Lecrae revealed that he is the process of reconstruction following a "spiritual deconstruction" in recent years.
The Christian artist shared the revelation during an interview with NGEN Radio earlier this month, The Christian Post reported.
Lecrae said that he is not a typical Christian as the American culture insists, but declared that he is a "follower of Christ."
"The Christian culture in America, specifically, will kind of force itself on you, and say, 'Well, you have to talk like this, and you have to dress like this.' ... If you don't assimilate and kind of move this way, then people going to side-eye you. ... I've just been really comfortable in my skin... There's no way you can say I'm not a follower of Christ. But I don't fit certain molds..." he stated.
"When I say 'churchy' [that doesn't mean] I don't like fellowshipping with believers. But when I say 'churchy,' it means there's certain ... cultures in churches that I just don't really fall in line with. ... There's certain things that are done that it's not my thing, and that's OK, as long as you follow Christ," the rapper further explained.
He then disclosed that he is undergoing reconstruction in his faith, which was echoed on his recent album, "Restoration."
"I did a lot of spiritual deconstruction over the last few years, and now I've been reconstructing. ... God has really been connecting me in different places and spaces that I never really imagined."
The musician said that his album reflects John 21, which tells about Jesus' reinstatement of Peter as His disciple after denying Him three times. In the chapter, the Lord also commanded the apostle to "feed [His] lambs and take care of [His] sheep."
Lecrae claimed that he sees his creative work as such - a medium to minister to other people.
He added that he became very open about his thoughts on the album, which he said others do not have to, but he did because of the Lord's goodness for bringing him out of darkness.
Moreover, he stated that the album speaks about hope to people during this pandemic, adding that it is how believers should be.
"Restoration," which has 14 tracks, was released last year in August through Reach Records. It features collaborations with other artists such as John Legend, YK Osiris, Kirk Franklin, among others.
The album debuted No. 1 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart.
As a message to radio listeners, the artist said that people should not be "tear[ing] each other down" but "lifting each other up" instead.
He shared that his relationship with his wife exemplifies this practice, wherein if he dislikes the shoes she is wearing, he does not tell her to take them off but encourages her with something better.
The musician is set to join the "Welcome to Maverick City" tour as a special guest. The tour, which will have numerous events in various cities across the country, begins on Sep. 16 and concludes on Nov. 7.
Aside from being a rapper, Lecrae is also a songwriter and a record producer. Though famous as a solo artist, he also leads the hip hop group "116 Clique." He found Christ at the age of 19, which partly inspired him to take a career in music. Along with his friend Ben Washer, he founded "Reach Records," an independent record label through which he released a number of his own albums.
