Rehab: The Overdose
Encyclopedia
Rehab: The Overdose is the fifth studio album by Christian hip hop
Christian hip hop
Christian hip hop is hip hop music characterized by a Christian worldview, with the general purposes of evangelization , edifying members of the church and/or simply entertaining.-History:Since hip-hop started in the 1970s, various hip-hop artists have...

 artist Lecrae
Lecrae
Lecrae Moore is an American Christian Hip Hop artist signed to Reach Records, the record label that he co-founded. Thus far Lecrae has released five solo studio albums, and his latest Rehab: The Overdose was released on January 11, 2011...

. It was released on January 11, 2011 on Reach Records. The album is intended to be a direct follow up to Rehab
Rehab (Lecrae album)
Rehab is the fourth studio album by Christian hip hop artist Lecrae. It was released on September 28, 2010 on Reach Records. According to the Reach Records website, the album's "motto" is "The Christian life is an entrance into rehab." Centered on release and freedoms from inhibiting addictions and...

 (released only five months after Rehab), as Rehab is conceptually about the defeat of addiction while Rehab: The Overdose is about finding "grace, love, peace and hope" in Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...

 (and thus "overdosing"). Some fans even consider it to be a part of Rehab.

Background

A follow-up to Rehab
Rehab (Lecrae album)
Rehab is the fourth studio album by Christian hip hop artist Lecrae. It was released on September 28, 2010 on Reach Records. According to the Reach Records website, the album's "motto" is "The Christian life is an entrance into rehab." Centered on release and freedoms from inhibiting addictions and...

 was hinted on September 22, 2010 on Rapzilla
Rapzilla
Rapzilla is a Christian hip hop online magazine, one of the top Christian Hip Hop websites. The website contains many sections such as latest news, album reviews, articles, interviews, mp3's, videos, release dates, columns, and more...

 that the Rehab packaging would come with an ad for a follow-up album to be released on January 11, 2011, to be called "Rehab: The Overdose". The album was packaged with such an ad.

Release and promotion

On Rapzilla
Rapzilla
Rapzilla is a Christian hip hop online magazine, one of the top Christian Hip Hop websites. The website contains many sections such as latest news, album reviews, articles, interviews, mp3's, videos, release dates, columns, and more...

 the album cover and the tracklisting were released. Both are confirmed on the official site for Reach Records. On December 17, 2010, a promotional video was released for Rehab: The Overdose.

The first single off Rehab: The Overdose, titled "Overdose", was released to iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....

 on December 21, 2010.

A preview listening session for the album was released on Rapzilla
Rapzilla
Rapzilla is a Christian hip hop online magazine, one of the top Christian Hip Hop websites. The website contains many sections such as latest news, album reviews, articles, interviews, mp3's, videos, release dates, columns, and more...

 one day prior to the album's commercial release.

Commercial

According to Rapzilla
Rapzilla
Rapzilla is a Christian hip hop online magazine, one of the top Christian Hip Hop websites. The website contains many sections such as latest news, album reviews, articles, interviews, mp3's, videos, release dates, columns, and more...

, the album was the highest charting Christian hip hop
Christian hip hop
Christian hip hop is hip hop music characterized by a Christian worldview, with the general purposes of evangelization , edifying members of the church and/or simply entertaining.-History:Since hip-hop started in the 1970s, various hip-hop artists have...

 album ever on the iTunes Music Store charts; it peaked at #1 on the hip hop chart, and #2 on the overall music chart. The album reached #3 of the Top Hip-Hop & Rap CDs; according to Jet Playlist. The album debuted at #15 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

 with first week sales of the album totaled at 21,204 units.

Critical

Allmusic rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, calling the release a "high-quality set of tracks, just ones that didn’t make it on his 2010 album Rehab
Rehab (Lecrae album)
Rehab is the fourth studio album by Christian hip hop artist Lecrae. It was released on September 28, 2010 on Reach Records. According to the Reach Records website, the album's "motto" is "The Christian life is an entrance into rehab." Centered on release and freedoms from inhibiting addictions and...

." The reviewer tells listeners to "expect the same intense worship and wordplay, but this time with fewer guests, a little less polish, and rough transitions from track to track," but recommends the album "for anyone who devoured the Grammy-nominated Rehab."

DaSouth rated Rehab: The Overdose four out of five stars, generally praising the album. Though "some tracks feel like they could be leftovers from that album (“Anger Management”, “Strung Out”) ... they still find a way to fit into the OD [Overdose] theme," according to DaSouth. They said the album was "very much Biblical," "featuring a few gritty songs plus a handful of laid back ones," and it "starts the year 2011 off well."

Jesus Freak Hideout
Jesus Freak Hideout
Jesus Freak Hideout is a Christian music website. The website specializes in reviewing, previewing, and selling Christian albums. The website is known for its album reviews, independent music, artist interviews, concert dates and ministry through devotionals and prayer...

 also rated the album four out of five stars, calling it "another solid Lecrae release" yet classifying it as "the most mainstream sound Lecrae has attempted" which "can also be said somewhat about his lyrics." The website does note that "the lyrics are still in-your-face-Gospel and they are in no way watered-down." It commends in particular the tracks "Battle Song", "Anger Management", and "Like That"; the latter it claims "is quite possibly the most radio friendly song Lecrae has ever done." In conclusion, Jesus Freak Hideout calls the album "more than deserving of your attention."

Christian hip hop website Rapzilla
Rapzilla
Rapzilla is a Christian hip hop online magazine, one of the top Christian Hip Hop websites. The website contains many sections such as latest news, album reviews, articles, interviews, mp3's, videos, release dates, columns, and more...

 again rated Rehab: The Overdose four out of five stars, yet it seemingly praises all aspects of the album. Lecrae's 2011 solo album "invite[s] listeners into another round of musical therapy," referencing the conceptual metaphor of the Christian life being a rehabilitation process that "begins detoxing [Christians] from the things of this world." A trending suggestion throughout the review is that Lecrae sticks closer to his concept in Rehab: The Overdose compared to its prequel Rehab
Rehab (Lecrae album)
Rehab is the fourth studio album by Christian hip hop artist Lecrae. It was released on September 28, 2010 on Reach Records. According to the Reach Records website, the album's "motto" is "The Christian life is an entrance into rehab." Centered on release and freedoms from inhibiting addictions and...

 as the reviewer believes that "listeners who complained about the lack of theme-driven songs or the musically-schizophrenic nature of 'Rehab' will be overjoyed by the sonic and thematic cohesiveness of 'Rehab: The Overdose'," and claims that "the first thing the listener will notice is that this album is thematically much more cohesive than its predecessor [Rehab]." The review also notes Lecrae's development as a lyricist, specifically commending the songs "Overdose" ("which finds Lecrae lyrically-fit"), "Battle Song" ("a stellar track ... where Lecrae spits ferociously"), "Chase That", and "Walking On Water" (which "features an especially ridiculous flow and rhyme scheme from Crae"). In conclusion, Rapzilla calls the full album "much more than mere leftovers from 'Rehab;' it is a fresh helping of Gospel-centered goodness that will keep listeners’ palates satisfied for a long time to come."

Tracklisting

References:

Charts

Chart Position
U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

15
U.S. Billboard Christian Albums 1
U.S. Billboard Gospel Albums 1
U.S. Billboard Independent Albums
Independent Albums
The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...

5
U.S. Billboard Rap Albums
Top Rap Albums
Top Rap Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks Rap and hip-hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart began publication for the week of November 13, 2004....

4
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