The steady thump of hip-hop beats mixed with the rustling of backpacks being stuffed with school supplies as Grammy-winning rapper Lecrae Devaughn Moore transformed his album listening party session into a community mission on Monday, July 21.
Moore hosted a back-to-school backpack drive at City Takers headquarters in Atlanta, combining the preview of his 10th studio album “Reconstruction” with hands-on community service for local students heading back to school.
The event at City Takers’ 15,000-square-foot facility brought together volunteers to assemble 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies for students on Atlanta’s west side who would otherwise start the school year empty-handed.
“I wanted people, when they experienced this album, to know this is for them,” Moore said. “This ain’t a Lecrae story. This is our story of reconstruction, and let’s do some reconstruction of the city right now.
Attendees received an exclusive preview of Moore’s upcoming album, which features collaborations with T.I., Killer Mike, Fridayy, Jon Bellion, and Jackie Hill Perry. Volunteers listened to the first five songs off the 19-song album. Between each track, Moore discussed what inspired the song and his spiritual journey as a Christian-based hip-hop artist, as well as his battle with addiction.
Following the listening session, attendees moved to packing stations where they were assigned specific items to pack into each backpack while listening to the rest of the album.
The partnership speaks to both organizations’ commitment to community transformation. City Takers founder Scott Free, who has operated the nonprofit for 15 years, said the collaboration emerged naturally from their shared mission to serve Atlanta’s underserved communities.
“Me and Lecrae have known each other for a long time,” Free said. “His heart is he just wants to impact people and see lives transformed, just like me. We’ve been talking about doing something together that impacts the streets, that impacts the neighborhood, that impacts the city.”
Free’s journey to community leadership began 25 years ago when he moved to Atlanta from Miami. He described fleeing personal troubles before experiencing what he called a life-changing religious encounter six months after arriving in the city.
“I was in a U-haul truck with a guy sharing his testimony,” Free recalled. “I had this vision of every time God saved my life physically, and at the end I heard the Father speak to me say, ‘Scott, I’ve been pursuing you since you were 12.’ From that moment, everything changed.”
After serving his home church faithfully for 10 years, Free founded City Takers to bridge what he saw as a disconnect between traditional church culture and the communities that needed support most.
“I felt more comfortable serving outside the walls of the church because of who I used to be,” Free said. “The Lord was sending me back into the darkest places in the city to preach the gospel.”
City Takers operates as a ministry focused on year-round community outreach. The organization’s building remains open daily, hosting various programs throughout the week.
“We believe that the church is a seven-day thing, not a two-hour thing on Sundays,” Free said. “We consider ourselves a missional church movement.”
The backpack drive represents one of several annual initiatives. City Takers also organizes “Boxes of Love,” providing Thanksgiving meals to families; operates a Christmas toy store where parents shop for free; and runs “Socktober,” distributing socks to homeless individuals living under bridges throughout October.
Free emphasized authenticity as central to City Takers’ approach, noting it as one of the organization’s core values.
“The world is looking for something real, something raw,” Free said. “They want to know the truth. People are looking for truth, peace, and love, and the church should be the number one place that gives all three.”
The backpacks will be distributed Saturday at Cascade Family Skating this Saturday July 26.