Christian hip-hop recording artist and Atlanta resident Lecrae has partnered with Morris Brown College music students in a hip-hop writing competition for inmates.

In a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the event drew almost 500 inmates across the country.

Once the music students of Morris College Brown have narrowed the entries down to 25, the two-time Grammy Award winner Lecrae will make the final decision, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Tuesday, Sept. 21.

The report said that Lecrae will also record the piece at the facility where the winner is housed and release the music both inside and outside the prison system.

According to contest organizers, as stated in the same source, inmates who have access to Aventiv Technologies' music services and tablets would have access to them for free.

The report added that the winning song would be available on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms.

The contest guidelines stated that the lyrics must be positive and free of references to violence, guns, alcohol, drugs, or unlawful activities. There will be no profanity allowed, the report said.

From Aug. 16 to Sept. 15, the contest entries were accepted. On Monday, the Morris Brown campus will begin judging the entries.

The report, citing the event organizers, said the winner will be revealed on Oct. 19, and the tune will be released next month.

The contest conditions also stated that the winner could choose whether or not Lecrae will appear on the music track.

The person whose entry will be chosen does not receive any compensation, the report said.

However, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution report stated that JPay will present a $10,000 cheque to Morris Brown to help fund the music lab, and earnings from the recording will be donated to a charity that aids the prison community in the winner's state.

Participating Inmates

Meanwhile, the Georgia prisons are not participating in the competition, despite the fact that it's based in Atlanta, according to the same report from Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Inmates were allowed to participate in the following states' Departments of Corrections: California (California Institute for Women, California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility at Corcoran, Central California Women's Facility, High Desert State Prison and Kern Valley State Prison); Idaho; Minnesota; New Jersey; New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision; North Dakota and the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehab Center; and Washington, the report stated.

Lecrae's Financial Literacy Web Series

According to a report from the Source after numerous film offerings, the Christian hip-hop artist took the initiative to launch his own media production firm.

The report said that Lecrae hosts a new 6-episode web series called "Protect The Bag" as part of one of Experian's first partnerships.

The two-time Grammy Award winner also talks about his experience in training his artists, it added.

A report on The Source said each episode would focus on a different aspect of creating a financial legacy, such as budgeting, identity protection, investing, and more.

According to the Source, Lecrae's is set to combine the "Dave Chapelle and The Tonight Show" with sympathetic sketches for the audience to communicate the content.

The video for "Protect The Bag" will be released later this fall on Lecrae's YouTube page, it added.

 

 

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