“History does not happen in a straight line…”

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.”

Heaven or hell
Lecrae Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

They tell me "'Crae murk the track"
Hurt the rap
Naw dawg, let me pose a question to you
"Have you heard of my Dad?"
Purchased us back, put man's curse on his back
I worship for that, it's my whole purpose in fact
Purple and black, is how we looked I'm certain of that
And man I cry when I think of how the Curtain was cracked

But He rose in three days, that's a pertinent fact
And since He created to save me, I serve him for that
I read His Word all the time so He stay on my mind
Flesh rise all the time so I stay on the grind
When it's time to go to Heaven I don't pray I'm in line
I'm a hundred percent positive I'm waiting for mine
Ain't no ifs, ands, or buts, who's or what's
You walking away from Christ, man you losing touch
Take away your ? man you doing too much
The world's feet rush into evil, pursuing they lusts

I hope that y'all listening well, there's only two places to dwell
[Heaven and Hell]
And if you representing the first, I pray you're representing well
[Heaven and Hell]
I hope that y'all listening well, there's only two places to dwell
[Heaven and Hell]
And if you representing the first, I pray you're representing well
[Heaven and Hell]

Some of y'all got it twisted
Hell, why risk it?
Life, can be fixed through Christ, I'm a witness
And I don't care about 5 mics or a hit list
I'm getting kinda used to gettin' dissed as a Christian
Let's get one thing straight,
Out the gate, I'm the type of dude to put a slab of truth on your plate
And I don't care if ya heard it twice
I ain't trippin' if you just left church, ya heard of Christ
Let me tell you what was holdin' me
Six hours on the Cross while His Holy Blood flowed for me
What you know about a sacrifice?
When you step off the throne for the same one that snatched your life
Man, let me tell you dawg Christ is real
Without Him you got nothing,
You're living off of life's appeals
Make Him Lord in your life
Cause y'all in Death Row talking bout ya kinda like that deal...

I hope that y'all listening well, there's only two places to dwell
[Heaven and Hell]
And if you representing the first, I pray you're representing well
[Heaven and Hell]
I hope that y'all listening well, there's only two places to dwell
[Heaven and Hell]
And if you representing the first, I pray you're representing well
[Heaven and Hell]

Hey yo, I might have to bleed for this
I'm not ashamed of Christ, there's Romans 1:16 for this
And I don't care if I'm blinded dawg
Everytime I trip and fall, I just be reminded dawg
And you call yourself grinding dawg?
You can served more birds than churches
But you still dying dog
I don't care what city you from
Whether from the suburbs or from the slums but Christ still gon' come
And matter of fact, if He come now
You can be a six-eight, heavyweight, but your knees gon' bow
Ain't no telling Him to ease on down
And when the trumpet sound
And *blat* everybody see that ground
I don't care about fame and wealth
Put my God on a shelf? Naw Dawg I'd rather hang myself!
Forgive me if I can't contain myself!
Cause if YOU DIED, and didn't hear the Gospel, than dog I blame MYSELF!

I hope that y'all listening well, there's only two places to dwell
[Heaven and Hell]
And if you representing the first, I pray you're representing well
[Heaven and Hell]
I hope that y'all listening well, there's only two places to dwell
[Heaven and Hell]

And if you representing the first, I pray you're representing well
[Heaven and Hell]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Lecrae's "Heaven or Hell" reflect the rapper's commitment to his faith and his belief in the importance of making the right choices in life. The song begins with Lecrae expressing his rejection of the idea that he is solely responsible for his success in music. Instead, he attributes his accomplishments to God, who he believes has forgiven him for his sins and lifted the curse of humanity by dying on the cross. Lecrae's faith gives him a sense of purpose, and he eschews materialism and the pursuit of pleasure in favor of serving God and reading the Bible to keep his focus on what matters most.

Throughout the rest of the song, Lecrae makes a case for why choosing to serve God is the wise choice. He warns that there are only two options in life: heaven or hell. Lecrae encourages his listeners to follow his example and accept Christ as their savior, telling them that their lives will be transformed if they do so. He also acknowledges that being a Christian can be difficult, as some people may ridicule or reject those who hold such beliefs. Nevertheless, Lecrae remains committed to his faith, viewing it as the only way to achieve a positive outcome in the afterlife.

Overall, "Heaven or Hell" is a powerful statement of Lecrae's faith and a call to others to embrace Christianity as the path to a fulfilling life and a place in heaven.

Line by Line Meaning

They tell me "'Crae murk the track"
"They" may say I make great music, but that's not really important.

Hurt the rap
Being popular in rap is not my goal.

Naw dawg, let me pose a question to you
Let me ask you a question to change the subject.

"Have you heard of my Dad?"
Do you know about God?

Purchased us back, put man's curse on his back
God bought humanity back from sin by dying on the cross.

I worship for that, it's my whole purpose in fact
I worship God for everything He has done for me, that is the purpose of my life.

Purple and black, is how we looked I'm certain of that
I know that Jesus wore purple and black when he was crucified.

And man I cry when I think of how the Curtain was cracked
I cry when I think about how the curtain was torn when Jesus died on the cross.

But He rose in three days, that's a pertinent fact
Jesus rose from the dead in three days after his crucifixion.

And since He created to save me, I serve him for that
I serve God because He created me and saved me.

I read His Word all the time so He stay on my mind
I read the Bible often to keep God in my thoughts.

Flesh rise all the time so I stay on the grind
I have to fight my sinful flesh every day and keep working hard for God.

When it's time to go to Heaven I don't pray I'm in line
I don't pray to just be in line to enter Heaven, I am confident I am going there.

I'm a hundred percent positive I'm waiting for mine
I am certain I will go to Heaven.

Ain't no ifs, ands, or buts, who's or what's
There's no denying that we either go to Heaven or Hell.

You walking away from Christ, man you losing touch
If you turn away from Jesus, you lose your connection with God.

Take away your ? man you doing too much
Stop sinning or you are doing too much harm to yourself.

The world's feet rush into evil, pursuing they lusts
The world is consumed by evil and sin, chasing after their desires.

Some of y'all got it twisted
Some of you have misunderstandings about life and death.

Hell, why risk it?
Why take the chance of going to Hell?

Life, can be fixed through Christ, I'm a witness
Christ can fix things in life, and I can attest to that.

And I don't care about 5 mics or a hit list
I don't care about being famous or having hit songs.

I'm getting kinda used to gettin' dissed as a Christian
I am accustomed to being put down because of my faith.

Let's get one thing straight,
Let me make something clear.

Out the gate, I'm the type of dude to put a slab of truth on your plate
I am straightforward and tell the truth about God and the Bible.

And I don't care if ya heard it twice
I will repeat the truth even if you've heard it before.

I ain't trippin' if you just left church, ya heard of Christ
I don't mind if you have just heard about Jesus at church.

Let me tell you what was holdin' me
Let me share what kept me going in life.

Six hours on the Cross while His Holy Blood flowed for me
Jesus shed his blood for me while he was on the cross.

What you know about a sacrifice?
Do you know what a sacrifice truly is?

When you step off the throne for the same one that snatched your life
Jesus came down from heaven to save us even though we were the ones who caused his death.

Man, let me tell you dawg Christ is real
I want you to know that Jesus is truly real.

Without Him you got nothing, You're living off of life's appeals
Without Jesus, life is meaningless and people are only living for entertainment and pleasure.

Make Him Lord in your life
Make Jesus the ruler of your life.

Cause y'all in Death Row talking bout ya kinda like that deal...
You are all condemned to death, yet you still like the things of the world.

Hey yo, I might have to bleed for this
I am willing to suffer for the sake of the Gospel.

I'm not ashamed of Christ, there's Romans 1:16 for this
I am proud of the Gospel and not ashamed, as stated in Romans 1:16.

And I don't care if I'm blinded dawg
I don't care about the consequences, even if I get blinded.

Everytime I trip and fall, I just be reminded dawg
Whenever I make mistakes, it reminds me of my faith and causes me to turn back to God.

And you call yourself grinding dawg?
Do you really think you know what it means to work hard?

You can served more birds than churches
You might have served more drug customers than churches in your life.

But you still dying dog
Despite your wealth and success, you are still going to die.

I don't care what city you from
I don't care where you come from.

Whether from the suburbs or from the slums but Christ still gon' come
Christ will come for everyone, regardless of their background.

And matter of fact, if He come now
In fact, if Jesus were to return right now,

You can be a six-eight, heavyweight, but your knees gon' bow
Even if you are strong and powerful, you will still humble yourself before Jesus.

Ain't no telling Him to ease on down
There's no bargaining or negotiating with Jesus.

And when the trumpet sound And *blat* everybody see that ground
When Jesus returns, everyone will see the ground, and there will be a loud trumpet sound.

I don't care about fame and wealth
Fame and wealth mean nothing to me.

Put my God on a shelf? Naw Dawg I'd rather hang myself!
I would rather die than ignore God.

Forgive me if I can't contain myself!
I am sorry if I am too passionate about sharing the Gospel.

Cause if YOU DIED, and didn't hear the Gospel, than dog I blame MYSELF!
If you die without hearing the Gospel, I will feel responsible for not sharing it with you.

I hope that y'all listening well, there's only two places to dwell
I urge you to listen closely because there are only two destinations for your soul.

[Heaven and Hell]
Those two places are Heaven and Hell.

And if you representing the first, I pray you're representing well
If you are going to Heaven, I hope you are living a good life.

Contributed by Emma S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@HHH_Hymnal

5y↑18

[Intro]
Real talk
The word of God says that every man is appointed one time that he should die and then face judgment (Hebrews 9:27), think about it, where will you spend your eternity, up in heaven, or in hell?

[Verse 1]
They tell me Crae
Murk the track
Hurt the rap
Naw dawg
Let me pose a question to you
Have you heard of my Dad?
He purchased us back
Putting man's curse on His back
I worship for that
It's my whole purpose in fact
Purple and black
Is how He looked
I'm certain of that
And man I cry
When I think of how the curtain was cracked
But He rose in 3 days
That's a pertinent fact
And since He created and saved me
I serve Him for that
I read His Word all the time
So He stay on my mind
Flesh rise all the time
So I stay on the grind
When it's time to go to heaven
I don't pray I'm in line
I'm 100% positive
I'm waiting for mine
Ain't no if's, and's or but's
Who's or what's
You walking away from Christ man
You losing touch
Take away
You add some man
You doing too much
The world's feet rushing to evil
Pursuing their lusts

[Hook]
I hope that y'all listening well
It's only two places to dwell
(Heaven or hell)
And if you representing the first
I pray you representing it well
(Heaven or hell)

[Verse 2]
Some of y'all got it twisted
Hell, why risk it?
Life, can be fixed through Christ, I'm a witness
And I don't care about 5 mics or a hit list
I'm getting kinda used to getting dissed as a Christian dawg
Let's get one thing straight, out the gate
I'm the type of dude that'll put a slab of truth on your plate
And I don't care if ya heard it twice
I ain't tripping if ya just left church
You heard of Christ?
Let me tell you what was told to me
6 hours on a cross while His holy blood flowed for me
What you know about a sacrifice?
Would you step off the throne
For the same one that snatched your life?
Let me tell you dawg, Christ is real
Without Him you got nothing
You're living off of life's appeal
Make Him Lord and your life is sealed
Cause y'all on death row
Talking bout you kinda like the deal

[Bridge]
Becuase of our sin we're separated from God, and that's why we deserve hell, but Christ said if you trust in Him for eternal life, you shall receive heaven

[Verse 3]
Aye yo, I might have to bleed for this
I'm not ashamed of Christ
It's Romans 1:16 for this
And I don't care if I'm blinded dawg
Every time I trip and fall
I just be reminded dawg
And you call yourself grinding dawg?
You can serve more birds than Church's
But you still dying dawg
I don't care what city you from
Whether from the suburbs or from the slums
Christ still gon come
Matter of fact if He come now
You can be a 6'8
Heavy-weight
But your knees gon bow
Ain't no telling Him to ease on down
When that trump sound and (blow)
Everybody see that ground
And I don't care about fame or wealth
Put my God on a shelf?
Naw dawg, I rather hang myself
Forgive me if I can't contain myself
Cause if you died and you didn't hear the Gospel
I'd blame myself