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Set Me Free: The Good News of God’s Relentless Pursuit
Do you feel like you never quite live up? From the way you speak, to the color of your skin, to the way you vote or the way you struggle, you don't fit the mold. And yet you feel captive trying to prove yourself to others. In Set Me Free , New York Times bestselling author Lecrae invites you on a poetic and artistic exploration of how you can find lasting freedom in a world that binds. Under the weight of our country's racial history, church traditions, and cultural norms, Lecrae found himself trapped in the belief that he had to earn his freedom or prove his right to be on the stage or in the pews of his church. Two-time GRAMMY award-winning hip-hop artist and rapper Lecrae invites you into the struggle to push back against the lie of unworthiness and accept the freedom already given through Christ. Within this inspirational collection of poetry and essays, you will This book is perfect Compelling photography and album-style art create a dynamic journey that is also perfect to display on a coffee table or shelf. Provocative, vulnerable, convicting, and inspiring, Set Me Free is a poetry collection for our time.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published December 2, 2025
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1515 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 9, 2025
116 we unashamed
December 24, 2025
5 stars for Lecrae for being willing to piss off his fan base to talk about something important--truly. Set Me Free is at its best when it explores the backlash Lecrae faced for having the audacity to say that police shouldn’t be able to kill people willy-nilly, as if that were an unchristian sentiment somehow. Love all of this.
But it’s very light. The book itself seems like it’s made for display, with full-color glossy pages and a hard cover, and much less time spent on the content. The poems read like lyrics (and, indeed, a bit of Googling reveals that at least several are songs from his mixtapes). The effect is that it feels more like reading a CD booklet than a book of poetry. Hopefully at some point he'll share this message in some beefier essays and recorded audio tracks.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)
But it’s very light. The book itself seems like it’s made for display, with full-color glossy pages and a hard cover, and much less time spent on the content. The poems read like lyrics (and, indeed, a bit of Googling reveals that at least several are songs from his mixtapes). The effect is that it feels more like reading a CD booklet than a book of poetry. Hopefully at some point he'll share this message in some beefier essays and recorded audio tracks.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)
September 18, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley & Thomas Nelson for the ARC!
Lecrae’s Set Me Free: The Good News of God’s Relentless Pursuit is a low-key collection of sermonettes marketed as an art book.
Lecrae has been through the wringer. For the uninitiated, the Christian Hip Hop movement thrust him to the top of the evangelical subculture and made him a token voice on race until he actually began to call for racial justice. He was chewed up and spit out, but he was boldly committed to finding an authentic faith removed from the structures of oppression. Frankly, he’s an inspiring figure.
And that’s why it’s surprising that so much of Set Me Free is still written with the language of white evangelicals. Maybe I misunderstood from Lecrae’s music, but I think I expected a little more distance from the young, restless, and reformed movement that built his early career. Unfortunately, at every level, this is a book beholden to the conventions of American evangelicalism.
Much has been made about Lecrae’s troubled deconstruction and subsequent cathartic spiritual reawakening, but readers might be surprised by how much the book feels like SBC-informed standard fare. Theologically, this is all substitutionary atonement and punishment. There are wonderful shades of grace, but they are still painted on a canvas of total depravity, and it left me feeling conflicted.
There are moments where it feels like the book makes concessions to justify its social “liberalism” with theological conservatism, and they feel antithetical to Lecrae’s other work. For years, his message has been that mainstream evangelicalism is incompatible with racial liberation, and while that theme is explicitly maintained here, the fire that animates his interrogation of racial issues feels controlled, almost always reined in by sermon-esque rhetorical moves that feel tacked on to the end of each chapter: "How can you wade into the waters of Jesus a little more each day?" I’m inclined to think that co-authors Sharifa Stevens and Adam Thomason may have recommended these questions as a way to lend the book more structure and palatability, but they feel like a compromise. Honestly, they sometimes read like an attempt to convince people that it isn’t “woke” to not be a racist.
The book is too afraid of being divisive to be directive, and I think that's a mistake.
Artistically, it’s a bit disappointing as well, somewhat surprisingly so. Lecrae is an exceptional rapper, and the intricacy of his work only adds to the urgency of his message. He knows his medium. In Set Me Free, however, the author’s poems feel awkwardly shoehorned in. These are essentially rap verses, but without music, they read like first drafts. For example, in “Thinking of You,” we read:
“Woke up this morning with you on my mind. / I think about you all the time./ This should be a crime.”
From a hip hop great, it’s surprisingly clumsy.
And yet, Set Me Free is still an exciting read. It feels unique for someone within this conservative branch of Christianity to walk the border so thoughtfully. Even if I personally wanted something with more of a bite, I’m sure many would-be readers will need Lecrae’s gentleness to receive his challenges with grace.
But for what it’s worth, I say skip the book and buy Reconstruction.
Lecrae’s Set Me Free: The Good News of God’s Relentless Pursuit is a low-key collection of sermonettes marketed as an art book.
Lecrae has been through the wringer. For the uninitiated, the Christian Hip Hop movement thrust him to the top of the evangelical subculture and made him a token voice on race until he actually began to call for racial justice. He was chewed up and spit out, but he was boldly committed to finding an authentic faith removed from the structures of oppression. Frankly, he’s an inspiring figure.
And that’s why it’s surprising that so much of Set Me Free is still written with the language of white evangelicals. Maybe I misunderstood from Lecrae’s music, but I think I expected a little more distance from the young, restless, and reformed movement that built his early career. Unfortunately, at every level, this is a book beholden to the conventions of American evangelicalism.
Much has been made about Lecrae’s troubled deconstruction and subsequent cathartic spiritual reawakening, but readers might be surprised by how much the book feels like SBC-informed standard fare. Theologically, this is all substitutionary atonement and punishment. There are wonderful shades of grace, but they are still painted on a canvas of total depravity, and it left me feeling conflicted.
There are moments where it feels like the book makes concessions to justify its social “liberalism” with theological conservatism, and they feel antithetical to Lecrae’s other work. For years, his message has been that mainstream evangelicalism is incompatible with racial liberation, and while that theme is explicitly maintained here, the fire that animates his interrogation of racial issues feels controlled, almost always reined in by sermon-esque rhetorical moves that feel tacked on to the end of each chapter: "How can you wade into the waters of Jesus a little more each day?" I’m inclined to think that co-authors Sharifa Stevens and Adam Thomason may have recommended these questions as a way to lend the book more structure and palatability, but they feel like a compromise. Honestly, they sometimes read like an attempt to convince people that it isn’t “woke” to not be a racist.
The book is too afraid of being divisive to be directive, and I think that's a mistake.
Artistically, it’s a bit disappointing as well, somewhat surprisingly so. Lecrae is an exceptional rapper, and the intricacy of his work only adds to the urgency of his message. He knows his medium. In Set Me Free, however, the author’s poems feel awkwardly shoehorned in. These are essentially rap verses, but without music, they read like first drafts. For example, in “Thinking of You,” we read:
“Woke up this morning with you on my mind. / I think about you all the time./ This should be a crime.”
From a hip hop great, it’s surprisingly clumsy.
And yet, Set Me Free is still an exciting read. It feels unique for someone within this conservative branch of Christianity to walk the border so thoughtfully. Even if I personally wanted something with more of a bite, I’m sure many would-be readers will need Lecrae’s gentleness to receive his challenges with grace.
But for what it’s worth, I say skip the book and buy Reconstruction.
October 7, 2025
Depending on who you are and your views on life, faith, and social justice, this may be a tough read for you. But it is well worth it.
I started to start this review by saying that Lecrae gives us insight into his mind. But that isn’t completely accurate. Lecrae invites you into the insights of his soul. And here is the thing, I don’t think you need to come away viewing everything 100% the way Lecrae does. This is the story of a man that wrestles with his God. And that, my friends is a beautiful thing. Because those are the moments when God changes us the most.
This book is full of essays, lyrics, and poetry. I say lyrics and poetry as if they are two different things. If you have ever listened to Lecrae’s music, you know his lyrics are truly a work of beautiful poetry. You just can bounce to it. Or at least that’s what this white boy does.
It’s time for the church to truly sit down with their brothers and sisters in Christ, break bread, share their testimonies of God’s goodness, tell their stories, and listen, I mean truly hear, the heartache of the one speaking. Lecrae has bared his soul to us. Now, let the conversation begin.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
I started to start this review by saying that Lecrae gives us insight into his mind. But that isn’t completely accurate. Lecrae invites you into the insights of his soul. And here is the thing, I don’t think you need to come away viewing everything 100% the way Lecrae does. This is the story of a man that wrestles with his God. And that, my friends is a beautiful thing. Because those are the moments when God changes us the most.
This book is full of essays, lyrics, and poetry. I say lyrics and poetry as if they are two different things. If you have ever listened to Lecrae’s music, you know his lyrics are truly a work of beautiful poetry. You just can bounce to it. Or at least that’s what this white boy does.
It’s time for the church to truly sit down with their brothers and sisters in Christ, break bread, share their testimonies of God’s goodness, tell their stories, and listen, I mean truly hear, the heartache of the one speaking. Lecrae has bared his soul to us. Now, let the conversation begin.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
October 3, 2025
I found this one to be super raw and vulnerable. Lecrae is someone I’ve followed for more than a decade, so it was interesting to hear some of the dark sides of life. Not many people go this deep and tell their story so raw!
October 14, 2025
I was first introduced to Lecrae by a good friend about ten years ago, and I remain grateful for that connection. He has a remarkable way with words and a rare gift for inspiring readers to pause, reflect, and realign with their faith.
December 27, 2025
Great book
This is a magnificent book that is both articulate and well-written, showcasing a depth of thought and clarity of expression that makes it truly remarkable. All glory to God!
This is a magnificent book that is both articulate and well-written, showcasing a depth of thought and clarity of expression that makes it truly remarkable. All glory to God!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews