Da' T.R.U.T.H.

Philadelphia's Da' T.R.U.T.H. is a vanguard artist in the genre of Christian rap, having won numerous awards and critical praise. Originally a drummer, Emanuel Lee Lambert, Jr. became Da' T.R.U.T.H. in 2003 when the Cross Movement label released his debut EP, Who Is the Truth. A year later, his debut album, Moment of Truth, appeared, with The Faith following in 2005. The latter won the Stellar Award of Rap/Hip-Hop Gospel CD of the Year in 2007. That same year his Open Book album arrived, winning its own Stellar Award and a Grammy nomination in 2008. Truth in advertising, his ambitious effort The Big Picture landed in 2009 with a guest appearance from Kirk Franklin. It climbed to number two on Billboard's Gospel Albums Chart, as would his 2011 effort, The Whole Truth, along with 2013's Love Hope War. Featuring guest appearances from Lecrae, Papa San, and Tedashii, 2014's Heartbeat was his fourth album in a row to "suffer" this second-place fate. The autobiographical It's Complicated followed in 2016 and with crossover appeal, as it reached number 11 on the Top Rap Albums chart. ~ David Jeffries