Christian rapper Lecrae shared his music and faith April 17 in Renaissance Coliseum as part of his Higher Learning Tour.
Lecrae said in an interview prior to the concert that the purpose of his Higher Learning Tour is three-pronged.
“I really hope [students] walk away, one: Having a break … they can forget about some of the stuff going on in their lives,” Lecrae said. “Two: They are inspired to be who they were made to be. And three: They are strengthened and encouraged, and mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically, they can walk away saying, ‘Man, that was refreshing, I needed that.'”
Two openers, rapper Swoope and DJ Promote, performed for the first hour and a half before Lecrae.
“I was not expecting it to last that long, especially because I was on the floor … so I was standing for the whole time,” Angel Daley, a junior marketing major, said. “I think people were caught off-guard by the first two acts because, like no one knew them, but Lecrae for sure [exceeded] my expectations.”
Daley said Lecrae played songs off his latest album and his most recent mixtape, as well as older songs.
“The performance was awesome,” Daley said. “It was really high-energy. He threw a water bottle into the audience and got people wet; he was really cool.”
Lecrae not only performed his music, but he also shared stories about his Christian faith.
“He talked about some of his experiences growing up and how he sold drugs, was in the streets, grew up in a single-parent home and just wasn’t doing very well,” Daley said. “He experienced God, and his life changed, and he writes his music to reach people who experience the things that he experienced when he was young.”
Renaissance Coliseum was nearly half-full of students and community members for the concert.
“It wasn’t as packed as I thought it would be because I love Lecrae,” Daley said. “For the people that were there, I was expecting more college students, but it was a lot of high school youth groups.”
Lecrae said he hoped the concert encouraged college students to build a good life.
“[Students] are the future,” Lecrae said. “They are the people who can go out there and really change the culture, so if I can inspire any of them, then it’s an honor.”
