One of the most anticipated albums of 2014 has officially dropped and it does not disappoint!
Lecrae’s newest album Anomaly is his best yet. It touches on some real topics that will cause you to think a lot about not only who you are as a person, but also how God is using you where you are. He has some dope guests on this one such as Crystal Nicole, Kari Jobe, For King & Country, and Andy Mineo. This album has dope beats and some deep lyrics. Anomaly is seriously one of the best hip-hop albums that have dropped in a long time.
It starts with the track “Outsiders” in which Lecrae raps about living different and not wanting to be like everybody else. The hook of this song is very catchy; “I wont stay here another night, if I got to sacrifice, who I am on the inside, I rather be an outsider, you can stay if you like, I’ll see you on the other side, I wanna live the free life, I’d rather be an outsider.” Here we see ‘Crae talking about the choice that we have to either place our identities in the world or in Christ. He challenges us to be Outsiders and to live a life that is different and not the cultural norm.
The content of “Welcome To America” is definitely one that opens the listener’s heart and mind up to the way we live our lives here in the US. Lecrae covers issues such as sex trafficking, obesity, and the thirst for money. The final verse cuts deep as it describes a person who lives in a third world country that makes clothes for us here in the USA and how poor the working conditions are and how the struggle is real for them. This is one track that challenges us to live lives that cause change.
“Say I Won’t” featuring Andy Mineo, is a fun track to nod ya head and just bug out to. It also serves as an anthem for people as ‘Crae and Andy challenge us to live different. Lecrae’s line, “Say I wont sell my shoes and take my kids to Chuck E. Cheese with the money” is one of the comical lines on this one.
“Dirty Water” touches on some heavy topics such as the clean water issues in Africa, murder, prosperity gospel, race, and the socio economic issues that we face on a daily basis. The tone and content of this track is one of the more serious ones on this album and it is set to a dope beat that definitely grabs the listener’s attention.
“Wish” is a track that I think we can all relate to. It has a real fresh intro and it talks about the regrets that we have in our lives. Lecrae does a phenomenal job painting an image of pain, hurt, rejection and redemption. It leaves you thinking about your life and the path that you are taking.
My favorite track on this joint is “All I Need is You.” It has a fresh guitar intro, set to some sweet vocals, and the hook is very catchy. “By my side, thick and thin, highs and lows, don’t let go, all I need is you, all I ever needed, you’re all I ever needed.” It talks about how Jesus is all that we have ever needed and how He sticks with us no matter what. It is a hot reminder of the grace of God and how it flows down on us at all times.
Anomaly is the album that we have all been waiting for and is definitely a classic in the making.
“All I Need Is You” is actually talking about his wife, not Jesus lol its one of the issues I had with the song, because at first listen it can be interpreted either way, but since the video came out, I get it.
I think the score for this album is VERY generous, too generous honestly, something being a classic is a rare thing. The album is a strong offering from Crae, but I don’t think its this high of a rating. I was looking for a little more in-depth, but the explanations of many of the tracks were insightful. Album is worth the buy for sure.
Incredible album… won’t skip a track… definitely deserves the rating!
it was superb a really good album.
Lamar I think “All I Need Is You” is one of those songs that can go both ways
Yes, Lecrae even mentions in Chris Chicago’s recent interview with him that it ‘is’ about his wife, but can also be tilted towards anything you feel is ‘all you need,’ thus validating both points 🙂
What does Lecrae have to say about the prosperity gospel on the ‘Dirty water’ track?
hmm…now im anxiously waiting on the Rise review…