Christian rap artist and Grammy winner Lecrae has responded to criticism of his appearance at a rally for Democratic candidates, saying he initially believed it would be a get-out-the-vote bipartisan event.
Lecrae appeared in December at a Georgia outdoor rally for Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, who were running at the time for a pair of U.S. Senate seats. Both men won their respective races during the January election.
Lecrae did not endorse either candidate during the event but encouraged the crowd to vote. He also performed his single, Set Me Free.
“I was invited to perform by the mayor at a vote early rally,” Lecrae said this month on Phil Vischer’s Holy Post podcast. “And what was communicated to me was both candidates will be there. Now, I'm thinking it's bipartisan – both candidates. I'm not thinking, ‘Oh both Democratic candidates.’ I didn't realize that.”
Lecrae said he decided to attend the rally, perform a song and tell people to vote. But “because it was two Democratic candidates,” he said on the podcast, critics assumed he was pro-abortion and an endorser of the Democratic Party.
In response to the performance, conservative activist Charlie Kirk said Lecrae “should never be allowed” to perform in churches again.
Lecrae, who is pro-life, told Vischer, “I think it would behoove folks in that circle like Charlie Kirk to do their research to understand why, by and large, African American Christians vote progressive – why do they do that? By and large, white Christians vote conservative. Do the research to understand why that is and say, ‘Maybe Lecrae is processing these particular things [differently]’ versus saying he's the Antichrist.”
Lecrae said he believes “there are wonderful Christians on both sides of the political aisle.”
“African Americans are pretty conservative in their perspectives. ... We can see how folks would want to vote conservatively or vote Republican. ... We get it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lecrae said “it pains me” how some Christians have become divided over politics.
“They're beginning to make their allies their enemies,” he said. “... A house divided can’t stand.”
Related:
'God Is Challenging Us to Not Idolize' America and Politics, Lecrae Says
Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Jason Kempin/Staff
Video courtesy: Phil Vischer
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.