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

Christian rapper Da' T.R.U.T.H. navigates the successive stages of his development with natural ease, tracing an artistic route centered on faith-driven hip-hop. Introduced to Christianity early in life, he developed a passion for music during adolescence yet only contemplated rapping after experimenting with freestyling in a casual moment. Across his discography he has assembled a series of devotional projects that earned awards and chart success, among them the Stellar Award-winning releases The Faith (2005) and Open Book (2007). Beginning with Open Book, a consistent run of albums reached the Top Ten of Billboard’s Christian and gospel charts, encompassing The Big Picture (2009), Love Hope War (2013), and It’s Complicated (2016). In the 2020s his output continued with Bridges (2020), recorded alongside Limoblaze, and Emanuel (2023), which included appearances by Fred Hammond, Yolanda Adams, and Kim Burrell.

Born Emanuel Lee Lambert, Jr. in Philadelphia in 1977, he first gained recognition under the name Da’ T.R.U.T.H. His formative years combined an embrace of Christian belief with musical activity, including drumming throughout his teenage period. After attending multiple religious universities, he gradually established a recording career with original rap material, initiating a sequence of projects on Cross Movement Records in 2003. The label issued his earliest work as the EP Who Is the Truth. His debut album, Moment of Truth, followed a year later, with The Faith arriving in 2005. In 2007 The Faith received the Stellar Award for Rap/Hip-Hop Gospel CD of the Year, while Open Book also landed that year, securing its own Stellar Award and a Grammy nomination in 2008. The expansive The Big Picture appeared in 2009 and featured Kirk Franklin; it peaked at number two on Billboard’s Gospel Albums Chart, a position matched by The Whole Truth in 2011 and Love Hope War in 2013. Heartbeat (2014), containing contributions from Lecrae, Papa San, and Tedashii, became the fourth consecutive release to reach the same runner-up spot. The autobiographical It’s Complicated (2016) extended beyond gospel audiences, attaining number 11 on the Top Rap Albums chart.

Over the subsequent two years Da’ T.R.U.T.H. maintained an active touring schedule while preparing new material that surfaced in 2018 as the concise Vet. This independently issued eight-track collection included the Samoht collaboration “Brand New.” He next joined Limoblaze for Bridges, highlighted by the Afrobeats track “Sound of Victory,” which surpassed one million streams shortly after release. Preceded by “Nights in Atlanta,” another widely streamed song, Emanuel arrived in 2023 bearing an array of prominent guest features.