Lecrae – Restoration (Album Review)

Lecrae looks to bring the world some positive energy with the release of “Restoration.”

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HONORBLE MENTION. ZOMBIE

I used to be a zombie, too.

Ironically, “Zombie” is a very lively song. It features a beat that is colorful and melodies that are infectious. As for Lyrically, Lecrae does a great job of letting the world know that he was once someone that hung out with the wrong crowd, someone that indulged in toxins, and someone who used to love strippers in the song (Damn, I didn’t know that Lecrae used to be a savage!).

~~I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw zombies this year (2020 has been that kind of year).~~

5. OVER THE TOP

Lecrae flexes on his competition on “Over The Top.”

“Over The Top” is powered by this booming beat that just knocked the Cheerios off of the top of my fridge. Over it, Lecrae brags his ass off about all of the blessings the LORD has given him throughout the years utilizing this grungy style of rapping. While you’re going to like the energy he raps with on the song, I think you’re going to love the catchy hook he gifts us with even more.

Isn’t boasting a sin? (See, this is why I don’t be calling Lecrae a Christian rapper)

4. SELF DISCOVERY

Lecrae lets the world know that he has found himself on “Self Discovery.”

“Self Discovery” is the rawest song on Restoration. On it, Lecrae raps dynamically about his ancestry, his rough come-up, and his new-found fame. He also lets his competition know that he hates the fact that they talk about luxurious s**t way too much in their raps.

“Self Discovery” should strike a chord with you.

3. DEEP END

If you are going through some s**t in your life right now, “Deep End” will resonate with you.

On “Deep End,” Lecrae lets the world know that he is working on himself, that he’s trying to find peace in a world full of hate, and that he is in need of a hug (Awww, I give out free hugs, ‘Crae). Throughout the song, he raps with a style that is as rugged as Conway The Machine’s look.

Though Lecrae’s charm permeates throughout “Deep End,” as a whole, I feel like the song imitates Drake’s “Chicago Freestyle.”

2. DROWN

On “Drown,” not only does Lecrae rap passionately, but he also reminds us to think about the things that we put all of our trust in.

“Drown” boasts a pretty powerful vocal performance by John Legend and thought-provoking lyrics by Lecrae. You also get an instrumental that is intoxicating and rap flows that youthful rappers are using quite a bit these days.

I feel like I caught both the Holy Ghost and heartburn while listening to “Drown.”

1. SET ME FREE

I’m going to listen to “Set Me Free” on every single sluggish morning.

While featured guest YK Osiris blesses “Set Me Free” with a hook that is both soulful and powerful, LeCrae gifts us with verses that are valiant, blunt, and inspirational on the song.

I love the energy that powers “Set Me Free!” On the real, after listening to the song, you are going to want to fight an antichrist.

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. RESTORE ME (4/5)

2. SET ME FREE (5/5)

3. WHEELS UP (3/5)

4. OVER THE TOP (4/5)

5. SELF DISCOVERY (4/5)

6. DEEP END (4/5)

7. DROWN (5/5)

8. SATURDAY NIGHT (4/5)

9. SUNDAY MORNING (4/5)

10. ZOMBIE (4/5)

11. KEEP GOING (4/5)

12. STILL (4/5)

13. ONLY HUMAN (4/5)

14. NOTHING LEFT TO HIDE (4/5)

OVERALL RATING

(B)

Lecrae is one of my favorite rappers right now. I love how vulnerable, how open, and how unguarded he sounds in his music. Even though he has seen his fair share of success these last couple of years, he still finds a way to come across like just another guy that is trying to figure out this thing called life.

Lecrae is probably better than your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper. I like the confidence that he raps with and absolutely love how he switches his style up over and over again in his music (Do you understand how hard that is?). With that being said, on Restoration, I feel like Lecrae finds all kinds of ways to talk about his faith, overcoming adversity, and prioritizing love. In other words, he blesses us with deep club bangers, deep R&B bangers, deep boom-bap bangers, and deep hard-hitting bangers on the album. All in all, I feel like Lecrae is a master at making music that is absolutely impossible to hate.

If you want your soul to be replenished, listen to Restoration!