Lecrae was the featured artist on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert on Thursday, marking a milestone for Christian hip-hop. His performance is the first time a Christian rapper has been featured in the Tiny Desk Concert series’ 18-year history.
“I felt guilty when I mentioned this to the Houston-born emcee, only because it’s taken so long,” said Tiny Desk host and series producer Bobby Carter. “If we’re putting a spotlight on faith-based hip-hop, we had to start with Lecrae.”
Carter said what separated Lecrae from the artists who came before him was his refusal to modulate his faith for a mainstream audience.
“His devotion is unapologetic and consistent through the lyrics,” he said, “but everything else, from the production to delivery, feels real and earned.”
The Reach Records founder played eight songs, opening with “Coming in Hot” and including “Die for the Party,” a 2024 song written in response to Kendrick Lamar’s “Watch the Party Die,” on which Lamar rapped, “Sometimes I wonder what Lecrae would do.”
Watch it here: