Lecrae had the opportunity to be a sounding board for Kendrick Lamar early in the Compton native’s career, and he does not take it lightly.
HipHopDX caught up with Lecrae on the red carpet of the 2024 Grammy Awards on Sunday (February 4), where he discussed his longtime friendship with the “King Kinta” hitmaker.
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“Without any details, one of the reasons why Kendrick Lamar is one of my favorites is because early on, he was really transparent and honest and allowed me to just be a voice in his life,” he said. “And I’ll always be grateful to him for that, and I salute him in everything he does.”
When asked about the way Kendrick has been able to exhibit growth while evolving in his music as well, Lecrae added: “It’s mutual respect and I appreciate him for just trying to be a voice and wrestling — we’re also wrestling and trynna put the pieces of the puzzle together and, you know, he knows I’m always down for the conversations and I’m always open to serve in any way I can, man. Shout out to him for being transparent with it all.”
Though it’s all love for Kendrick Lamar, Lecrae doesn’t really feel the same about Lil Nas X. The Christian rapper took to social media last month and offered his thoughts on the potential consequences of the 24-year-old’s recent use of religious imagery.
“okay I gotta admit Lil Nas is playing with fire mocking Jesus,” he wrote. “he’s getting the attention he wants from folks at the risk of searing his conscious. Still if God can transform King Neb, murders, [sic] slave masters, sex workers, etc. he can add another Blasphemer to the list.”
In a lengthy caption, he offered more context.
“We generally find ourselves outraged at blatant disrespect of our Lord,” he wrote. “Even the Torah in Leviticus 24 says “The one who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death.” But as frustrating as it may be to see, here are some thoughts.”
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He continued: “1. We have to remember God used different means to demonstrate his anger before Christ came, now Jesus has taken the full cup of that wrath on the cross. 2. Be thankful that God is patient because many of us benefit from that grace, mercy, and patience today.
“3. When the blasphemy against the Lord was at its height Jesus was being beaten and in the process of being murdered and his response was ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ Let us remember to pray for folks who are blinded as we once were.”
