Grammy-winner Lecrae finds 'Restoration' through music

ATLANTA, Ga. - “I ask myself every day, ‘Are we thriving or surviving?’”

Right now, there’s no question that Grammy-winner Lecrae is thriving.  The Atlanta-based artist has several projects to be excited about, including a documentary, an upcoming book, and his ninth studio album, Restoration, which was just released last Friday.

“Restoration is a picture of taking things that are broken and believing that they can be restored,” Lecrae says.  “They can be fixed.  They can be made better than they were before.  Obviously, what we’re seeing in our society is a lot of broken things, a lot of broken people. And we’re hoping and we’re believing that there can be some sort of restoration.”

Those themes are further explored in the recent single “Drown,” featuring John Legend.  Discussing the song’s powerful message and music video, Lecrae says, “Sometimes we need to know that we’re not alone in our struggles and our pain, and we need to have some sort of understanding that we’re cared for.  Whether that’s faith, whether that’s family, community...we’re not alone in our journey. And I just wanted to paint a picture that we’ve seen a lot of tragedy, we’ve seen a lot of pain and heartache, but there’s lots of things we can highlight, and lots of things that demonstrate when we work collectively, and we work with each other, that we can help each other and lift each other up.”

That idea — lifting each other up — is one Lecrae says he’s been thinking about a lot lately, especially in light of the discussions of equality and justice playing out on an international stage.

“In the seat I sit in, what I would tell some of my brothers and sisters who don’t understand what’s happening, is to become avid learners and listeners.  And just be attentive and empathetic.  And for those who are feeling the pain and struggle of racial inequality, I’d say your anger is justified.  But let’s find ways to use it constructively, instead of destructively.  Let’s find ways to use it to build, and not destroy.”

“That’s why I’m doing everything I’m doing,” he says.  “I’m trying to do some building and some construction.”

For more information on Restoration or Lecrae’s upcoming book — called I Am Restored: How I Lost My Religion, But Found My Faithand scheduled for release in October — click over to the artist’s website here.