Trip Lee

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Trip Lee
Background information
Birth name William Lee Barefield III
Born (1987-12-17) December 17, 1987
Origin Dallas, Texas
Genres Christian hip hop, Southern hip hop
Occupations Rapper, singer, activist, poet, author, pastor
Instruments Vocals
Years active 2005 - present
Labels Reach
Associated acts 116 Clique
Website bragonmylord.com

William Lee Barefield III (born December 17, 1987),[1][2] better known by his stage name Trip Lee, is an American Southern rapper, singer, poet, author, and pastor. Signed to Reach Records, he has recorded both as a solo artist and as a founding member of the 116 Clique. Originally from Dallas, Texas,[3] he now resides in Washington, D.C.. He first gained recognition after appearing on the Reach Records website at the age of 16. His third album, Between Two Worlds, was nominated for two Dove Awards and won the Stellar Award for Best Hip Hop Album in 2011.[4]

Biography

William Lee Barefield III was born and raised in Dallas, TX. As a young boy, Lee had dreams of being a professional athlete or a famous rapper, and he began to hone his lyrical skills at the age of 12. "I rapped about random stuff… how hot I was, how many girls I could pull," Lee says.[5] But upon giving his life to Christ, at age 14, his focus changed from fortune, fame, and women to serving and ministering the Gospel.

Lee slowly recognized that all of his life should be centered around Christ. "One day, I just decided, I'm only doing Christian hip hop. Rappers like Ambassador and Da' T.R.U.T.H. helped provide a model for how I would begin to do that," he says.[5] He also had an immense desire to learn and teach the Word of God, so he became a leader in his youth group where he preached his first sermon at age 17.[5]

In 2004, Lee met Lecrae at a concert; months later, after talking and building with each other, Lecrae began to disciple him. While still in high school, Lee was given the opportunity to pen a few devotionals for the Reach Records website that dealt with theological matters and showcased his spiritual maturity.[5]

Lee signed with Reach Records, and his debut album, If They Only Knew, was released a few days after his high school graduation.[5] His first full-length album introduced hip-hop fans to his distinct southern sound, unique delivery, and gospel-saturated lyrics. That same year, he was also featured on the Dove Award-nominated, Jesus Muzik with label mate Lecrae.

His second album, 20/20, was released in 2008 and garnered much success, breaking into the Billboard Top 200 and reaching No. 11 on the Billboard Christian albums chart and No. 4 on the Gospel chart. Back with his third studio album, Between Two Worlds, Lee offers a collection of reflections on life in a fallen world. His hope is that his reflections not only resonate with listeners, but also point to Jesus as the hero.

Since his first album release, Lee has traveled the world doing concerts for thousands of listeners, and his last three summers have been spent on national and international tours with his Reach label mates. His Christ-centered hip-hop message has also built a platform for him among churches and other Christian organizations, which has led to numerous opportunities to preach and teach at conferences and other events.

Lee attends Boyce College,[6] the undergraduate school of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Lee's unending desire is to proclaim the grace and beauty of Jesus Christ to anyone that will listen; ultimately, he hopes this journey will someday lead to pastoring a church.[7]

Lee released two new singles "Brag On My Lord" and "King Like Mine", the latter featuring Alex Medina, on March 29, 2011.[8]

Trip Lee released his fourth full length studio album, entitled The Good Life on April 9, 2012. The album featured various notable Christian artists, such as Sho Baraka (formerly signed with Reach Records), J.R., Lecrae, J.Paul, KB, Andy "C-Lite" Mineo, Jimmy Needham, V.Rose, Suzy Rock, Jai, and Leah Smith.[9] As a continuation to the album, Lee has worked with Moody Publishers and has authored a book titled The Good Life, to be released October 1, 2012.[10]

Lee married Jessica in 2009. On August 3, 2012 they welcomed their first child, a boy.

On October 9, 2012 Lee announced he would be "stepping away" from music altogether.[11] The Unashamed 2012 tour with the Reach Records roster was his final tour before pursuing a career as an author and pastor.[11][12][13] He later clarified that while he would continue to make music, he wouldn't be touring as much.[14] He is currently training to be a pastor at his local church, while still engaging in public ministry.[14]

Discography

Main articles: Trip Lee discography and 116 Clique#Discography
Studio albums

Award nominations

GMA Dove Awards
Year Award Result
2011 Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (Between Two Worlds) Nominated
Short Form Music Video of the Year ("Invasion (Hero)") Nominated
2013 Rap / Hip Hop Song of the Year ("I'm Good" featuring Lecrae) Nominated
Rap / Hip Hop Album of the Year (The Good Life) Nominated

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.worldmag.com/2013/04/braggin_on_their_king
  2. ↑ http://wadeoradio.com/top-10-trip-lee-songs-of-all-time/
  3. ↑ Busy R. "The Holy Hip Hop Database - He has changed my life in so many different ways - says 11 year old rising christian hip hop artist Grady E Music. Trip Lee". Hhhdb.com. Retrieved June 12, 2010. 
  4. ↑ "The Official 26th Annual Stellar Award Results (2011) - brought to you by". Gospelflava.com. January 15, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2012. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "Reach Records". Reach Records. Retrieved January 20, 2012. 
  6. ↑ Trip Lee. "Trip Lee". Boyce College. Retrieved April 22, 2012. 
  7. ↑ Trip Lee (January 3, 2011). "Entering a New Season". Reach Records. Retrieved May 9, 2012. 
  8. ↑ Hoiland, Tim. "Two New Singles Released". Reach Records. Retrieved May 9, 2013. 
  9. ↑ Bradley (April 9, 2012). "Trip Lee - The Good Life in Stores Now". Reach Records. Retrieved May 9, 2012. 
  10. ↑ Bradley (May 23, 2012). "Trip Lee's Debut Book Release The Good Life". Reach Records. Retrieved July 6, 2012. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Rood, Philip (October 9, 2012). "Trip Lee talks Unashamed Tour 2012, 'The Good Life' book, and what's next." (Web). Rapzilla. Retrieved November 21, 2012. 
  12. ↑ DJ Official (November 16, 2012). "Though I'm excited we have..." (Web). Twitter. Retrieved November 21, 2012. 
  13. ↑ "@nbferraro His last tour. He's..." (Web). Twitter. November 16, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2012. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 http://bragonmylord.com/post/42359363326/the-future-of-trip-lee

External links

Trip Lee
Studio albums
Related articles
Authority control
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