Lecrae – ‘Unashamed’ book review

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Lecrae has enjoyed a slow build as one of Christian music’s select number of artists that could be considered a household name. His plan—first speaking into the body of believers, then touching the lives of unbelievers, to now, reaching even more minds and hearts with his book, Unashamed (buy). This 150-plus page foray into the world of print gives readers an inside and personal look into the life of the hip hop leader in sales, exposure, and influence across all genre lines. The often private and guarded emcee really opens up in Unashamed and paints beautiful picture through a dialogue that almost reads like a movie script.

Lecrae pulls no punches with exposing the harsh realities of his upbringing and masterfully addresses the struggles of being able to maintain his faith and sanity while prayerfully calculating future steps. Born to a single mother, where his family was often relegated to living on the streets, Lecrae chronicles his experiences with poverty, inner city gangs, drug culture, violence, abuse, and his own depression. Each story creates context for every song he’s written such as, “Outsiders,” “Gravity,” and “Fear,” which come to life through inspirational recollection.

This offering the artist’s emotional response to critics and the critical who have accused him of “selling out,” turning from God, or changing his music. From the depths of the gutter to the top of the charts, Unashamed proves Lecrae is living through and by the Word, and his mission from the start.