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About the Book
"A Man in Full" follows the story of Atlanta real estate developer Charlie Croker as he faces financial turmoil and personal challenges. The novel explores themes of race, masculinity, and power in the modern South, offering a panoramic view of contemporary American society. Through vivid characters and sharp social commentary, Tom Wolfe crafts a compelling narrative that captures the complexities of ambition, identity, and redemption.
Lecrae Moore
Lecrae Devaughn Moore, or simply Lecrae, is an American Christian rapper, songwriter, and record producer who performs both as a solo artist and as the leader of a group named â116 Cliqueâ. He had a troubled beginning in life but all that changed after he found his faith at 19. Heavily influenced by 2Pac Shakur, and motivated by his new found faith, he ventured into a musical career. He and his friend Ben Washer set up their own independent record label âReach Recordsâ and through it, he released his debut album âReal Talkâ in 2004. In the following years, he brought out six more studio albums, three mix tapes, and two EPs as a solo artist and three studio albums, one remix album, and one EP with his group. He has received six âGMA Dove Awardsâ, two Grammys, two âBET Awardsâ and more. Lecrae is very active in the community and in 2005, he established âReachLife Ministriesâ, the mission of which was to âbridge the gap between biblical truth and the urban contextâ. He is a vocal supporter of the preservation of responsibility and believes that fatherhood should be considered as a value to be installed among men in the United States. He has authored several op-ed articles on race relations in the modern-day America which were published by âBillboardâ.
Childhood & Early Life
Lecrae Devaughn Moore was born on October 9, 1979, in Houston, Texas, USA. His father had always been absent from his life and later became a drug addict. He was raised by his poor but hardworking mother and grandmother. He attended services with them at their local church but the initial response to religion was indifferent at best. Growing up, he lived in San Diego, Denver, and Dallas.
He suffered sexual molestation at the hands of a female baby sitter when he was eight, and according to Lecrae, it left a long-term negative impact on his views on sexuality. In a life full of abuse and violence, hip hop provided him with a refuge.
Besides 2Pac who he admired for his rapping skills, he also looked up to his uncle who introduced him to a life of crime. He began doing drugs at 16 and soon started dealing as well. He kept a Bible with him that his grandmother had given him as a good luck charm.
The turning point in his life came when he was arrested for drug possession. The officer let him go upon Lecraeâs promising that he would read and follow the Bible. He thus started visiting the church again. Upon an invitation from a friend, he also started attending Bible studies.
He was once involved in an accident where he wrecked his car but he himself came out unscathed. This incident further strengthened his belief in Christ and he devoted his life fully to his faith. He returned to his college, the âUniversity of North Texasâ and volunteered and sang at a juvenile detention centre.
Career
Six years after his conversion, Lecrae Moore released the album âReal Talkâ (2004) through âReach Recordsâ, a label he had founded with his friend Ben Washer. It reached #29 spot on the âBillboard Gospel Albumâ chart after being re-released in 2005 by âCross Movement Recordsâ.
In 2005, he formed â116 Cliqueâ with other artists who had signed with âReach Recordsâ. The group owes its name to the Bible Verse âRomans 1:16â. They debuted with âThe Compilation Albumâ in the same year. They have since released three more albums, âThe Compilation Album: Chopped & Screwedâ (remix, 2006), â13 Lettersâ (2007), and âMan Upâ (2011), and one EP, âAmpedâ (2007).
He was nominated for a âStellar Awardâ for the âRap/Hip-Hop/Gospel CD of the Yearâ for his second solo album âAfter the Music Stopsâ (2006). In 2008, he put out his third studio album âRebelâ.
In his fourth studio album, âRehabâ (2010), Lecrae talks about freedom from inhibiting addictions and habits. Both Lecrae and his album received accolades in the 2010 âRapzilla.com staff picksâ, being hailed as the âArtist of the Yearâ and the âAlbum of the Yearâ, respectively.
His fifth studio album, âRehab: The Overdoseâ (2011) was a direct follow-up to âRehabâ, both being highly conceptual works. While âRehabâ was about the victory over addiction, âRehab: The Overdoseâ focused on attaining "grace, love, peace and hope" in Jesus. He won his first two Doves because of this album, one for the âRap/Hip Hop Album of the Yearâ and the other for the âRap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Yearâ for the track, âHallelujahâ.
âGravityâ, released on September 4, 2012, was his sixth studio album and had 15 songs with a total runtime of 57 minutes. It peaked on the âRap Albumsâ, âChristian Albumsâ, âGospel Albumsâ, and âIndependent Albumsâ charts.
Lecrae released his first mixtape âChurch Clothesâ on May 10, 2012, through digital download for free. It was followed by âChurch Clothes 2â (November 7, 2013), and âChurch Clothes 3â (January 15, 2016). He has also released two Extended Plays till date, the EP version of âChurch Clothesâ, and âGravity: The Remix EPâ, both released in 2012.
He has collaborated with the likes of Trip Lee, Tedashii, Canon, Mali Music, and Ty Dolla Sign. âColumbia Recordsâ signed him in May 2016, in a contract between them and his label. His most recent work, a track named âHammer Timeâ, which is a collaborative effort with 1k Phew, was released on June 23, 2017.
On May 3, 2016, he published his memoir titled âUnashamedâ through âBroadman & Holman Publishersâ. It debuted at #19 spot on the âNew York Times Best Sellersâ list.
Philanthropic Works
In 2011, Lecrae, through â116 Cliqueâ and the âReachLife Ministriesâ, instigated the campaign âMan Upâ, focused on providing guidance to young urban males on fatherhood and Biblical manhood. In March 2015, ReachLife was deactivated and â116 Cliqueâ shifted its attention to contribute to âPeace Preparatory Academyâ, a Christian school in Atlanta.
In May 2013, he worked alongside several other celebrities on a media initiative named âThis is Fatherhoodâ. Jay Z, Barack Obama, Joshua DuBois, Lecrae himself, and others have appeared in the initiativeâs promotional public service announcement videos.
Major Works
In a career marked by successful artistic ventures and awards, Lecraeâs greatest musical achievement is unarguably his seventh and the latest studio album âAnomalyâ, released on September 9, 2014. It was the first album in history to debut at #1 on both âBillboard 200â and âTop Gospel Albumsâ charts. It was also certified Gold by the RIAA.
Awards & Achievements
Lecrae Moore received a Grammy in 2013 for the âBest Gospel Albumâ for his sixth studio album âGravityâ. He won his second Grammy in 2015 for the âBest Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Songâ for the track âMessengersâ which also featured the Christian pop band âFor King & Countryâ.
He was named the best gospel artist at the â2015 BET Awardsâ. In 2017, he was the recipient of the âBET Best Gospel/ Inspirational Awardâ for the song âCanât Stop Me Now (Destination)â.
On March 14, 2016, he was conferred with an honorary doctorate from âCanada Christian Collegeâ.
Personal Life & Legacy
Lecrae Moore met his wife Darragh at a Bible study when they were both teenagers. They have three children together, two sons and a daughter. The family resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2002, he was informed by his then girlfriend that she was pregnant with his child. The couple had an abortion, a decision which he has regretted since. The incident was the subject of the song âGood, Bad, Uglyâ from âAnomalyâ.
Trivia
Lecrae portrayed the character Dr. Darnall Malmquist in the 2014 independent film âBelieve Meâ.
valentineâs day for single christians
There is a strangeness to Saint Valentineâs Day. G.K. Chesterton saw the oddness of it with his remark that âthere seems to be a comic incongruity in such lively and frivolous flirtations still depending on the title of an ascetic and celibate bishop.â Valentineâs Day remains a massively popular holiday in America, despite the fact that many people donât simply consider the day strange, but dread it all together. For some, the day is too commercialized â a waste of money, they say. All those cards and flowers and chocolates for a holiday weâve made up needlessly. But many who cringe at Valentineâs Day are simply lonely â they hate being sad, and being reminded of what they donât have. But as a single Christian who longs to be married, I propose another reason to step back from this annual day of love: it stirs up longings in us that canât be filled â yet. Valentineâs Day is not an easy or light thing to face as a single person. The chick flicks, charming cards, and chocolate hearts can easily make us feel sad and tired â and tired of feeling sad. But for Christians, this is no excuse to wallow in our loneliness or discontentment. This year, I will not celebrate Valentineâs Day, but it is not simply because Iâm frustrated or lonely. Itâs because I would rather enjoy Godâs gifts of contentment, fulfillment, and hope â gifts that Christ died to purchase for us, whether weâre single or married. Real Contentment When youâre on a diet, does it help you to look at pictures of food, or does it make you even more weak, hungry, and miserable â and more likely to cave to your cravings? For me, itâs the latter. Looking at what we long for but cannot have stirs up feelings in us we cannot satisfy. It causes us to feel drained, despondent, and worse still, discontent. âSingle Christians, Christ died to give you contentment, fulfillment, and hope â even on Valentineâs Day.â Longing for companionship, romance, marriage, and sex is not wrong. God himself created these gifts so we would enjoy them (Genesis 2:18; Proverbs 5:18; Song of Solomon; 1 Corinthians 7:5; 1 Timothy 4:4; 6:17). Desiring these good things â and feeling loneliness and sadness without them â is natural. It is not necessarily sinful. It is being human the way God created us to be. But for those of us not-yet-married, these yearnings remain unfulfilled. As a result, we sometimes turn to other things â romantic comedies, chocolates, relationships we know wonât lead to marriage â trying to satisfy the voids in our hearts. However, when we are in a state of weakness, verging on the precipice of discontentment or even dissatisfaction with God, these activities can quickly become dangers. Through fruitless relationships we can exploit other people to get the emotional security we crave without seeking to love and honor them above ourselves (Romans 12:9â10). For many single people, the cheap pleasures of pornography or other sexual experiences become most alluring when we feel discontent. But even good things like movies or chocolate can become dangers when we use them to quench our loneliness. They make us laugh, have a good time, and forget our sorrows â but when these fleeting pleasures fade, we only feel more aware of our alone-ness. For Christians, this should not be the case. We can combat this disappointment and loneliness by turning to the only one who can fulfill us: Jesus Christ. He is the only source of happiness which will never disappoint us and never leave us feeling discontent (Jeremiah 2:13). If anyone thirsts, let him come to Christ and drink (John 7:37) â he will not leave you discontented. Real Fulfillment God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.  Only Christ can fill the emptiest hearts, the loneliest moments, and the saddest days. He understands them all (Hebrews 4:15â16). He loves each of his children (Jeremiah 31:3). He promises  to fulfill all of our needs (Philippians 4:19). âSingleness cannot keep you from the abundance of life and fullness of joy that God promises you.â We may feel like we need  a boyfriend or girlfriend. We may feel like we need  the special intimacy and companionship only a spouse can provide. We may feel like we need  sex. Again, these are legitimate longings. But even if God does not satisfy these specific desires right now, he does promise his comfort and support during the pain of waiting (2 Corinthians 1:3â4). Leaning on his strength, we can carry on (Philippians 4:13). And we can do more than that â we can live full, satisfied, truly joyful lives (Psalms 16:11). Instead of using the season of singleness as a time to mope and bemoan our loneliness, we can use it to chase after our Creator, pursuing a deeper, more satisfying, more glorifying relationship with him every day. It is true that God created marriage and sex for us to enjoy, but he did not create us  for enjoying marriage and sex, ultimately. He created us to enjoy him , in whatever circumstances (Philippians 4:11) â singleness cannot get in the way of Godâs promise of full joy in him (Psalm 16:11). Instead of marking our calendars for an annual day of mourning while the world revels in mutual love, we can mark our calendars to celebrate the special relationship we have with our Father in heaven, who lovingly looks on us and showers us with his glorious blessings and assures us that we are never alone. Real Hope No matter how lonely we feel right now (and sometimes thatâs pretty lonely), we are assured that it wonât be like this forever. Our lives here are merely a vapor, a breath (James 4:14; Psalm 39:5). Think of this: even if we remain single for the rest of our lives here on earth, it is only a fraction of time compared to the eternity we will spend rejoicing in the presence of Christ, who we will know more fully through our pain and loneliness than we ever would have otherwise. âGod did not create us ultimately to enjoy marriage or sex. He created us to enjoy him.â I do not relish the idea of living out my days alone in this world. Nevertheless, I am comforted, encouraged, and hopeful in remembering Godâs eternal perspective: my days here are limited (Psalm 39:4), and sooner than I realize, I will be in his comforting, fulfilling presence, enjoying perfect harmony and companionship with him and all the saints for all eternity. This light momentary affliction â whether a lonely Valentineâs Day or a lifetime of singleness â is preparing an eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17). This gives me hope. Real Love Dear single friends, letâs not dread February 14, but look forward to it as a special day God has given us to glorify him. Letâs see our loneliness as a reminder to search for satisfaction in Christ. Letâs use our sadness to dwell on his sacrifice, purchase, and love for us. Letâs seize the day to pursue him. Iâll be worshiping him, and enjoying him, right alongside you.