Lecrae (Feat. Anthony Evans) – Boasting

If you read my review of Lecrae’s Dirty Water, you will have found out that I’m not a big fan of rap music.  Yet, here I am, reviewing another rap song upon user request.  You do know that I listen to every song I review, yes?  So, why is it that I am reviewing Boasting?  How did I find myself in this predicament?  I suppose I am a glutton for punishment.  Or, perhaps, I am broadening my horizons.  Perhaps someone like me who loathes rap is in a better position to more objectively review its music?

In any case, please don’t let my long, torturous 600 seconds of cringing-listening (and re-listening) to Boasting go in vain.  The least you can do is read what I have written!

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Lecrae-boasting-lyrics.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

If there is one thing I appreciate about Lecrae’s music, it is that his lyrics are theologically deep.  He explains the doctrines of salvation and sanctification using everyday language everyone can understand.  Seriously, the CCM crowd can learn a lot from him.

Another major theme is this constant war between serving ourselves and serving God.  One leads to destruction and the other to repair.  One is life-giving, the other steals.  One will separate us from God, the other will draw us to Him.  Lecrae’s well-crafted content posts it front and center, boasting not of himself, but in the Lord.  Not in self-righteousness, but in weakness.  Lecrae also touches on other truths described in Scripture, including God’s grace, that tomorrow is never promised, and the vanity of life apart from God.

I noticed a lack of chorus throughout these lyrics.  I suppose that the hook took its place?  After all, it shows up four times within this song.  Not that I’m complaining.  It’s just an observation.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

All of it lines up with the BIble.

[Hook]

Lines 1-3: Verse 2 explicitly points to the pronouns “you” as God.  Evans references Philippians 3:2-10, a contrast between his fleshy, religious, self-righteous life with one that Christ justifies; a righteous that is not our own, but granted to us.  Paul Himself expands this concept to all fleshy desires, a context fitting for these opening lines.

Lines 4-6: Recognizing that Evans no longer lives, but Christ in him (Galatians 2:20), rather than fail, returning to his old, wicked ways, boasting in himself in all its self-righteousness, his desire is to boast in the Lord (see Psalm 34:2, Jeremiah 9:23-24, and 1 Corinthians 1:31).

[Verse 1]

Lines 1-4: Lecrae understands that the earthly gifts he received are underserved, known simply as grace.  In one particular instance, Jesus responds to the concept of loving your neighbor and hating your enemy, reminding His audience, according to Matthew 5:45, that the rain falls on good and evil people: a demonstration of God’s grace.

Lines 5 and 6: Recognizing that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), Lecrae understands that God’s judgment is what he deserves for his lawbreaking (see John 3:17-20, John 9:39, Acts 10:42, Acts 17:30-31, Romans 2:5-6, Romans 2:16, Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Hebrews 9:27, and Revelation 20:11-15).

Lines 7 and 8: Jesus’ death and eventual resurrection is the key to defeat our worst enemy: death.  He defeated the grave, which gives up hope for a future with Him (see Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 1:29, John 3:16, Acts 4:12, Acts 20:28, Romans 5:6-10, Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 1:3-4, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:12, Hebrews 9:15, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 9:26, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:1-2, and Revelation 5:9).

Lines 9 and 10:  Much like the Apostle Paul, Lecrae has learned the secret of contentment, as described in Philippians 4:11-12.

Lines 11 and 12: See commentary on Verse 1, lines 4-6.

Lines 13-15: Ties in with “counting as loss” in Hook, lines 1-2, drawing the same conclusion that Solomon did in the book of Ecclesiastes about the vanity of life apart from God.  Line 15, in particular, alludes to John 15:5 implicating the worthlessness of life without Christ as our source.

Line 16: References 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and 2 Timothy 4:7, which itself references either the Olympics or something like it, how people train for months compete for a perishable prize that is uncertain; However, for us, our prize will be imperishable and certain.  It is a life spent with God, hearing the coveted phrase from God “Well done, good and faithful servant” as described in Matthew 25:23.

[Verse 2]

LInes 1-3: Continuing with the same themes of vanity and boasting, Lecrae moves into James 4:13-14, which brings the idea of not knowing our future and living as though we will be around tomorrow.

Line 4: This is a fascinating idea, that the pursuit of human rights will cost us our eternal life with God.  This is so because we do so apart from God’s desire, will, and purpose.  Our “fight for our rights” are often driven by selfish pursuits and motives that causes God’s refusal to entertain our prayers (James 4:1-3).

Lines 5-8: See commentary in Verse 1, lines 5-6.  LIne 8, in particular, is a well-worded juxtaposition with Jesus’ call in John 7:37 with our eventual demise, withering and dying, eternally separated from God.

Line 9: God is worthy of our praise and affection, and not just because of His sacrificial love for us (Nehemiah 9:17, Psalm 17:7, Psalm 36:5-7, Psalm 63:3, Psalm 69:16, Psalm 117:2, Isaiah 54:8, John 3:16, John 13:34, John 15:13, Romans 5:6-8, Romans 8:37-39, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 2:4-5, Ephesians 5:25, Titus 3:4, 1 John 4:8, and 1 John 4:16-19), but also, because of who He is, including, but not limited to:

1. Good (Psalm 27:13, Psalm 31:19, Psalm 34:8, Psalm 107:1, Psalm 119:68, Psalm 145:9, Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19, Romans 2:4, and James 1:17);
2. Holy (Leviticus 11:44-45, Leviticus 19:2, Leviticus 20:7, and 1 Peter 1:15-16);
3. Righteous (Exodus 9:27, Deuteronomy 32:4, Judges 5:11, 1 Samuel 12:7, 2 Samuel 23:3-4, Ezra 9:15, Nehemiah 9:8, Job 37:23, Psalm 7:11, Psalm 9:8, Psalm 11:7, Psalm 36:6, Psalm 35:24, Psalm 40:10, Psalm 48:10, Psalm 50:6, Psalm 65:5, Psalm 89:14, Psalm 96:13, Psalm 97:2, Psalm 97:6, Psalm 99:4, Psalm 103:6, Psalm 119:137, Psalm 71:19, Psalm 111:2-3, Psalm 119:7, Psalm 119:142, Psalm 129:4, Psalm 145:17, Isaiah 5:16, Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 45:21, Isaiah 46:13, Isaiah 51:8, Jeremiah 9:24, Jeremiah 11:20, Jeremiah 12:1, Lamentations 1:18, Daniel 9:14-16, Micah 6:5, Zephaniah 3:5, Zechariah 8:8, John 17:25, 2 Timothy 4:8, and Revelation 15:3); and
4. Just (Deuteronomy 10:18, Deuteronomy 32:4, Job 34:12, Psalm 9:7-8, Psalm 89:14, Psalm 97:2, Psalm 99:4, Psalm 140:12, Psalm 146:7, Isaiah 30:18, Isaiah 61:8, Romans 3:26, Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 3:25, and 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

Lines 10-12: God works on our wicked heart (Jeremiah 17:9) and helps us to surrender to His will (see Isaiah 64:8, Matthew 10:38, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34-38, Mark 10:28, Luke 9:23, Luke 14:27, John 15:1-11, Romans 6:13, Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 2:5-8, Hebrews 11:6, James 4:7-10, and 1 Peter 5:6).

Line 11 in particular really stood out to me given its theological implications.  Sanctify comes from the Latin word “sanctus” which means “holy”.  Holy itself means “set apart”.  When Lecrae speaks of God’s surgical procedure, he refers to a process by which we become more holy, or more set apart from worldly living.

Line 12: The promised “helper” (or Holy Spirit, as we know Him today), according to the words of Jesus in John 16:5-11, will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

Lines 13-16: A prayer offered up to God to remove the dark veil (2 Corinthians 3:14-16), see Jesus (with a clever play on words), to boast in weakness (2 Corinthians 11:30 and 2 Corinthians 12:9), and to surrender one’s own life to eternal praise (Nehemiah 9:5, Psalm 30:12, Psalm 52:9, Psalm 86:12, Psalm 89:1, Psalm 115:18, Psalm 145:1-2, Psalm 145:21, and Revelation 5:9-13).

[Bridge]

Lines 1 and 2: See commentary on Verse 2 line 9.

Lines 3-6: See commentary on lines 13-16.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

With so much theological depth, I wonder how much of it will sail over the heads of unbelievers?  Surprisingly, not a whole lot.  Remember how I said in section 1 that Lecrae uses everyday language to communicate his points?  Well, this is especially helpful for those not following Jesus as it uses frames of references familiar to them, just like Paul did in Athens.  According to Acts 17:16-34, the Apostle Paul talked with the Greeks referencing their “unknown god” to communicate Jesus and the Gospel message.  Lecrae does the same, using pop culture as his springboard to speak biblical truth.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

If it’s not clear enough that Lecrae glorifies God throughout these lyrics, you clearly weren’t paying attention.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

Lecrae’s Boasting is yet another winner from this popular rapper, oozing with Biblical references, it seeps off the pages and (hopefully) into our hearts, bringing God praise and glory.  It is so theologically rich that it could seriously compete with some of our greatest hymns.  Yet, his linguistic craftsmanship is easy to understand, complete with several plays on words and mixing metaphors.  Even those who do not worship God can easily understand it.  Despite my distaste for rap music, I simply cannot praise this song enough from a lyrical standpoint.

Final Score: 10/10

Artist Info

Track: Boasting (feat. Anthony Evens) (listen to the song)

Artist: Lecrae (Feat. Anthony Evans)

Album: Rehab

Genre: Hip Hop/Rap

Release Year: 2010

Duration: 3:46

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