In many cases of today’s music culture, putting Christian lyrics into a song may very well limit an artist’s audience to specifically Christians, which typically will not contribute to great success.

The task that arises is that Christian artists avoid being categorized as Christian, in order that they can attain greater success and influence but still have a biblical message behind their lyrics.

Although this is demanding, Lecrae, Christian rap and hip-hop artist, seems to have figured it out as his latest album rises to the top of Christian, hip-hop, and rap music.

Christianity is a handicap to achieving success in the music world. Throwing a “Jesus” or “Heaven” into songs here and there can prove to be lethal to an album’s potential, because it puts it into a very certain category that only a specific audience listens to. But Lecrae has learned how to be an influential Christian rapper and rise above the small audience of only Christians.

“It is difficult for a Christian album to rise to the top of music because of today’s radio stations. All you hear on the radio now is pop, rock, and jazz. And when you turn to Joy FM, you get a very small variety of traditional and contemporary music,” said Josh Behm, sophomore.

Lecrae has conquered this disadvantage with his newest album Gravity.

“Gravity topped number one on the Christian and Gospel charts, the Hip-hop and Rap charts, and even hit number one over all genres,” said Behm.

Lecrae’s strategy started with eliminating Christian from his name as an artist. He strived to be known as rapper, not distinctly a Christian rapper in order that he could have a more effective voice; he wanted to be a rapper so that he could appeal to a greater audience than just Christians so that the messages in his lyrics would effect a greater amount of people.

“In one of Lecrae’s interviews with hip hop magazine XXL, he said he doesn’t want to be known explicitly as a Christian rapper, in the hopes that more people will then listen to his music so they could hear the gospel,” said Behm.

But Lecrae went even further to attract the greater audience. In his song “Mayday”, Lecrae collaborated with Big K.R.I.T.

“Another step Lecrae took was to collaborate with the secular and very explicit rapper Big K.R.I.T in his song Mayday in Gravity,” said Behm.

The result was an incredibly successful album that joined the few other Christian albums that have topped hip-hop and rap charts, including TobyMac’s Eyes On It.