[3][4][5] Along with continued critical praise, it peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and made Lecrae the first hip hop artist to win in the category of Best Gospel Album — at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.

Lecrae received a scholarship to study theater at the University of North Texas, and graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in 2002.

[19] In 2004, five years after his conversion, Lecrae teamed up with Ben Washer to found Reach Records, and at the age of 25 he released his first album, Real Talk.

In 2005, Lecrae co-founded the non-profit organization ReachLife Ministries (no longer operational since April 2015),[22] which equipped local Christian leaders with tools, media, curriculum, and conferences that were based on the teachings of the Bible and relevant to hip-hop culture.

16 on the Billboard Heatseeker Album charts,[25] and received a nomination for a Dove Award, as did the single "Jesus Muzik", featuring Trip Lee.

[29] In 2009, the album received a nomination at the 40th Dove Awards, as did the Flame song "Joyful Noise", which featured Lecrae and John Reilly.

[30] 2009 also saw Lecrae's first film role, when he appeared in the documentary Uprise Presents: Word from the Street by the UK-based TV channel OHTV.

[36] On August 31, 2010, Reach Records revealed the track list for Rehab, released it for pre-order, and premiered a promotional video "Idols".

[56] On August 30, 2012, the rapper Saigon announced that Lecrae would be one of the featured artists on his upcoming album The Greatest Story Never Told Chapter 2: Bread and Circuses, due November 6, 2012.

[72] The single "All I Need Is You" from the album was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards,[73] and on June 12, 2019, the song was certified Gold by the RIAA.

[70] To promote Anomaly, on September 18, 2014, Lecrae appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performing alongside The Roots, the program's house band.

[82][83] Lecrae explained that he signed this deal in order to increase the international audience for Reach, since his label peaked nationally with the release of Anomaly.

[97] The first single to Restoration, "Set Me Free", featuring YK Osiris, and the accompanying music video, was released on March 20, 2020.

[110] Rehab was noted for its stylistic diversity, particularly on the song "Children of the Light", which featured Dillavou and Sonny Sandoval and incorporated rock, and reggae influences.

[114] Regarding which musical artists have influenced him, Lecrae, in an interview with Essence, cited Tupac, Nas, DJ Quik, Scarface, and The Cross Movement.

[115] In an interview with The Christian Post, Lecrae listed his top favorite five hip hop artists as Tupac, Nas, The Ambassador, Snoop Dogg, and Jay Z, though he admires Jay-Z for his business approach rather than his music.

[118] In the song "Non-Fiction", he lists the Tunnel Rats alongside The Cross Movement as an influence when he was newly converted to Christianity.

Labeling it with the faith assumes that the song is going to be some kind of sermon, but there's a lot of social and political things that I don't think make it gospel or Christian music."

"[125] Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin recommended Lecrae and Hillsong in an interview when asked about his pre-game music.

[132] In 2011, 116 Clique and ReachLife Ministries, both headed by Lecrae, launched a media campaign titled Man Up, intended to mentor male urban youths on fatherhood and biblical manhood.

[133] In May 2013, Lecrae partnered with NBA player Dwyane Wade, filmmaker Art Hooker, and Joshua DuBois, the former head of the Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships under the Obama administration, to create the national media campaign This Is Fatherhood, an initiative "devoted to restoring America's commitment to healthy fatherhood.

[134] Lecrae, Wade, DuBois, Jay Z, and U.S. President Barack Obama all made appearances in the campaign's promotional public service announcements.

[136][137][138] In these articles, Lecrae has called for understanding and empathy across racial divides and willingness to listen to the oppressed, and also pointed out the need for spiritual healing through Jesus Christ.

[144] At the 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards, Lecrae performed an original composition addressing racial injustice in the United States, referencing the shooting of Philando Castile.

[145][146] In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lecrae worked with a local non-profit, Love Beyond Walls, to distribute hand-washing stations and food to homeless people in Atlanta.

[147][148] He also wrote an essay for Billboard in which he discussed the need for humane behavior in the midst of widespread social panic due to the outbreak.

[151] Lecrae has partnered with Oust Labs to be an investor and co-owner of the audio production software MXD, which was founded by Jacob "Biz" Morris.

[160] On October 20, 2016, Lecrae wrote in The Huffington Post that he has been struggling with depression and doubt, which was partly caused by the backlash he received from many American evangelicals who are critical of his public stance on race-related issues.

[161][162] On August 14, 2020, Lecrae posted a video on his YouTube channel that includes footage of him re-connecting with his long-absent father who now resides in San Diego.

[163] In 2016, he received an honorary doctorate in music from the Canada Christian College of Whitby, Ontario, for his commitment to sharing a message of hope with disadvantaged young people.