What did Lecrae say about Sinners? Rapper clarifies remarks about the film spreading anti-Christian propaganda

Christian rapper Lecrae recently clarified his perspective on Ryan Coogler's latest film, Sinners, which he felt was "anti-Christian propaganda." In a conversation with The Shade Room Live posted on April 25, Lecrae said he did not want his words to be "twisted."

"It is a phenomenal movie. I saw it twice. I think you gotta take your hat off to Ryan Coogler. You gotta take your hat off to everyone from Michael B Jordan," he said.

Explaining why he felt the film had an "anti-Christian propaganda," Lecrae said Christianity is often "unnecessarily" considered a product of colonization.

"And I think this film depicts the Christian faith as a colonized, white man’s religion, that is oppressive," he explained.

The singer said white people did weaponize Christianity to oppress other minorities throughout history. However, Lecrae explained that the religion's ties to colonization do not discredit its relevance and power. Referring to the inception and expansion of Christianity, he stated:

"It's also something that was created in the Eastern world. It didn't start in Europe. It started in Ancient Israel. Or in ancient Neris. It went to Ethiopia. It was in Africa before it was in Europe."

Lecrae argued that religion was imposed on Black people, as allegedly portrayed in Sinners. He said Christianity was introduced to Black people before they were colonized by white people. The singer hoped the film would provide more clarity on this issue.

In response to Lecrae's viewpoint, the host shared his perspective, explaining that the film offered only a glimpse into a specific period in history when religion was used in some places as a significant tool for control over others.

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Lecrae's review on Christianity portrayed in Ryan Coogler's Sinners

On April 20, someone on Threads asked Lecrae if Sinners would be worth watching. Lecrae described it as "dope" from a filmmaking perspective. Despite liking the film from a creative viewpoint, Lecrae said:

"But…I felt some anti-Christian propaganda."

Lecrae's initial review of Ryan Coogler's Sinners. (Image via Threads/@lecrae)

Lecrae's review of the latest horror/adventure film, Sinners, included positive remarks. He praised the visuals, character development, and storytelling, describing them as "inspiring for young Black creatives." Lecrae was also moved by the "cultural callbacks" and the imagery.

Lecrae opined that Christianity was depicted as either "oppressive" or "irrelevant" in Sinners. The film shifted the focus of power to "African spiritual practices," which fought against evil. He wrote:

"Hoodoo, not the Holy Spirit, is the weapon of choice."

Lecrae stated that the film "mocked faith" and portrayed the church as "a place of shame than sanctuary." Directing his next comment toward the director, Ryan Coogler, the singer wrote:

"Maybe Ryan is working through some church hurt. Catholic school, forced religion, etc. The film feels like his way of wrestling with that."

The singer's comments on the depiction of religion in the film received some backlash. Some people described him as "salty," while a few others argued that Christianity was forced on African culture, where spirituality originally helmed people's faith. Regardless of his perspective on the representation of religion in the film, Lecrae referred to it as a "BEAUTIFUL piece of work."