listen. Lecrae’s creative ability in songcraft is simply stunning, especially so when one couples the craft of the songs to their theological soundness and biblical consistency.  “Rebel” is worth the purchase cost and will be an encouragement to your soul.

“Don’t Waste Your Life” Sermon Jam (with John Piper audio), Download here

Download audio file (Dont_Waste_Your_Life_(Piper_Mix).mp3)

Excellent stuff:

Download audio file (lecrae-rebel-intro.mp3)

Absolutely great stuff.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ca469PTa1I

“Don’t Waste Your Life” by Lecrae from the new Rebel album, with clips from the “Don’t Waste Your Life” sermon by John Piper.

Download audio file (Dont_Waste_Your_Life_(Piper_Mix).mp3)

This is another great song from the guys at 116 Clique, called “Begin with the End”.

The song comes from an album called “13 Letters“, which is basically a summary of Paul’s Epistles in rap form.

Pure Greatness.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=505XrLmTQoA]

This music video was put together by the guys at History Makers.  The artist is Lecrae.  The song is “Send Me”.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjAJn7mLn-s]

send me I’ll go,
send me I’ll go,
lemme go lemme go!
(repeat x4)

i seen it with my own two,
there’s no way i can show you
a perfectly poverty stricken people with no view.
And i bet you can’t believe this,
they never heard of jesus.
Heard young butler, lil wayne, and young jeezy.

No one’s signing up to go on missions this summa.
Rather sit at home and watch exibit pimp in a humma
while a nine year old is shot down.
No one’s screaming ‘stop now!’
no bridge illustrations for criminals who on lock down.

People deep in africa
looking for an answer bra’.
In china man,
they’re dieing man,
until they know who died for sins.
So look what grace did.
Not for us to stay here
inside our comfort zones
at home in mama’s basement.

Get out on the grind y’all.
Ain’t no better time doll.
I know y’all read the great commission.
Let me just remind y’all:
make disciples of the nations.
Teach’m to obey the lord.
Have to lead someone to christ before i face the lord.

Send me I’ll go,
send me I’ll go,
send me I’ll go,
lemme go lemme go!
(repeat x4)

hey! After, 1,000 years in the west and the churches
get’n bigger daily without understand’n worship. (say what?)
Some regenerate but a lot ain’t saved.
You walk outside and be surprised cuz the block ain’t changed.
And the numbers they be get’n me.
Something just ain’t hit’n them.
America ain’t christian they practice’n the ritual.
That’s why we should be mission though.
Hey, what you think i’m spit’n for?
The united states is die’n
and in the east is looking pitiful.

Some places if they catch you
they’ll arrest you.
They’ll serve you,
but they still need the word too.
The gospel should be heard too.
We claim we ain’t ashamed,
but we ain’t hit the block up.
Were in our christian bubble,
while our brotha’s get’n locked up.
Lord i wanna stock up,
pack a bag and walk up
in a country where my faith may get me shot up
anywhere i go, whether my city or far abroad,
i just wanna show’ christ the risen holy god.

Send me I’ll go,
send me I’ll go,
send me I’ll go,
lemme go lemme go!
(repeat x4)

i know they’re die’n in the streets over in the middle east.
Some kids sink in piece
others hold’n up a piece.
If the violence doesn’t cease,
then at least the deceased
might know jesus as their savior as their bodies hit the streets.
And i know this is a graphic view.
And i pray that it’s attack’n you.
Track’n you to act and do
what you see in the back illusion.
Mathew twenty-four and fourteen.
We should read it twice
before we think that life is just a battle
see we free in christ!
Look dawg! Life is more than church work and football!
What if you were dead and seen that christians overlooked y’all!
This is why we leave the couch
and leave the comforts of our house
to show a die’n world a god they’ll probably never read about.

The great commission says make disciples of all nations.
Have we even made them in our own nation?
Come on christians!
Missions exist because worship doesn’t.
People don’t worship the god who made them.
We’re ambassadors.
Let’s go!

Send me I’ll go,
send me I’ll go,
send me I’ll go,
lemme go lemme go!
(repeat x4)

Last week I posted a video by Lecrae singing “Send Me” at Mars Hill Church.  Since then, I’ve come across a video of this song put together by History Makers.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhIKUSU6m8w]

Also, I found these videos be Lecrae of him singing “Fanatic”.  The first video has a great clip of him talking before the song, but the song itself has a fairly poor quality.  So, I also found a video from what looks like the same concert that is a little better quality (without the pre-song chat).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwmmZvivMCM]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OffoCr-Yl8I]

I ran across this video (by Lecrae with Reach Records) on The Resurgence blog.

Awesome.

Also, check out The Cross Movement.