Christian Rap Albums Turning 15 Years Old in 2026
In 2011, the Curiosity rover launched, Osama bin Laden was killed, and Minecraft was released. It was also the height of the “blog era” of hip-hop, the zenith of what some call the Christian rap revival, and a year full of great music. Let’s dive into fifteen Christian rap albums that turn fifteen years old this year.
Lecrae – Rehab: The Overdose
Rehab: The Overdose is probably the most overlooked album in Lecrae’s discography. Fresh off the success of his historic 2010 album Rehab, Lecrae released Overdose in 2011. The album is a thematic sequel and a sonic cousin, yet it was met with mixed reviews. Nonetheless, Overdose charted number 1 on the Christian Billboard chart in its first week and peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200.
Andy Mineo – Formerly Known
After Lecrae’s song featuring him blew up, Andy Mineo changed his name from “C-Lite,” signed with Reach Records, and dropped a mixtape. The name of the project–Formerly Known–is, of course, a cheeky reference to his recent rebranding. Though it is a fantastic project and was well-received by critics, Formerly Known was solidly overshadowed by Mineo’s renowned freshman attempt, Heroes for Sale, a few years later.
Bizzle – Tough Love & Parables
For Bizzle and God Over Money, Tough Love & Parables is arguably the start of it all. After gaining notoriety with “You Got Some Explaining to Do,” a song criticizing Jay-Z, Bizzle released Tough Love & Parables in 2011. It was the rapper’s first official album, and the first album released through the fledgling God Over Money record label. A strong start, it featured many artists who would be frequent future collaborators and debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart.
Dillon Chase – Weak
A really strong third studio album from the 116-adjacent artist who’s still at it today. Though 2014’s BDFFRNT is probably the album that really put Dillon Chase on the map, it’s not because his earlier albums are lacking. If you’re a fan of Dillon Chase and/or 116 Clique, Weak is worth coming back to.
KB – Who Is KB?
Similar to Andy Mineo’s entry above, Who Is KB? was KB’s first release with Reach Records, was a free mixtape, and has a title that references the purpose of the project. (Unlike Formerly Known, Who Is KB? never made it onto streaming, so check it out here.) It’s a true mixtape from the blog era, featuring a remix verse of Lecrae’s “Don’t Waste Your Life,” an alternate version of the DJ Official song “Go” featuring H.G.A. and Tedashii, and a cheeky parody of Lecrae’s song “Background” called “I Can’t Play the Background.” Who Is KB? was quite the introduction to the artist who would become a major player in Christian rap.
Thi’sl – Beautiful Monster
Released smack-dab in the middle of a historic run, Thi’sl’s Beautiful Monster includes some of his best work. If you’ve never heard a full album by the influential St. Louis artist, this might be the best one to start with. Tune in if you want hard-hitting Christian trap anthems, heartfelt storytelling from Thi’sl’s checkered past, or both at once.
Tedashii – Blacklight
The third album by Reach Records and 116 OG Tedashii includes possibly his most successful song: “Dum Dum.” If you haven’t heard it, get familiar. If you have, the rest of Blacklight is also worth revisiting. Blacklight was met with enthusiasm and hit number 1 on the Billboard Christian Albums chart.
Wit & Dre Murray – Hell’s Paradise II: The Mask Parade
In 2010, producer Wit and emcee Dre Murray teamed up to create Hell’s Paradise. In 2011, the duo linked up to do it again, releasing the sequel Hell’s Paradise II: The Mask Parade. Each project was met with an enthusiastic response and is still considered one of the best Christian rap mixtapes of the blog era. (In recent years, Dre Murray has teased the existence of a Hell’s Paradise III – follow him via his website for more.) This is another one you won’t find on streaming, so check it out here!
Ambassador – Stop The Funeral
This list includes a lot of “firsts,” but here we find a “last…” kinda. One of the driving forces behind the legendary Cross Movement collective, The Ambassador had a strong run of solo albums throughout the aughts. Stop the Funeral is the last album he released before a long hiatus, eventually returning for 2022’s The Invitation. Stop the Funeral features Ambassador’s signature brash, theologically-heavy style over production that fuses 2010s pop-trap with Philly boom-bap.
Propaganda & Odd Thomas – Art Ambidextrous
In the early days of the Humble Beast record label, the fledgling imprint made quite the splash with the quality of their releases and their “freely given” business model. All of the label’s albums were available for free download. Art Ambidextrous is one of those early releases. The album features Propaganda on the mic and Odd Thomas of Beautiful Eulogy in the producer role. Even though Propaganda’s Excellent is the album that really took off, I’ve always felt that Art Ambidextrous is a just-as-good Propaganda release from that era (though a little more “boom-bap” and a little less “coffee shop” than the later album).
Braille – Native Lungs
Another early release from the mighty Humble Beast. Braille is a legend in the underground hip-hop space, having made a splash with crews like Lightheaded, Hip-Hop is Music, Beautiful Eulogy, and Humble Beast, plus releasing a slew of solo albums. Native Lungs is the last solo album he released before a decade-plus hiatus, and it’s one you still hear hip-hop heads point to on the regular.
S.O. – So It Begins
The aptly-named debut studio album from Lamp Mode Recordings’ S.O. is a strong start. With a unique flow and voice, S.O. was instantly distinct in the 2011 Christian rap landscape. So It Begins was the start of a trilogy, which continued with So It Continues, and So It Ends in 2012 and 2015, respectively.
Derek Minor (fka PRo) – Dying To Live
Dying To Live was Derek Minor’s first release with Reach Records, back when he was still going by PRo. Though not his first release by any means, for many, this was their first contact with the artist who now looms large in our space.
Illect Recordings – Mind The Rap volume 1
We love a good “Various Artists” release. In 2011, Illect Recordings released the first in their series of sampler compilation albums. This one features many emcees you might know from Deepspace5, Scribbling Idiots, and more. You can download this album–and every Illect album, in fact–for “name your price” on the label’s Bandcamp page. So far, the label has given us five entries in the Mind the Rap series, each full of worthwhile listens.
116 Clique – Man Up
In 2011, Reach Records engineered the 116 “Man Up” tour, which culminated in an album release and accompanying DVD. We haven’t had a lot of full-length 116 releases, so Man Up is notable for simply existing. It’s also the album where 116 sounds the most like a real crew or artist in their own right, rather than a compilation of separately-created songs with a common theme. It’s an album that still holds up and resonates today.
What is your favorite of the Christian Rap albums turning 15? Let us know below or on our socials!
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