One of the biggest names in Christian music and hip hop will be performing at Magic Springs in Hot Springs on Saturday. Lecrae Moore, or just "Lecrae," as he known in the industry, released his seventh studio album Anomaly in September and is now on a nationwide tour.
The Democrat-Gazette caught up with the Houston rapper to talk about his album and his return to Arkansas.
Lecrae
8 p.m. Saturday, Magic Springs & Crystal Falls Water and Theme Park, 1701 E. Grand Ave. (U.S. 70 East), Hot Springs
Admission: $59.99 day of concert; children shorter than 48 inches admitted for $36.99, as are adults age 55 and older; children 3 and younger admitted free. Season passes are $69.99. Lawn seating included in price of admission, with limited reserved seating available for additional $10 or $8. Parking at extra cost.
(501) 624-0100
Q: You just spent a good amount of time in Europe -- what did you do there?
A: I just finished a long tour ... and a lot of it was just building and reaching the fan base out there. I didn't know I had so many fans out there and so it was an amazing opportunity.
Q: Your tour kicked off June 6, and Arkansas is your second stop. Tell me about some of the other stops you're making.
A: This summer is just a great opportunity to showcase a lot of the music and a lot of the live show that we've been working so diligently on. I'm excited to get out to Arkansas. I haven't been there in a while, and coming from Texas, Arkansas has always been our neighbors, so I love my fans out there.
Q: For people who haven't been to one of your shows, what should they expect?
A: Incredible energy. We really strive to put on a phenomenal show. It's more of an experience than just a guy running around on stage rapping.
Q: What sets Anomaly apart from other albums?
A: Anomaly is my most confident album to date. It is where you find me very comfortable in my own skin. I am who I am, and I'm not ashamed of what I believe in, and you hear that in my music. I'm not perfect. I don't have it all together, and I make mistakes, but I can own them and learn from them and grow from them. Anomaly is an album that allows me to articulate all of that clearly and confidently.
Q: What is your message in Anomaly?
A: I think the message on Anomaly is for us all to embrace what we were created to be. A lot of people wonder what it means to be successful, and I believe success is doing exactly what you were created to do and being who you were created to be. Success is being not us comparing ourselves to each other, but comparing what we're doing to what God made us to do.
Q: Anomaly hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts, you had two Grammy nominations and a BET Hip Hop Awards nomination. What does that mean to you?
A: It means people are listening. It means that I have a voice. I don't know many revolutionaries interested in just gaining awards, but sometimes awards come with what you do and I'm grateful for that. Still, at the end of the day, I do this for the people and the real award is waking up to do what I was made to do.
Q: You've been vocal recently since the Ferguson riots and the unrest in Baltimore. What do you think we can learn from it all?
A: Hopefully we can learn that we, as human beings, are not each other's antagonists. We all have a story. And the true antagonist is the brokenness of humanity. We need change to happen inside our hearts. We need worldview transformation that leads to behavioral modification -- not just new behaviors coming from hateful hearts. Truly changed people can have healthy dialogue and love one another even when we don't understand each other's perspective.
Q: What should we expect from you in the future? After the tour, what's next?
A: I'm working on a book. It's a memoir of sorts and gives some lessons on life I've learned.
Weekend on 06/11/2015