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To borrow some popular lingo, Christian rapper Lecrae is blowing up.

His latest album, Anomaly, topped iTunes on the day it was released and took the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top 200—a first for a Gospel act. lecrae-anomaly-album-cover

On Thursday, Lecrae will become the first from the resurgent ranks of Reformed rappers to appear on a late-night network show when he sits in with The Roots, the house band for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He is expected to perform his single, “All I Need is You.”

Listeners began a Twitter campaign to get #lecraeonfallon months ago, and once the appearance was announced on Monday, Lecrae’s label, Reach Records, attributed the decision to his fans.

“Remember when y’all had #lecraeonfallon trending?,” the Atlanta-based rapper asked. “Well guess who is a guest on the show this week?! Tune-in to @FallonTonight on 9/18.”

Lecrae’s Tonight Show gig follows recent features on MTV.com, the Billboard site, and the front page of the Washington Times. CT interviewed Lecrae in 2011 on how he went from addiction to self to Jesus becoming his “drug of choice.”

As Christian hip-hop grows in popularity and theological depth (and also develops a critical edge), Lecrae is celebrated an artist who can entertain both Christian and mainstream audiences; last year, he toured with a hip-hop festival featuring secular artists such as Wu-Tang Clan, Kendrick Lamar, and Common.

Previous Christian acts who have made late-night appearances (under Fallon’s predecessor, Jay Leno) include Third Day, Switchfoot, and For King & Country.

A 2013 CT cover story examined the leaders of Christian hip-hop and how the movement could call the American church back to the gospel—and hip-hop back to its roots. CT also spotlighted the centrality of Reformed theology to Christian hip-hop.

Read full story here…