| Da' T.R.U.T.H. | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Emanuel Lee Lambert, Jr. |
| Also known as | Da' T.R.U.T.H. |
| Born | December 15, 1976 |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Christian Hip hop, Urban Contemporary Gospel |
| Years active | 2003-present |
| Labels | Cross Movement Records |
| Website | DaTruth.net |
Emanuel Lee Lambert, Jr. (born December 15, 1977, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a Christian rapper who goes by the name, "Da' T.R.U.T.H.".
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Da' T.R.U.T.H., who goes by "Manny" in his family, first got into music as a teenager, listening to contemporary Christian music and becoming a talented drummer. He said, "I had no interest in rap music. As a matter of fact, I was disenchanted with the whole idea of rap." However, Da' T.R.U.T.H. soon discovered his gift of free-styling, co-founded the group NIV, and gained his new nickname at the age of 19 to minister "da truth" to the urban culture. He is currently signed to Xist Music [1]
Da' T.R.U.T.H. is a graduate of Philadelphia Biblical University and the Institute of Jewish Studies.[2]
Da Truth's first recording was the EP, Who Is The Truth (2003). Even before the 2004 release of his first album, he enjoyed a record-breaking eighteen month stint at #1 on MP3.com’s Christian hip hop chart. That acclaim, coupled with his standout appearances on Out of Eden’s "Spirit Moves Remix" and The Cross Movement’s smash single, "The Light", paved the way for him to become the fastest-selling, solo Christian hip hop artist with the release of his debut, Moment of Truth. He quickly returned with a follow up called, The Faith in 2005.
Currently, he is featured on two top-10 singles of the Radio and Records (R&R) Christian Rhythmic Chart — label-mates The Ambassador's "Feels Good" (#2) and FLAME's "L.A.D.I.E.S." (#4). He is a featured artist in Holy Hip Hop: The Movie, the urban Christian film produced and edited by Christopher "Play" Martin released on Maverick Entertainment Group’s Spirit label in 2006.
The Faith won a 2007 Stellar Award in the "Rap/Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year" category. BET, "Lift Every Voice", INSP's "Steelroots", "Mixx Master's Lounge", Revelation TV's "The One to One Show", Word Network's "Bobby Jones Gospel", VIBE, New Man magazine, and Source Magazine have all featured Da' Truth and his music.[3] He is a close friend of Kirk Franklin and has been on tour with him.[4] He performs as a featured artist on Franklin's 2007 album The Fight of My Life, performing the song "I Like Me".
In 2007 Da T.R.U.T.H. recorded his third album called "Open Book" which features the song ("Who am I" performed with Tye Tribbett). This album earned him a second Stellar Award in the "Rap/Hip Hop Gospel CD of the year" category.
In 2009 Da T.R.U.T.H. released his fourth album called The Big Picture which features collaborations with Kirk Franklin, Trip Lee, and Tye Tribbett. This project hit No. 1 on the iTunes Christian & Gospel Chart on the day it came out, also reaching No. 1 on the CMTA R&B/Hip Hop Chart, No 2 on the Billboard Gospel chart, and No 4 on the Billboard Contemporary Christian chart during release week.[5]
In December 2009, Lambert posted an apology on his MySpace page as well as on his website, that states he will be taking a sabbatical from his music career because of a "moral indiscretion" in his personal life.
In January 2011 it was revealed that Da T.R.U.T.H. and fellow Gospel rapper The Ambassador, both signed record deals with Xist Music. Da T.R.U.T.H.'s first album with Xist Music is called "The Whole Truth" and was released on September 13, 2011.
| Year | Album | Chart positions[6][7] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. Christ | U.S. Gospel | U.S. Rap | U.S. Ind. | U.S. Heat | ||
| 2004 | Moment of Truth
|
— | — | — | — | — | 45 |
| 2005 | The Faith
|
— | 24 | 7 | — | — | 34 |
| 2007 | Open Book
|
— | 5 | 2 | — | 29 | — |
| 2009 | The Big Picture
|
110 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 2011 | The Whole Truth
|
109 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 25 | — |
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2007 | Da' T.R.U.T.H. & Friends LIVE!
|