For Immediate Release



Lecrae Wins Grammy at 55th Annual 2013 Awards Show



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2012 Release Entitled: 'Gravity' Wins "Best Gospel" Album




February 14, 2013. ATLANTA, GA â 2007 Holy Hip Hop Music Awards Honoree and Anointed Minister of the Gospel 'Lecrae' made history at the 55th Annual 2013 Grammy Awards (Feb. 10, 2013) winning 'Best Gospel' Album for his solo 2012 release entitled: 'Gravity'.

On Lecrae's accomplishment, Minister eDDie Velez (a/k/a Da Preachin Puerto Rican) commented, in depth, as follows:



"With virtually no radio airplay, limited distribution, but powered by unyielding faith and fans worldwide, Christian Hip Hop artist Lecrae made history on Sunday, February 10, 2013, via this Grammy Award honor, in elevating the 28 year-old Holy Hip Hop genre to higher ground. This is not only an award for Lecrae, but an award that can be shared by every Gospel rap emcee, label, magazine, distributor, radio/tv outlet (who saw the vision), retailer website, dj, etc. who all faithfully worked their lanes and worked together in unison over the years to advance a common mission (The Great Commission) and sacrificed and laid the ground work for what the world experienced in Los Angeles this past Sunday during the 55th Grammy Awards.



Staying focused and powering through and overcoming adversity when so many non-believers said over and over that Hip Hop Ministry would never work...does not sound right (like the majority of the repetitive music that is on secular radio today actually sounds good)...there is no market for it...and the classic that still makes me chuckle on the inside.... "Awe shucks...Ain't no such thing as no Gospel Rap, Christian Hip Hop/Holy Hip Hop..." all absolutely blinded as to the tenacity and reach of this grassroots global movement gaining momentum each and every day since the 1980's and proving time and time again to be a powerful way to reach the youth, uplift the community, evangelize and advance the Kingdom for generations to come. 2 Timothy 4:5. Amen.





In 1998 while my Holy Hip Hop Radio show aired on Hot 97.5 FM, one thing that we saw then (almost 15 years ago), that is still present today when callers would call up to the radio station crying with tearful voices as they were overwhelmed with joy after hearing an army of Anointed rappers grace the airwaves in Atlanta for the first time, is that Hip Hop Ministry grounded in the Gospel is life-changing, everlasting and impactful to the heart, mind, body and soul, and this is what the enemy fears the most. Gal. 4:16. Amen.



Hundreds upon hundreds of powerfully impactful trailblazing Christian Hip Hop emcees (for example: T-Bone, Cross Movement, Corey Red & Precise, Tre-9, Phanatik, Light, Urban D, Shei Atkins, Mr. Del, Dice Gamble, Willie Will, Canton Jones, Hansoul, Zion, Fedel, XROSS, D-MAUB, K-Drama, Trip Lee, This'L, etc., etc., etc., etc.), powered by legions of loyal supporters worldwide, have paved the way via sowing seeds...spitting non-stop hot rhymes laced with strictly Ministry over bangin beats...doing so consistently and without waver (when it was not known or even popular to do so) all while the naysayers and non-believers scoffed, blocked, hated...with all such naysayer efforts proving to be in vain, as no man can stop or deny the will of God. Acts 5:39. Amen.



As such, Lecrae's Grammy-Award winning accomplishment is nothing short of inevitable destiny, as the boulder had been chipped at consecutively for 28 years and it was undoubtedly just a matter of time before it would be cracked wide open, as it was on February 10, 2013 in Los Angeles, with the final 100th blow being delivered by Lecrae after 99 blows from Lecrae and his fellow co-labourers (Christian emcees, djs, distributors, retailers, radio/tv partners, labels, magazines, supporters) in Christ that have been standing with him and all who have sacrificed and that had come before planting seeds, tilling the land and working fertile ground. Gal. 6:9. Amen.



Congratulations Lecrae from your family at the Fellowship of Holy Hip Hop on this great accomplishment and To God Be The Glory!!!, for your faith, patience, perseverance and for your sacrifices and those of your family, and for being a catalyst for furtherance of the Global movement to take the Gospel to the Streets. Your feat is an important victorious battle for the movement, at an important time in History, but the war to win back the lost for Him in every street, city, every borough and every corner marches on uninterrupted 24/7, so thank you for all that you have done, continue to do and for being such a willing vessel for Him and an inspiration to us all," said Minister eDDie Velez (a/k/a Da Preachin Puerto Rican). Matt. 19:26. Amen.



About The Recording Academy (Grammy Society):

The Member Services Department of The Recording Academy ("The Academy"), nationally and in conjunction with its 12 regional chapter offices, is the primary communication link between the Academy's 20,000 members and its programs, services and activities. The Department works to ensure each member stays informed on Academy activities and events, creates added-value partnerships with companies through the Member Benefits program and responds to members concerns and questions regarding the Academy and their membership. For More Information on how To Join The Recording Academy and to submit your Music for Grammy Awards consideration, go to/click here: GRAMMY.com.



About Lecrae:
One listen to Lecrae, and it is unashamedly evident that he has a worldview not commonly found in popular Hip Hop.


One listen to Lecrae, and it is unashamedly evident that he has a worldview not commonly found in popular Hip Hop. From the south side of Houston to a major platform in the movement of urban reform, a rocky road provides a window into the grace he experienced throughout his life, with every situation molding him into the artist and leader he is today.



Raised by his mother, Lecrae Moore moved around quite often as a youth. San Diego, Denver and Dallas were once home to him and the street life he idolized and pursued. Along the way, like many in the inner city, he was drawn to rapping as a way of communicating his thoughts. But it wasnât until after high school, when his lifeâs course changed, that his hobby became a real passion.



At the age of 19, Lecrae attended a conference where he saw hundreds of teenagers who looked and dressed like him, but whose lives were steered by their faith. It was there that he heard the Gospel message and recognized his need for a Savior. Shortly thereafter, stirred by a newfound zeal for Jesus Christ, Lecrae printed his testimony and distributed it across the University of North Texas campus. Five years later, he would team up with Ben Washer, a friend he met while serving with a youth ministry, to found Reach Records with hopes of sharing the Gospel of Christ beyond his local context.



Calling Dallas home, Lecrae had been content using his gifts of speaking and rapping while volunteering at a juvenile detention center, but he was encouraged to share his gifts beyond those walls. Pouring out a genuine discussion of life issues and a passionate, unapologetic pursuit of Jesus Christ, Lecrae released his debut album Real Talk and soon gathered a following. Listeners appreciated his in-your-face delivery of biblical truths and transparent, relatable and encouraging lyrics.



As Lecrae continued to make his mark in the music industry, he realized the stage wasnât enough. There needed to be a culturally relevant and biblically solid resource center to help train the next generation, so he co-founded Reach Life Ministries in 2005. After extending Reachâs impact, Lecrae then released the groundbreaking album After the Music Stops in 2006. Aimed at building an audience of disciples and led by the⨠classic singleâ âJesus Musik,â Lecraeâs sophomore album gradually spread across the country with other hits such as âPraying For Youâ and âSend Me.â It also sat on Soundscanâs Christian Hip Hop/R&B chart for two years after releasing in 2006. His follow up, Rebel, released in 2008, garnered even more success: becoming the first Christian Rap album to ever sit in the No. 1 position on Billboardâs Top Gospel Charts and spending 78 weeks on the Billboard charts.



Lecrae returned in 2010 with an album whose influence extended into mainstream media and culture. Rehab, an honest look at his problems and the only solution to them, broke into the Billboard Top 200 Albums debuting at No. 17, while reaching No. 3 on the Top 10 Albums chart on iTunes. Lecrae also reached No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Christian chart and No. 1 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart. The impact of this album spread across the globe, receiving nominations for several awards including a Grammy for Best Rock/Rap Gospel album.



In 2011, the music industry continued to take notice, with a well-received appearance on the BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher, a feature on Statik Selektahâs mixtape and collaborations with other mainstream artists and producers. In May 2012, he released the Church Clothes mixtape hosted by Don Cannon and featuring production by Bio-1a, 9th Wonder, S-1 and Street Symphony. The mixtape garnered over 280,000 downloads and debuted at #10 on iTunes as an EP, as well as #10 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart.



In September of the same year, Gravity dropped and made waves in several mainstream outlets with 70,490 units sold in its first week making it the #1 Rap Album, #1 Independent Album and #3 on the Billboard 200. The album also ranked as the #1 Christian Album and #1 Gospel Album. To date, Lecrae holds the title as the highest-selling independent artist in first week sales for 2012.



A graduate of the University of North Texas, Lecrae now resides in Atlanta, GA with his wife and children. His passion for impacting urban culture persists. With a musically evolving and successful discography, nationwide tours along with the 116 Clique, and a generation of young believers around the world inspired to live unashamed; Lecrae is humbled by his position in the growing movement to bring truth to every arena. His hope is that Reachâs impact will spread far beyond simply the music and into the lives of individuals across the globe, ultimately exalting Jesus Christ. For more information on Minister of the Gospel Lecrae, please visit: www.ReachRecords.com.



About eDDie Velez:

eDDie Velez (a/k/a Da Preachin Puerto Rican) has been featured on national media such as, BET, CBS - The Early Show, FOX, PBS and C-SPAN. In January of 2002, eDDie Velez was invited by the late Coretta Scott King to be a guest speaker at the Annual Martin Luther King Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA. In front of many dignitaries, including the First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Laura Bush, he gave a compelling speech on how Dr. Kingâs vision cannot die within the Hip Hop Culture. eDDie Velez hosts the Holy Hip Hop Radio Show, as well as the Holy Hip Hop Music Awards, aired worldwide on JC-TV (TBN Affiliate) in over 10 million homes. eDDie also serves as the Chairman and CEO of the Fellowship of Holy Hip Hop, an organization that focuses on ministering the Gospel to the Hip Hop culture. Eddie Velez is bilingual, speaking both fluent English and Spanish. For more information on the Global Movement to Take The Gospel To the Streets, please visit: www.HolyHipHop.com.