If you haven’t heard the name Lecrae in the last year, you have probably been sleeping under a rock. In 2010 he released his fourth studio album Rehab. Not long after in January of the following year he released a follow-up titled Rehab: The Overdose. Then, in September he re-released both albums as a joint album (Rehab Deluxe). Oh, did I mention that he was a part of one of the BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher? So, yeah, if you haven’t heard the name of this Reach Records artist, you should probably wake up & take notice.

After holding his own in the BET cypher, Lecrae essentially became a household name overnight, both in the Christian & secular markets. Using his new-found celebrity status in the mainstream hip-hop market to his favor, Lecrae has teamed up with DJ Don Cannon to release a free mixtape titled Church Clothes. With this mixtape, Lecrae has joined forces with many notable producers and a couple of notable artists in an effort to take the message of Jesus Christ to the masses. With plenty of hype surrounding this album, the question is: will it live up to the hype? It’s not a simple yes or no answer; instead, the answer is both yes and no.

With DJ Don Cannon’s certifiable stamp of approval, there’s a lot to like about Church Clothes. First and foremost, there’s the historical factor, which cannot be overlooked. There has never been an album by a Christian hip-hop artist that has received this much promotion in both the Christian & mainstream markets. That being said, let’s talk about the music. For what it is, this album is like nothing that we’ve heard from Lecrae before. In times past, what we typically heard from Lecrae was either hearty southern sounds or music that was borderline hip-pop (or pop-rap or whatever you want to call it). This time, you’re getting grimy & authentic east coast type hip-hop beats from producers like Wit, ThaInnaCircle, 9th Wonder, S-1, and Boi-1da to name a few. Over those beats you’re getting the Lecrae that many have been longing for: a rapper with steez and just rapping hard. Instead of trying to make music that sounds like what’s popular on the radio, Church Clothes offers you some authentic street hip-hop that is worthy of radio & the underground. For all that this album has going for it, it is still only an average album at best. While both the production and lyrics were solid all around, there isn’t anything about Church Clothes that makes it stand out from the music that’s currently out on the market or being circulated in the mixtape circuit. If there’s one standout on this album it would have to be “Misconception” featuring the Humble Beast crew. This song is stellar and alone makes this mixtape worth downloading. The only thing that could have made that song better is if Odd Thomas’ verse had been last.

All in all, you can’t help but say that this album achieved its goal. Lecrae took a huge risk in marketing himself to the mainstream media, and he did so without compromising his message. If this were an album that you had to pay for, it probably would be a bit disappointing; but, for it to be free, it’s a very quality release, especially given the notable names that lent a hand in making this happen. If this is the Lecrae that we can expect on future releases, then I would say the future is very bright for him. Either way, he has made a lot of new fans who will likely go back & check out his prior albums as well as his future ones.

Watch the video for “Church Clothes” on YouTube and get the free download of the Church Clothes mixtape at Datpiff.

Purchase: Shop for Lecrae CDs

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Sphere of Hip Hop podcast 089 (MP3, 29MB, 29:40)

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In this Episode
Cas Metah, Doc June, Heath McNease, Jamall White, Jaq, JustMe, Kay Bee, Manchild of Mars ILL, MC Forty, Praverb the Wyse, Ruffian, Stephen the Levite, Venson, Wes Pendleton, Wonder Brown

Play list:
1. Praverb the Wyse – November 11 (Clutch remix)
2. Jaq – Keep the Faith (feat. Manchild)
3. Heath McNease – Deep Thoughts By Jack Handy
4. Jamall White, Doc June, Venson & Kay Bee – The Process
5. MC Forty & Wonder Brown – Soul Food (feat. JustMe)
6. Stephen the Levite – Give It Up (Wes Pendleton remix)
7. Cas Metah & Wonder Brown – The Way I Cry (feat. Ruffian)

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If you dig this, check out the Sphere of Hip Hop Daily Download podcast.

We pulled together a few big boxes of CDs just for this promotion. Over 440 people have taken advantage of this special deal the first time. It’s a great way to try out our newly renovated store.

Pick up a 1 Cent CD, in addition to anything else you were looking for…

http://www.sphereofhiphopstore.com

Get full details on the promotion at:
http://www.sphereofhiphopstore.com/product/1-cent-cd-sale

One per customer please. Thanks for being a friend and fan of Sphere of Hip-Hop!

The Church Clothes mixtape is Lecrae’s official introduction to the mainstream audience and will feature No Malice (formerly Malice of The Clipse) and production from 9th Wonder, Bio 1-Da, S1 (Kanye, Beyonce) and Street Symphony (Ludacris, Gucci Mane).

“What interested me was that he feels so strongly about his beliefs and I am the same way,” states DJ Don Cannon. “It’s something special in music to be able to stand up in this industry and bring the people something different.”

No stranger to the making hits, Lecrae has released a string of albums and singles that have existed on top of the Billboard charts starting with the release of his 2005 debut album Real Talk and his 2010 cross over release Rehab whose influence extended into mainstream media and culture. Rehab, arguably his most heartfelt album to date, broke into the Billboard Top 200 Albums debuting at No. 17, while reaching No. 3 on the Top 10 Albums chart on iTunes. The impact of this album continues to spread across the globe, receiving nominations for several awards including a Grammy nomination in 2011.

“This mixtape is aimed at the mainstream and is raw uncut hip-hop,” states Lecrae. “This is totally different from my past releases and I hope can build a bridge between my current fans and create new ones.”

As Lecrae prepares for the release of the Church Clothes mixtape, he is also gearing up to for shows in East Lansing, Jefferson City, Los Angeles, and Seattle. This summer Lecrae will also be back in the studio working on his 5th studio album GRAVITY to be released this fall along with preparing for the Unashamed Tour.

Free Download: Lecrae Church Clothes mixtape hosted by Don Cannon

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Sphere of Hip Hop podcast 088 (MP3, 30MB, 31:11)

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In this Episode
Boombox Titans, Elias, Eric Christopher, Jaq, Mr. J. Medeiros, Phynite, Promise, The Runaway, SD, Shad

Play list:
1. Eric Christopher – Soulvivor #1
2. Jaq – Want (feat. Wonder Brown)
3. Elias – Hello I Love You (SD remix)
4. Promise – Don’t
5. Mr. J Medeiros – Pale Blue Dot (feat. Shad) (20Syl remix)
6. Phynite – (Un)Titled
7. The Runaway – The Voice of the People
8. Boombox Titans – Dread Champions

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A snippet of our album review (read full review here):
“For someone who has seemingly been off the radar for a while, Stephen the Levite doesn’t display any rust. His lyricism and delivery are just as sharp as they’ve always been. As an unashamed backpack rapper, Stephen serves both the underground & east coast hip-hop well. This album delivers the kind of stuff that made many of us fall in love with hip-hop so long ago. His time away from the music scene has served him well. In listening to this project, you can tell that he’s a man who has gained wisdom through his life experiences & serving the Lord, which permeates through his raps.”

The Last Missionary track list
1. The First Missionary
2. Give It Up!
3. Voltron (feat. Mac the doulos & Zae da Blacksmith)
4. My Wife’s Soundtrack
5. Fight Club (feat. muzeONE)
6. Commissionary
7. Dividing Lies (feat. S.O.)
8. S.O.S. (feat. Wes Pendleton)
9. Wrote It This Way (feat. Timothy Brindle & Hazakim)
10. Temptation
11. Enter: Missionary (feat. Average Joe)
12. Rehoboam
13. Deadbeat
14. Reign & Rebellion (feat. Leah Smith)
15. Beauty & The Beast
16. The Last Missionary

ILLECT Recordings is proud to present their latest hip-hop release for 2012… The Darke Bros. This is a deeply personal project this is full of dope beat production. The duo has skillfully assembled an impressive album that kept our interest from start to finish.

The guys met up with Copywrite and J. Rawls this past weekend to film a music video for “Drowning Man”. Look for that to release in the near future.

The Darke Bros. is available now on CD and MP3 Download at SphereofhiphopStore.com. For a limited time you can purchase deluxe versions of the CD and MP3 Download packages.

The Darke Bros. track list
1. Nan Knew
2. The Way I Cry (feat. Ruffian)
3. Mind Bender
4. The Same State (interlude)
5. I Know (feat. Lyriz)
6. In or Out (feat. Soul P)
7. Back and Forth
8. Over and Over (interlude)
9. She’s Gone
10. The Struggle (feat. Freddie Bruno and Holmskillit)
11. Hurt (feat. JustMe)
12. Famous Lovers Pt. 2 (feat. Mouth Warren)
13. Bros. on the Run (interlude)
14. Hold On 2012 (feat. Holmskillit)
15. Drowning Man (feat. Copywrite and Elias)
16. Winding Down (feat. Holmskillit)
17. The Yah and the Yang (feat. Tony Campolo)

Beats by:
1, 2, 13 Theory Hazit
3, 6, 10, 12 Vintage
4 Deftone
5 Lil Jay/Majestic Studios
7, 17 MattmaN
8 Hub
9 So Crates
11 JustMe
14 DT of Clan Destined/The VJC
15 J. Rawls
16 Fab da Eclectic

Scratches by:
11 EF Cuttin