Judging by the confident demeanor in his over six-foot stature, it might seem hard to imagine that two-time Grammy-winning artist Lecrae overcame adversity that included an absentee father, childhood abuse, addiction and an unsuccessful suicide attempt.
The artist, who recently signed a deal with Columbia Records, has also released his first memoir "Unashamed," where he takes a no holds barred approach to outlining struggles he endured from toddler to adulthood.
"Looking back, it seems like God has been preparing me to navigate this space all my life. Ever since I was a knucklehead kid stirring up trouble, I have always stuck out. I've been like people but not exactly like them. I've always been from a different place, a different perspective." - excerpt from Lecrae's memoir, Unashamed.
In his book, the artist whose last album “Anomaly” was nominated for a Best Rap Performance at the 2015 Grammy Awards, recalls the feeling of being an outsider as often inescapable.
“That’s what I get a kick out of, is for people to see that I went through all these particular things, still made it out of these crazy environments, still ended up going to college, still ended up becoming a business owner and artist who was able to impact people with his art and it should inspire people to say – you know what, there’s hope... these circumstances do not have to define me,” Lecrae said.
In a conversation with NBCBLK, Lecrae not only dropped a verse from an excerpt of his memoir but also shared that what he really wants readers to take away is a message of inspiration and hope.
