Lecrae - Let the Trap Say Amen

Before Let the Trap Say Amen, Lecrae navigated between the glory of the 116 collective and the success of Columbia Records, a period during which All Things Work Together (2017) sealed his legitimacy. Between this album and his tenth studio record, Restoration (2020), the American artist took a bold turn: he teamed up with producer Zaytoven to release this collaborative project on June 22, 2018, via Reach Records. This 43-minute, 18-second album, composed of 13 tracks, is born of a natural alchemy where ideas flow freely between the sacred text and the producer's popping soundscapes.

Critical reception: spiritual hybridization and vocal weaknesses

The album is an urgent exercise in poetic writing set to a streetwise production, validated by strong critical reception that highlights Lecrae's spiritual contribution to Zaytoven's soundscapes. Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic gives it 3.5 out of 5 stars, highlighting this ability to add spiritual weight to the producer's usual soundscapes. Aaron McKrell of HipHopDX adds to this with a 4 out of 5 star rating, calling the record a work of urgent poetry set to a streetwise production. John Barber of CCM Magazine even awards it 4.5 out of 5 stars, describing the whole as a return to the rapper's lyrical roots. However, this hybridization is not without its drawbacks: some critics point to repetition in the flows and a sometimes robotic vocal delivery, a weakness that contrasts with the album's modest commercial launch, debuting at 49th place on the Billboard 200 with 11,000 sales in its first week.

The orchestra of souls: how Waka Flocka Flame, Verse Simmonds, and K-So Jaynes humanize trap

The strength of this album lies in its ability to anchor evangelical themes within an authentic urban culture through a diversity of guest voices. On track 2 Sides Of The Game, the raw energy is amplified by the presence of Waka Flocka Flame and K-So Jaynes, bringing a marked stylistic contrast that anchors the track in street culture while serving the theme of the game of life. Further on, on I Can't Lose, 24hrs reinforces the spiritual aspect with a powerful voice that adds vocal depth contrasting with the trap production. On Fly Away, the contribution of nobigdyl. ensures artistic coherence and a direct connection with the Church Clothes universe, bringing a familiar texture. Finally, on the last track, By Chance, Verse Simmonds offers credibility and melodic ease that serves as the conclusion of the album, marking a peak of vocal quality thanks to his laid-back flow and charismatic voice.

The sonic paradox: between 'spiritual heft' accused of robotic repetition

Behind this façade of successful hybridization lies a tension between artistic ambition and the realities of the market, illustrated by mixed reviews of the sound. Scott Fryberger of Jesus Freak Hideout gives 3 out of 5 stars, criticizing the trap sound as perceived as repetitive or robotic, with auto-tuned vocals that tire the listener after prolonged listening. The dichotomy between a pared-down message and a sometimes heavy production remains the thread running through this complex listening experience.

Key tracks: Waka Flocka and Verse Simmonds humanize trap

Beyond the technical divisions, certain tracks transcend categories to perfectly embody the thesis of the album: that trap says more than it seems to. Lecrae tells the story of a young man touched by the words of a leader during a missionary expedition, who gives him a bundle of money to do something good for God. This narrative is found in tracks where the trap sound serves as a vehicle for a positive community message, far from the clichés associated with disadvantaged neighborhoods. The presence of iconic artists like Waka Flocka Flame or ShySpeaks on Switch allows for crossing genres without betraying the roots of Christian rap, proving that faith can emerge from the streets.

From 49th place on the Billboard 200 to critical acclaim: belated but solid recognition

The album marks a strategic pause in the career of Devaughn Moore, born on October 9, 1979, who began his solo career in 2004 after co-founding the hip-hop collective 116. The project was officially announced by Lecrae on his Instagram account in May 2018, before the release of the first single Get Back Right on June 1, 2018, and the second single Plugged In on June 15, 2018. This work ethic explains the ease with which the album was created, relying on a constant exchange where Zaytoven guided the needs of each track while Lecrae captured the vibe at the right moment. The community-oriented dimension of the project is at the heart of its ambition: to move beyond the violence of the neighborhoods to reveal their spiritual and positive aspects. Inspired by a personal experience at a Christian conference where a young man from the neighborhood was touched by the gospel message, Lecrae explores how "trap says Amen". This documentary-style approach allows the album to go beyond the urban aesthetic to integrate a genuine pastoral mission. Thus, between the opening track Get Back Right and the closing track By Chance, the album functions as an authentic testimony where the gospel is rooted in the reality of the disadvantaged neighborhoods without betraying its roots or its target audience, thus validating the artist's effort to reach new audiences while maintaining strong artistic integrity. This collaboration with Zaytoven, whom Lecrae had admired for many years but with whom he had never imagined a major project, is part of a strategy to reach new audiences while preserving the integrity of the evangelical message. The creative approach, described as an easy process based on immediate chemistry in the studio, allowed Zaytoven to guide the needs of each track while Lecrae instantly captured the vibe, transforming the exchanged ideas into complete songs. This alchemy results in a record that adds spiritual weight to the pop soundscapes characteristic of the producer, thus validating the ambition to anchor the gospel at the heart of an authentic urban culture without betraying its roots or its target audience. Beyond the community-oriented dimension explored, the project stands out for its ability to cross genres through strategic collaborations with major hip-hop and Christian rap artists. The presence of Waka Flocka Flame and K-So Jaynes on 2 Sides Of The Game or that of ShySpeaks on Switch demonstrates that faith can naturally emerge from the streets, while the contributions of nobigdyl. on Fly Away create a direct connection with the world of Church Clothes. This vocal diversity, ranging from the laid-back flow of Verse Simmonds on the closing track to the raw energy of trap stars, perfectly illustrates the central thesis: trap is not limited to clichés of violence or despair, but also says "Amen". Thus, between the opening track Get Back Right and the conclusion By Chance, the album serves as an authentic testimony where the gospel is rooted in the reality of disadvantaged neighborhoods, offering a unique perspective on personal and community transformation through the gospel message. Between the bold start of Get Back Right and the delicate conclusion of By Chance, this record durably validates the hypothesis that trap can say "Amen" without betraying the codes of its audience or the spiritual roots of its creator. The project is part of a conscious effort by Lecrae, born on October 9, 1979, to explore the ability of the gospel to take root in areas of exclusion without compromising its authenticity. This narrative exploration has its origins in a significant event that occurred during a Christian conference, where the artist first felt the power of Christ and subsequently embarked on a mission to return to the disadvantaged neighborhoods. Yeung of AllMusic. However, this hybridization has not escaped the constructive remarks of Scott Fryberger of Jesus Freak Hideout, who criticized the repetition of flows and a sometimes robotic vocal, thus highlighting the tension between the artistic ambition to reach new audiences and the fidelity to the evangelical message. Despite a modest commercial start with an entry at 49th position on the Billboard 200, the album was praised for its ability to integrate a genuine pastoral mission within an authentic trap production, thus validating the hypothesis that faith can naturally emerge from the streets and offer a unique perspective on community transformation. Although initial sales were modest, the critics praised the effort to reach more people while maintaining artistic integrity. Between All Things Work Together and Restoration, this album stands as a major milestone where Lecrae demonstrates that faith can be expressed without betraying its roots, validating his status as an artist of integrity capable of transforming an urban sound into a vehicle for a message.

Technical details

- Release date : June 22, 2018 - Label : Reach Records - Tracks : 13 (43 min 18 s) - Opening / closing : Get Back Right / By Chance - Guests : K-So Jaynes, Waka Flocka Flame, 24hrs, ShySpeaks, nobigdyl., Verse Simmonds - Previous album : All Things Work Together (2017)