ÍøÆغÚÁÏ

Australian rapper Masked Wolf has a lyrical style that pairs astute, often personal material with clean production values. He slowly built a listenership with a series of stand-alone tracks, hitting streaming numbers in the multimillions with his single "Astronaut in the Ocean." The track appeared on his 2021 mixtape Astronomical and was followed in 2024 by the first full-length studio album from Masked Wolf, The Devil Wears Prada But God Wears Gucci.

Masked Wolf was born Harry Michael and grew up in Sydney. By age 13, he was writing his own rap songs, inspired by favorites like Eminem and Kevin Gates. As he grew up, he discovered other rap influences, and worked some of Drake's cool-headed poise and the sinister atmospheres of American trap production into his songs. Early singles like 2018's "Speed Racer" and 2019's "Vibin" gave way to tracks that addressed topics such as mental health and peer pressure on songs like "Numb." Masked Wolf's fame grew exponentially with the release of "Astronaut in the Ocean" in January 2021. The song quickly accrued more than 75 million streams in under a month. It eventually peaked at number four in Australia and reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100, setting the scene for his music to reach a new level. The song landed on his mixtape Astronomical, which also included collaborations with X Ambassadors and Kevin Gates. Follow-up singles included "It's You, Not Me (Sabotage)" (with Bebe Rexha) and "Just Names (Remix)" (featuring Smokepurpp). "Fallout," a collaboration with Bring Me the Horizon, appeared in 2022.

Masked Wolf released multiple non-album songs throughout 2022 and 2023, and in 2024 he began sharing singles from his forthcoming studio debut, The Devil Wears Prada But God Wears Gucci. The album was released in November 2024 and included guest spots from Kota the Friend, Lecrae, and Lil Skies. At the time of the record's release, "Astronaut in the Ocean" had been streamed more than a billion times. ~ Fred Thomas

One of the leading figures in the gospel-rap movement, Lecrae delivers his Christ-centric rhymes with secular flair, employing contemporary production that attracts fans from both ends of the spiritual spectrum. Influenced by Romans 1:16 ("For I am not ashamed of the gospel"), Lecrae made his debut in 2004 with Real Talk, which he issued on his own label, Reach Records. He topped the Christian charts with 2008's Rebel and took home the Grammy for Best Gospel Album with 2012's Gravity. His journey to bring his message to the mainstream reached a peak in 2014 when Anomaly topped the Billboard 200, and continued into 2016 when he signed with Columbia Records. In addition to collaborations with secular artists E-40, Ty Dolla $ign, and Tori Kelly, Lecrae teamed up with trap producer Zaytoven in 2018 for a joint effort, the Christian chart-topper Let the Trap Say Amen. In 2020, he released his ninth set and seventh Christian chart number one, Restoration. No Church in a While, a full-length collaboration with 1K Phew, arrived in 2021, followed by the 2022 mixtape Church Clothes 4 and singles like 2023's "Walk" with Hulvey and "Your Power" with Tasha Cobbs Leonard.

Although he was born on Houston's south side, Lecrae Devaughn Moore grew up in Denver, Colorado and San Diego, California. It was at the age of 19 that he decided to give his life to Christ. Using conventional methods to spread the Gospel, he began working for ministerial services, and became president of ReachLife Ministries, conducting Bible studies and many other projects. Lecrae's popular success, however, came from his burgeoning Christian rap career. In 2004, he co-founded Reach Records with Ben Washer; one year later, the label released his debut album, Real Talk. Also, as a part of the 116 Clique, he put out 116 Clique: The Compilation Album.

In July 2006, Lecrae dropped his breakout album, the acclaimed After the Music Stops. It debuted at number one on the Christian Music Trade Association's R&B/Hip-Hop chart and peaked at number five on Billboard's Gospel Albums chart. His 2008 effort, Rebel, topped that same chart for two weeks while his 2010 release, Rehab, reigned at the top for one. Rehab was also nominated for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album at the 53rd Grammy Awards. A sequel album, Rehab: The Overdose, arrived in 2011, and won him his first two Dove Awards (for Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year and Rap/Hip-Hop Song of the Year for "Hallelujah").

Lecrae's sixth album, Gravity, appeared in September 2012. A star-studded release, it featured Big K.R.I.T., Mali Music, Trip Lee, and Andy Mineo. Gravity quickly became the biggest-selling Christian rap album in history, debuting at number three on the overall charts, topping digital charts, and, early the following year, winning him the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album (a prize no Christian rapper had ever won before). That same year, Lecrae issued the first installment of his Church Clothes mixtape series. Church Clothes 2 swiftly followed in 2013.

Lecrae's seventh album, 2014's Anomaly, managed to outdo its predecessor. It debuted at number one -- both on Billboard's gospel chart and the overall chart -- the first album to do so. It also received plenty of critical acclaim and won a Dove Award. Lecrae went on to appear on Lindsey Stirling's 2016 album Brave Enough and contributed to the soundtrack to The Shack ("River of Jordan" with Breyan Isaac). He also signed a deal with Columbia in order to expand the audience of his Reach Records label. The first single from Lecrae's Columbia debut, "Can't Stop Me Now (Destination)," arrived in October of that year. Several months later, in February 2017, a second single, the Ty Dolla $ign-assisted "Blessings," was released. Following a third single, "Hammer Time," Lecrae put out All Things Work Together on Columbia in September 2017. Early 2018 saw the release of the single "Get Right Back" ahead of the arrival of full-length Let the Trap Say Amen, a collaboration with producer/DJ Zaytoven that also spawned the hit single "Plugged In." The album debuted in the Top 50 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Christian charts for his sixth consecutive effort.

In 2020, Lecrae kicked off another album cycle with the release of the single "Set Me Free," which featured Florida rapper YK Osiris. That was just one of the tracks that appeared on his ninth full-length, Restoration, which also included album closer "Nothing Left to Hide." His seventh Christian chart number one was a mainstream-friendly set featuring guests John Legend, Kirk Franklin, BJ the Chicago Kid, and Marc E. Bassy. A year later, Lecrae teamed up with fellow Christian rapper 1K Phew for the full-length collaboration No Church in a While. With 2022's Church Clothes 4, he closed out his ongoing series of mixtapes. A non-album single and collaboration with Tasha Cobbs Leonard, "Your Power," arrived in 2023. ~ Cyril Cordor