Trip Lee Is on a Mission to ‘Point People to Jesus’ through Hip-Hop
Trip Lee's social media bio is like few others: "rapper, author, preacher." His Instagram account is filled with clips of him proclaiming the gospel: behind a pulpit, during an electrifying concert, or in a quiet moment, speaking directly into the camera. He's the author of two books: The Good Life, which calls readers to experience the abundant life in Christ, and Rise, in which he urges the younger generation to live boldly for their faith.
In his current season of life, though, Lee is primarily a Christian hip-hop artist -- a rapper -- who is on a mission to demonstrate that gospel-centered music can be both impactful and excellent.
TikTok users are the latest to take notice of his music, with viral songs like Lay Low amassing millions of streams on the platform.
"I don't want people to think, 'Oh, if I have to start caring about Jesus, then I have to lower my artistic standards and not really care if it sounds good anymore.' I think it's really important that if we're saying we serve the greatest Creator of all time that we show up with great creativity," Lee told Crosswalk Headlines.
Last fall, Lee earned a Dove Award nomination for his album The Epilogue. He won a Dove Award in 2017 and six years prior to that, a Stellar Award. Three of his albums have debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Gospel charts.
"I want to be able to walk with people and help them grow in a deeper level," Lee said. "So that's why I wanted to be a pastor. And in this season, God has drawn me back to doing music full time and I'm really grateful God gives me different ways to honor Him and point people to Jesus."
Since releasing his first album in 2006, Lee has watched Christian hip-hop grow from a niche genre seeking recognition to a thriving movement impacting lives.
"One of the ways it's changed is that there are a lot more artists who are really great [and are] making great music," he said of the genre. "It was harder to find good stuff when I was a teenager when I first met Jesus. It's not hard to find good stuff now. There's so many artists who are so good, and I'm really grateful for that. And I think there's been enough life cycles that people can learn from strengths and weaknesses of the people who've gone before."
With seven albums to his name -- all on Reach Records -- Lee is hard at work crafting his next project.
"Hip-hop is an incredibly influential genre," he said. "It's impacted every little section of culture. And so I don't want people to think that Jesus only belongs in certain kinds of cultures. Jesus is Lord of everyone, everywhere, and Jesus can be Lord in hip-hop, too. And I love the opportunity of like, hey, 'I can still be me, but the Lord Jesus is taking over my life, and it shows up in the art that I'm doing.' And God is amazing, and it's great to be able to celebrate how amazing He is with amazing art as well. That's why I work so hard."
Photo Credit: ©Reach Records
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published January 06, 2025.
