Neither does hip hop n… Read Full Bio ↴“History does not happen in a straight line…”
Neither does hip hop nor its prolific breakout rhymist/activist/author/voice of conscience Lecrae.
Never afraid to move the needle, few would argue that his much anticipated Columbia Records debut album (due out this summer) comes at a pivotal moment for the artist, as hip hop’s torrent now moves to him.
Surging or insurgent - depending on your point of view - he’s blessed with a visionary verbal arsenal and an abiding faith that’s piloted a unique career trajectory defying the typical hip hop storyline. ‘The system may not have planned for this,’ wrote Vibe about Lecrae, ‘but it’s definitely coming around.’ “More caught than taught,” is how the artist describes his incredible journey that includes two Grammys, a history-making #1 album with his masterful 2014 offering, Anomaly (topped multiple categories, including the Billboard 200 and is RIAA Gold certified), and a compelling live resume, most recently notching a headlining 2016 ‘Destination’ tour which Lecrae says was about “real unity, not pretend unity.” He continues to thoughtfully engage the culture, reeling off a NY Times Bestseller (last year’s riveting memoir ‘Unashamed’) and a breakthrough spoken word performance at the BET Hip Hop Awards last fall that had the twittersphere heralding his arrival as truth-telling firebrand. BET hailed it as an “epic poem,” of “necessary affirmations.”
Lecrae relishes his purpose-driven career arc as inspired ‘catalyzer’ - going “from artist to architect” on the new album, widening the close-knit comfort zone of Reach Records (the label he co-founded) by partnering with Columbia Records and expanding his creative outreach. “I sought influences and collaborators I never imagined I’d have the opportunity to work with,” he says. The patient growth process was born out of a “gumbo” of more than 50 songs, “some to just get off my chest,” he says - “I don’t know if they were all meant to be heard but I know they were meant to be written.”
One song that has already seen the light of day is the powerfully uplifting “Blessings,” (featuring Ty Dolla $ign) which iHeartRadio chose for their ‘On The Verge’ platform which connects breaking artists with new listeners. Lecrae cites a refreshed perspective throughout the making of the new album after surviving one of the most tumultuous years he’s experienced since his turbulent teens. Among the hardships was the passing of his longtime friend and collaborator DJ Official, some “painful personal” ramifications after the publication of the unvarnished‘Unashamed,’ trusting friendships that went south, andchronic social media sparring from those attacking Lecrae for his candid and heartfelt perspective in response to theheartbreaking social justice issues making headlines in 2016. “Some people felt that maybe I shouldn’t be articulating the pain when it comes to the structural and systemic issues that have created barriers and disparity in regard to race,” he says. “But I came out of it feeling more confident in making this album then at any other time in my life.”
With trusted friend and Grammy winning producer S1 serving as a key production contributor, Lecrae says it was healing for him to weave some of the more nuanced, complex themes of the new album and come out the other side. “It’s about giving hope to people that they can overcome the fear and the insecurity when things do fall apart,” he says. “The before and after of it all. It may get ugly in your life, but there’s a point of rediscovery where the fear can actually drive the faith and restore you. Sometimes you have to acknowledge where you are at before it can get better.”
Such authenticity has been the hallmark of his 7 studio albums and multiple mixtapes, now nearing the 2 million mark in sales, with the acclaimed artist winning a Billboard Music Award, multiple BET, Soul Train, and Dove awards and even an Honorary Doctorate of music to go along with his 2 Grammy wins. Past signature songs like the ultra-relatable “Church Clothes,” and the prophetic, multi-perspective of “Welcome To America” revealed a Lecrae exploring the plight of the disconnected in all of us. Critics have praised the sociological component of his work and his heightened sensitivity toward the disenfranchised.
On the upcoming album, Lecrae hints he’s still mindful of the outsider role that’s enabled him to work the edges of hip hop stardom, but also conscious of the world coming into his space, now. “I don’t fit in to any one category,” he says. “The BET performance showed I can compete on the highest level and excel at it. I’ve already proven I’m part of the hip hop narrative. On this album I’m taking liberties.”
Anomaly
Lecrae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In grade school out blasting my Outkast
And I'll pass on running to catch a route pass
Gimme a pen and a pad I'm tryna outlast
All of my idols
American and the foreign-ers
Before the foreign cars & the boring bars
Money money money sex drugs and the coroners
All this money where the Bugattis at
But dig a lil deeper
And you'll find another insecure man sittin' in a 2 seater
The same little boy that got beat up
Plenty pains in his past you could bring up
Nobody ever told him he could be more than he is
But inside he's a leader
I didn't know who was inside me either
Striving to be a captain
Hopin' I could date a cheerleader
Tryna get me a throne of my own so I could put my feet up
Thank God my kingdom was overthrown by the soul redeemer
Yeah
Anomaly
Deviation from the common rule
Something or
Somebody that's abnormal
That doesn't fit in
I say that's exactly what we are
We are the odd
The outcasts
The peculiar
The strangers
And they say
We don't fit in
But I say we are exactly
Who God created us to be
Anomalies
The system didn't plan for this
In the song “Anomaly” by Lecrae, he talks about how he felt like an outcast in his earlier days in school. He stated that he never felt like he fit in and used to blast his music to try and escape. Lecrae also stated that he would pass on running to catch a football route pass, but instead, he preferred to have a pen and a pad to express himself through music. He mentions that he idolizes both American and foreign artists before the foreign cars and boring bars came into the picture. He also touches on how these artists talk about money, sex, drugs, and killings, but they don’t understand true pain or situations that occur in life. Lecrae mentions how they talk about materialistic things such as money and cars, but sometimes they are insecure and just trying to cover that up. He says that he once dreamt of being a captain and hoping to date a cheerleader to fit in, but over time, he realized that he is exactly who God created him to be – an anomaly.
The song title “Anomaly” represents something or somebody that doesn’t fit into the common rule. Lecrae uses it to represent himself and others who feel like they don’t fit in. He terms them as odd, outcasts, peculiar, and strangers – what the society considers to be untoward or abnormal. Lecrae believes that the system didn’t plan for people like them, and that’s what makes them special. He believes that people are created differently and they should embrace their uniqueness.
Line by Line Meaning
I never fit in I was a outcast
From an early age, I never felt like I belonged and was always an outsider.
In grade school out blasting my Outkast
In primary school, I was listening to Outkast, a hip hop duo that was not mainstream at the time.
And I'll pass on running to catch a route pass
I wasn't interested in sports and didn't care about catching a football pass.
Gimme a pen and a pad I'm tryna outlast
But I found my passion in writing and was determined to continue writing for a long time.
All of my idols, American and the foreign-ers
My musical inspirations came from both the US and other countries.
Before the foreign cars & the boring bars
Before the music and car industries became dominated by the flashy and superficial.
Money money money sex drugs and the coroners
But today's music industry glorifies materialism, sex, drugs, and death.
All this killin' but where the bodies at
Despite the violence in today's music, there are no actual lives lost.
All this money where the Bugattis at
Despite the wealth flaunted in today's music, the cars and lifestyle are unattainable for most people.
But dig a lil deeper And you'll find another insecure man sittin' in a 2 seater
But if you look past the superficial, you'll see that even those flaunting their success are still struggling with insecurities and personal issues.
The same little boy that got beat up Plenty pains in his past you could bring up
I, too, had my fair share of struggles and hardships from my past.
Nobody ever told him he could be more than he is But inside he's a leader
No one ever encouraged me to pursue my passions, but I knew I had the potential to be a leader.
I didn't know who was inside me either Striving to be a captain Hopin' I could date a cheerleader
I was still figuring out my identity and trying to conform to societal expectations of success, such as being a captain and dating a cheerleader.
Tryna get me a throne of my own so I could put my feet up
I was striving for my own version of success and comfort, where I could be at peace with myself.
Thank God my kingdom was overthrown by the soul redeemer
I am grateful that my pursuit of worldly success was replaced by my faith in God and His plan for me.
Yeah Anomaly Deviation from the common rule Something or Somebody that's abnormal That doesn't fit in
This is what an anomaly means - something or someone who deviates from the norm and doesn't fit in.
I say that's exactly what we are We are the odd The outcasts The peculiar The strangers And they say We don't fit in
But that's exactly who we are - people who feel like outsiders and don't conform to societal expectations.
But I say we are exactly Who God created us to be Anomalies
I believe that we are exactly who God intended us to be, unique and different in our own way.
The system didn't plan for this
But society was not built to handle people who are different, which is why it's important to embrace our differences and stand out.
Lyrics © A SIDE MUSIC LLC D/B/A MODERN WORKS MUSIC PUBLISHING, BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHONITA NICOLE GILBERT, LE CRAE MOORE, NATE ROBINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vintage RetroMan
This album got me through one of the most difficult times in my life. I went through a horrible divorce caused by my spouse's infidelity, domestic abuse, and almost lost my 3 children. Ohh but GOD! Fast forward 6 years! I am remarried to a wonderful woman, I am an active father in my 3 kids life AND gained another daughter, a new job, a beautiful home, and a deeper faith! I used to cry tears of pain listening to this album, now it's tears of joy and reflection. Thank you God!
Joshy Trigueros
glory to the KING
Joko Boyama
Thank you for sharing ❤️❤️❤️
Al Wynter
Glad you got through that bro
D0c N0tes
we all make mistakes...especially when we see trouble on the horizon and ignore it. It just makes our suffering more excruciating; but when we get to the other side, we learn and make better choices. Glad you have a happy situation now. You deserve it.
jeremiah jackson
Praise God. I love reading your story. That’s truly amazing. Thanks for sharing brotha. 😊
Gil Adriano
2022 Voltei a ouvir esse excelente trabalho--- Amo esse álbum.
Christapher Harper
I don’t care what they say about Lecrae he’s Got Heart in his Songs and I love that about him
cheyenne tillman
Lecrae's music is real, not like those other rap songs.
Daniel Strunz
True. So real, I can even feel it in Germany! Boom Boom Booooom