Inside the Christian Music Boom w/ Lecrae | Billboard On The Record

Christian and Gospel music are having a moment in an evolving industry. Lecrae, four-time Grammy-winning Christian artist and founder of Reach Records, joins Billboard On The Record to break down the genre’s rapid growth, how it’s attracting younger generations and the nuances of combining faith with business. From building his own independent label to staying tapped in with rising artists, Lecrae shares his journey creating a career outside the traditional system, why speaking out matters and what makes Christian music a uniquely powerful and complex space. Love what you hear? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe so you never miss an episode of Billboard On The Record. Follow Billboard On The Record on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billboardon... TikTok:   / billboardontherecord   Apple Podcasts: https://tr.ee/vIe2Gxscu6 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2iTn50K... Billboard On The Record is a podcast in partnership with SickBird Productions. 0:00 Introduction – Christian Gospel Music's 25% Boom 0:45 Meet Lecrae – Artist, Rapper & Label Owner 1:00 What Is Christian Music? Subject Matter vs. Genre 1:30 Breaking Down the Sub-genres (Gospel, CCLI, etc.) 2:05 The Unique Revenue Stream: Church Licensing (CCLI) 3:59 Founding Reach Records Out of Necessity 4:50 The Early Days of Christian Hip-Hop (Early 2000s) 7:30 How iTunes Changed Everything (Beating Nicki Minaj) 9:17 How Summer Camps Built Lecrae's Fan Base 10:00 Inflection Points: How Christian Music Modernized 11:00 The Billboard Gospel Chart Controversy 12:30 Fan Acquisition in Christian Music vs. Pop 14:50 Mainstream Labels Moving into the Christian Space 17:00 The Rate of Change: "Pivot Gang" Mentality 18:40 Radio as Gatekeeper – Is It Dying in Christian Music? 19:50 Why Gen Z Is Driving a Christian Music Renaissance 21:11 Politics, Polarization & the Church 23:28 Is There a Racial Divide in Christian Music? 25:00 Lecrae's Personal Faith Crisis & Speaking Out on Race 26:30 The Cost of Taking a Stand (3,000 Fans → 400) 27:40 Should Christian Artists Speak on Social Issues? 28:45 The Evolution of Reach Records – Signing the Next Gen 30:45 Owning His Catalog & The David Geffen Playbook 33:50 What's Next: Media, Podcasts & Filling the Gap 35:10 Collaborating with Non-Christian Artists (3 Types) 37:20 Explicit vs. Implicit Faith-Based Music 39:10 Forrest Frank & "Sunday Best" – Implicit Faith in Action 39:50 Navigating Fan Idolization as a Christian Artist ►► Subscribe for more music news: http://blbrd.cm/Proracf ►► See our latest videos: http://blbrd.cm/xOgw6VQ About: Billboard is the world's most influential music media brand, with an unmatched authority among artists, fans and the industry. Billboard powers the ultimate global music destination and magazine, featuring unrivaled reporting on music news, issues and trends, the industry’s definitive charts, encompassing the most complete and well respected database of charts across all music genres, and elite conferences and events which regularly convene the industry and consumers around important conversations. Connect with Billboard Online: Visit the website: http://blbrd.cm/s5w4vTm Likes us on Facebook: http://blbrd.cm/ks26yg5 Follow us on Twitter: http://blbrd.cm/uRNqRoN Follow us on Instagram: http://blbrd.cm/6QaTrhn #Christian #ChristianMusic #Lecrae #BrandonLake #BillboardOntheRecord Inside the Christian Music Boom w/ Lecrae | Billboard On The Record Billboard    / billboard