2016 Strawberry Festival

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Oicial Newspaper of the Florida Strawberry FestivalŽ

A SLICE OF AMERICA:

sweet, fresh and oh, so delicious!

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aul Davis, general manager of the Strawberry Festival, likes to tell the story of the time he and his wife were on vacation in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Davis was wearing his Plant City Strawberry Festival hat.

“All of a sudden I heard someone say ‘Strawberry Festival? We love the Strawberry Festival. Make the trip to Plant City every year. We love it! Can’t get enough strawberry shortcake.’ The couple turned out to be from Chicago, and they kept saying how

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| Friday, February 26, 2016 | Tampa Bay Times

much they love spending a few days at the festival,” Davis said.

“Any place I travel, it seems someone knows about the festival, or has attended. I’ve spoken with people from Tokyo, Canada, England – Russia even – who tell me how much they love it.

“It makes me feel good.”

Feeling good is a hallmark of this annual celebration of the humble strawberry and all things agricultural.

The 11-day event, now in its 81st year, continues to charm, delight and satisfy throngs of visitors who venture to Plant City in search of great music, fabulous food, wonderful entertainment and the opportunity to enjoy a bit of old Florida.

Davis is in his ninth year as manager of the festival. Before that, he was part of the county sheriff’s festival security detail for 32 years and has seen the festival grow into one of the top 25 festivals in the Southeast, and one of the three largest in the state.

Attendance last year was about 517,000, and Davis expects at least that many this year, likely more, which makes getting tickets early a really good idea.

Those of you new to the Strawberry Festival are in for a sweet treat. The 11-day event includes high-quality daily entertainment, from Charley Pride (3:30 p.m., Thur., March 3) to Cheap Trick (7:30 p.m., Sat., March 5) and from Donny and Marie Osmond (7:30 p.m., Sun., March 6) to Martina McBride (7:30 p.m., Wed., March 9 ) to the venerable Merle Haggard (3:30 p.m., Sat., March 12). A collection of 90 rides guarantee thrill-seekers and carnival ride aficionados 11 days of adrenalin rush, and the Neighborhood Village, with its quilt and cooking displays, along with the festival’s abundance of farm animals (and their teenage attendants) remind festival goers that agriculture and home-focused projects are at the root of this

annual event.

Well, that and strawberries, especially strawberry shortcake. According to Davis, over 400,000 of the desserts will be consumed over the festival’s 11 days, all of them made fresh daily.

One organization – a church, one of four that prepare the dessert fresh daily – receives 500 flats of the berries at 3:30 a.m., and by 10 a.m. they’re all stemmed and transformed into fresh strawberry shortcake.

“There aren’t many places left like this,” Davis explained. “A place where people come together to celebrate what’s great about their community.

“It’s a slice of America,” he added, and then offered his favorite saying about Plant City’s Strawberry Festival: “If you don’t see a really good friend at the festival, you’ll make one before it’s over.”

81st Annual Florida Strawberry Festival – Plant City Thursday, March 3 – Sunday, March 13, 2016 Festival hours: Gates open daily from 10am-10pm Discount gate admission ticket prices: Adults (ages 13+): $8 Children (ages 6-12): $4 Children (ages 5 and under): FREE

Note: Discount gate admission tickets can be purchased through March 13 and can be found at participating Publix stores throughout west-central Florida

TIMES READERS: Times Day at the Strawberry Festival is March 11.

Watch your paper for the Times Day coupon.

Regular admission tickets (at the gate) Adults (ages 13+): $10 Children (ages 6-12): $5 Children (ages 5 and under): FREE

For more information, midway hours and concert ticket information, visit:

flstrawberryfestival.com

Tampa Bay Times | Friday, February 26, 2016 |

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SINGING SISTERS, HARMONIZING BROTHERS AND OREO-CHASING PIGS. Magic shows and milking shows.

A hall of fame football player and a hall of fame rock band. A classic country diva and a young diva who only sings classic country. Christian rap and country rap. Golden boys and goldcolored robots. Get-down R&B and get-up gospel.

ERNEST HOOPER ehooper@tampabay.com

I could go on. The question isn’t “What can you find at the 2016 Florida Strawberry Festival?” No, it’s “What can’t you find”

This year’s 11-day celebration will take fans from country legend Charley Pride to R&B legend Charlie Wilson, from Nathan Osmond to his more famous aunt and uncle, Donny and Marie. The fest’s ever-expanding entertainment acts are almost enough to make you forget what’s at the center of this celebration.

Almost.

It’s the strawberry, folks. And while that seems so blatantly obvious, we can’t go any further without offering proper homage to the very merry berry that has sparked this annual showcase since 1930.

Sure, we love the strawberry shortcake and the strawberry pizza and the strawberry pie and the strawberry cheesecake. But we love how the strawberry defines our community even more.

When interns arrive at the Tampa Bay Times from some far-flung Midwestern college, we make it a point to introduce them to the native foods: the Cuban sandwich, the grouper sandwich, the deviled crab and, of course, the strawberry milkshake.

When winter freezes threaten the strawberry crop, we watch the thermometer with bated breath while growers man the fields with frosty breath. We worry about the livelihood of the farmers, the lifeline of the fruits, and how we would ever carry on if this corner of the county stopped serving as the winter strawberry capital of the world.

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| Friday, February 26, 2016 | Tampa Bay Times

COULD IT HAPPEN? Being unwise about the ways of the strawberry, I thought this unseasonably warm winter favored the farmers. No bitter cold mornings seemingly translated into no bitter berries.

Not quite.

The winds of El Nino have made this another difficult season, a common refrain given the recent combination of challenges that includes unfavorable weather, labor strife, competition from California and Mexico, and high supply.

Some say Plant City will be strawberry fields forever, but I’m praying that one of these years the growers will have the super season they so richly deserve.

So when we come to the Strawberry Festival to cheer on music stars and midway rides, let’s also cheer on the farmers who have toiled through sour seasons to give us sweet memories.

Let’s make sure our local stores continue to sell our local berries. Let’s advocate for the growers at city council, county center, the state capitol, the halls of Congress and the White House.

Let’s not risk the festival losing its biggest star and the area losing its most defining characteristic. Strawberries can’t sing, dance or jump for joy, but without them, we would struggle to do all of those things every March.

That’s all I’m saying.

R ECI PE

Strawberry-Lime Mousse in Chocolate Cups Makes about 24 servings

In a small bowl, stir together gelatin and 3 tablespoons cold water, let stand until softened (about 5 minutes). Stir in ¼ cup boiling water until gelatin is dissolved.

In a medium bowl, beat cream with a mixer at medium-high speed until slightly thickened. Gradually add ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Stir in gelatin mixture.

Ingredients 1 (¼ oz.) envelope unflavored gelatin 3 tablespoons cold water ¼ cup boiling water 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar, divided 1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced 1 tablespoon lime zest 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 2 (6-ounce) boxes dark chocolate dessert shells Garnish: Lime zest

In the container of a blender, combine strawberries, lime zest, lime juice and remaining ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar; process until smooth. Gently stir strawberry mixture into whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Spoon mousse into chocolate shells. Garnish with lime zest, if desired.

RECIPE TIP: Mousse can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Chocolate dessert shells are available at many specialty food stores and large supermarkets.

Tampa Bay Times | Friday, February 26, 2016 |

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2016 Florida Strawberry Festival

NEVER A DULL MOMENT For every one of the 11 days of 2016 Florida Strawberry Festival there is any number of entertaining, eventful, exciting and amusing events. From hour to hour, you’ll find racing pigs, a magic act, musical groups, costume contests and a look into the world of Native Americans.

In addition, there are daily deals on the cost of general admission and a Midway wristband. So, gather the children and the grandparents, program your GPS for Plant City, and make a day (or two or three) of the 2016 Florida Strawberry Festival.

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| Friday, February 26, 2016 | Tampa Bay Times

THURSDAY, MARCH 3 Florida Blue Senior Citizens Day / O’Reilly Auto Parts Ride-A-Thon Day It pays to be older: Seniors over 60 can take $2 off gate admission, and vouchers from O’Reilly Auto Parts will get you $3 off a Midway bracelet. Most of these shows repeat several times throughout the day and throughout the week. Look for: • Robinson’s Racing Pigs • Redhead Express in the Bright House Networks Showcase Tent • Circus Incredible • Nathan Osmond • Meet & Greet Mr. Berry • Maximus G • Dennis Lee • Runa Pacha “Indian World”

FRIDAY, MARCH 4 Publix Feeding Florida Day – Moonlight Magic Night Present any Publix brand nonperishable item at the entry gate and take $5 off the $20 regular price for a Fun Pack Ride Coupon Book.

Many of the previous day’s acts are back, along with: • A chance to meet pro football Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks • Fried corn eating contest • Truitts • Mosaic Youth Swine Contest • The Gothard Sisters at the Truwhip Strawberry Tent

SATURDAY, MARCH 5 Kids Day / Youth Parade Day / Super Saturday Wristband Day Kids through high school age are admitted free.

Purchase a wristband at the Midway for $30 and ride most mechanical rides.

Enjoy: • 43rd Annual Plant City Civitan Club Youth Parade at 11 a.m.

• Circus Incredible • Danny Moody Band at the Tampa Bay Times Variety Stage • Belmont Magic Show • Gospel Night featuring Pastor Calvin “Pee Wee” Callins

SUNDAY, MARCH 6 Fanta Family Day Bring an empty bottle or can of Fanta or Coca-Cola and ride all day with the purchase of a Midway wristband for $20, and look for these new events: • A decorated baby diaper contest (Hillsborough County babies only) • Dairy Costume Ball & Dairy Pee Wee Showmanship • Youth Plant Sale • HOLA! Plant City at the Tampa Bay Times Variety Stage • Branch & Dean at the Bright House Showcase Tent

MONDAY, MARCH 7 Grand Parade / Ride-A-Thon Day The Strawberry Festival’s Grand Parade with marching bands plus the Strawberry Queen and her Royal Court make a grand entrance from a starting point in downtown Plant City. Check the website, www.flstrawberryfestival.com, for the route and parking options.

Don’t miss these new acts: • Jake Castro Band at the Tampa Bay Times Variety Stage • Lamb Showmanship and Show • Home Depot Kids Workshop

TUESDAY, MARCH 8 Twosday / Ride-A-Thon Ride any single ride for just $2 or ride all day with a $20 wristband purchased at the Midway.

Test your skills at the Adult Strawberry Stemming Contest, plus: • Lamb Jumping and Costume Contest • Denise Moore and Then Some at the Tampa Bay Times Variety Stage • Southwest Dairy Farmers Milking Show

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 American Heroes Day / Ride-A-Thon Day The Festival honors America’s active, reserve and retired military, veterans, law enforcement and first responders with free admittance all day. Purchase a wristband for $20 and ride most rides all day. New shows today: • Superdog Mega Corndog Eating Contest • The Walker Boys • Bobby G. Summers at the Tampa Bay Times Variety Stage • An Honor to American Heroes

THURSDAY, MARCH 10

gate admission, and vouchers from O’Reilly Auto Parts will trim $3 off a Midway bracelet. In addition to some serious Strawberry Shortcake eating contests (Stingray Chevrolet Entertainment Tent), look for: • The sounds of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra • Skyler Clark at the Tampa Bay Times Variety Stage • Senior Citizens Drawing

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 Tampa Bay Times Day on the Midway Moonlight Magic Night In today’s Times look for a coupon for $5 off a Fun Pack Ride Coupon Book, and during Moonlight Magic enjoy most mechanical rides for $25 per person. Enjoy the Midway from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. with a wristband. Look for: • The Walker Boys • Sara Rose Band • Strawberry Mashed Potato Pie Eating Contest • Another chance to meet pro football Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks

SATURDAY, MARCH 12 Farm Worker Appreciation Day / Super Saturday Wristband Day Sponsored by Astin Farms, purchase a wristband for $30 and ride most mechanical rides all day long.

• The Moriah Project at the Tampa Bay Times Variety Stage • Cigar City Blues Band at Bright House Networks Showcase Tent • Southwest Dairy Farmers Milking Show • Livestock Judging Contest

SUNDAY, MARCH 13 Fanta Family Day Bring a Fanta or Coca-Cola bottle or can and ride all day with the purchase of a Midway wristband for $20, and look for these new events: • Club Med Giveaway • Another chance to meet pro football Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks • Drawings for Kitchen Craft Cookware and a Stingray Chevrolet

For a full schedule of daily events, visit flstrawberryfestival.com

Florida Blue Senior Citizens Day / O’Reilly Auto Parts Ride-A-Thon Day It pays to be older: Seniors over 60 can take $2 off Tampa Bay Times | Friday, February 26, 2016 |

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2016 Florida Strawberry Festival

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Charlie Wilson

By Kenya Woodard Times Correspondent

FANS CAN EXPECT TWO THINGS – WITHOUT FAIL – AT A CHARLIE WILSON CONCERT. One: a high-energy, powerhouse of a performance.

Backed with a live band and flanked by leggy dancers in colorful costumes, the 63-year-old Wilson zips almost breathlessly through a cascade of hits from his solo career and from his days as leader of the Gap Band.

But one night, Wilson left the story out of the show.

Wilson thought the omission went unnoticed – until a fan stopped him as he was leaving the venue.

Saturday, MARCH 12 7:30 PM Tickets $35 & $40

“A woman stopped me and said, ‘Don’t ever not talk about your testimony,’” he said.

Fans attending Wilson’s March 12 show at the Florida Strawberry Festival undoubtedly will get both, Wilson said.

Wilson said he’s kept his promise and now understands why his story remains critical to his show.

For years, Wilson has shared how God rescued him

| Friday, February 26, 2016 | Tampa Bay Times

for more than 40 years.

True funkateers know that the roots of the Gap Band stretch back to the late 1960s, when Wilson and brothers Ronnie and Robert founded the group as the Appearing on Stage Greenwood, Archer, and Pine Street Band. The brothers later shortened the name, a nod to the center of Tulsa’s black business community, to just the first three letters of each street.

Two: a sincere testimony about the importance of his faith and how it saved him from drug dependency and homelessness.

“Someone needs to hear my story,” he said. “Someone needs to know God still lives.”

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from a life of despair that stemmed from an ugly cocaine habit. He’s even detailed the experiences in his autobiography, I Am Charlie Wilson.

Fans have credited him with helping them overcome their own habits, Wilson said.

“I think I’m doing the right thing,” he said.

When it comes to music, Wilson has done it right

The brothers earned a solid reputation performing at venues around Tulsa before relocating to Los Angeles in the 1970s. The group caught fire when Shake from its self-titled 1979 album became an R&B hit. In 1980, The Gap Band III reached the top of the R&B charts, buoyed by popular radio jams Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me) and Yearning for Your Love.

A string of hits followed throughout the decade:

Early in the Morning, You Dropped a Bomb on Me, Outstanding and All of My Love.

But in the midst of the group’s phenomenal success, a feud and subsequent split between the brothers and their manager over a publishing deal slowed their performing and recording to a crawl. Booking work became nearly impossible, and it was during this downtime that Charlie developed a debilitating drug habit that would consume him for years.

Wilson lived on the streets of Los Angeles until 1995, when a cousin persuaded him to check into a rehabilitation program.

It was in recovery that Wilson found redemption and love with the help of his counselor – and now wife – Mahin.

The pair celebrated 20 years of marriage last year. Wilson said staying close to his wife is his secret to marital happiness.

“If we go somewhere, we both go,” he said. “If I’m mad, she’s mad. It takes a long time to learn somebody.”

In the last decade, Wilson – who released his latest CD, Forever Charlie, last year – has reinvented himself as a soulful crooner. Tunes like Without You, There Goes My Baby and Goodnight Kisses have won him a new legion of fans – many of whom know him as “Uncle Charlie” and not as the leather-jacket-clad frontman of a legendary funk band.

But the latter guy is still around, Wilson said.

“The music your mother loves – that’s me,” he said. “I’m still the same guy.”

Tampa Bay Times | Friday, February 26, 2016 |

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ENTERTAINMENT FRIDAY, MARCH 11 Tanya Tucker 3:30 p.m.

Tickets: $15/$20 She was only 13 when Delta Dawn put Tucker in the national spotlight.

Since, she has amassed a Grammy award, two Country Music Association awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, 10 No. 1 country singles, 33 that have reached the top five, and 41 in the top 10. Once considered an

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“outlaw” country singer, Tucker has become one of the best-selling female vocalists in country music.

Cole Swindell 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $35/$40 In 2015, Swindell was named American Country Music’s New Artist of the Year. Recently, he’s been named as one of Billboard’s Top New Country Artists, and Music Row’s Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year.

Listen for yourself and see

why the country world is taking notice of this young man.

SATURDAY, MARCH 12 Merle Haggard 3:30 p.m.

Tickets: $35 Born in 1937 in Bakersfield, Calif., country icon Merle Haggard knows first-hand what it means to struggle.

His music reflects that.

Run-ins with the law, unrequited love, firsthand knowledge of raw

ENTERTAINMENT poverty and a passion for life have created one of country’s hardest working and most honest musicians. It doesn’t get any better than this, folks.

Charlie Wilson 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $35/$40 Raised by a minister father and mother, the Tulsa, Okla., native was a founding member of the pivotal R&B / funk trio the Gap Band, which hit the charts running in the late ’70s and ’80s with a string of hits.

Since, his career has jettisoned Wilson into the stratosphere of pop, hip-hop and funky R&B. A nine-time Grammy nominee, Wilson’s tugat-your-heart lyrics and can’t-sit-still melodies make this 61-year-old’s show a do-not-miss!

SUNDAY, MARCH 13 Echosmith 3:30 p.m.

Tickets: $20/$25 It’s a family affair with this finely tuned indie band from Chino, Calif.

Composed of four siblings – Graham,

Sydney, Noah and Jamie – they started their career as the Ready, Set, Go band.

Then they signed with Warner Bros. Records and their hit song Cool Kids reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified double platinum in the United States. Check out the fresh sound of this up-and-coming young group.

The Band Perry 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $40 Strange as it may sound, this country band from England is making waves on both sides of the big pond. Front woman Kimberly Perry and her brothers, Reid and Neil, became ACM’s Vocal Group of the Year in 2014, performed for American troops in the United Kingdom and, in 2015, won the Grammy for Best Country Duo/ Group performance. As this year’s Strawberry Festival winds down, treat yourself to the delightful sound of The Band Perry.

Tampa Bay Times | Friday, February 26, 2016 |

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2016 Florida Strawberry Festival

Entertainment Spotlight

THE BAND PERRY

Appearing on Stage

Sunday, MARCH 13 7:30 PM Tickets $40 AS FAR BACK AS LAST FALL, IT WAS CLEAR THE BAND PERRY WAS COOKING UP SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR THEIR THIRD STUDIO ALBUM, HEART + BEAT. For starters, there was the anthemic lead single, Live Forever, which the band pushed toward pop radio. And then there were the band’s new, wildly colorful promotional photos, which featured them looking sleek and stylish in bold blue and yellow patterns.

“When we sit down to write songs, everything’s connected for us, from the visuals to the sounds to even what we say from the stage,” said bassist Reid Perry.

“The visual side of it just represents a little bit of happiness and joy that The Band Perry’s feeling. We’re not fighting anyone, we’re not really the underdogs anymore. We’re just actually enjoying who we are.”

And who wouldn’t? Last year Reid, Neil and Kimberly Perry took home their first Grammy for a cover of Glen Campbell’s Gentle On My Mind, and on March 13,

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they’ll close out the 2016 Florida Strawberry Festival.

Reid said the band has been playing some new songs live, but fans of their more traditional country songs, such as their breakout hit If I Die Young and their chart-topping sophomore album Pioneer, might be in for some surprises on Heart + Beat.

“For Pioneer, we were very much in a kind of underdog, rock’n’roll, black leather kind of mindset,” he said. “Whenever we went in to write and record Heart + Beat, it was all about making us smile whenever we left the studio. We accomplished that, so we want to bring that to visual life. We haven’t gotten rid of all the black leather, but we’ve gotten rid of a lot of it.”

To help, they’ve enlisted the help of producers like Pharrell Williams and Diplo on songs that they hope will further their mainstream pop crossover.

“Country is a very living and breathing genre,” Reid said.

“We’re influenced by a ton of different things. We’re not the same people we were five years ago. I would imagine that if anyone is the same person they were five years ago, they wouldn’t really be happy with themselves. So for us, it really is a matter of embracing what we’re into at the moment.”

This’ll be the third Strawberry Festival for The Band Perry, and they have plenty of fond memories from past trips to Plant City. It’s where Kimberly met her future husband, Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.P. Arencibia, and as Reid said, “We get pallets of strawberries given to us, which we love.”

And it fits right in with The Band Perry’s strategy of playing any show, anytime – festivals, charity functions, sporting events and any other place that’ll have them.

“We actually love playing live,” Reid said. “Before we wrote songs or did interviews, that’s what we did – that really was our first true love. That’s how we fell in love with music, actually being up on stage. So I feel like we do put forth a pure joy whenever we are up on stage, and I think people have fun whenever they see us play, and whenever they sing along with our songs.”

Tampa Bay Times | Friday, February 26, 2016 |

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FAQs

Maximize festival fun with these good-to-know tips FIRST THING TO KNOW: Strawberry Festival general admission and event tickets go fast! Various Publix stores throughout west-central Florida have discounted general admission tickets available starting at just $8 for adults and $4 for children 6-12 (kids under 5 are free).

A general admission ticket gets you into many of the festival’s attractions, including access to all the exhibits and competitions, livestock shows, arts and crafts vendors and free entertainers. A $30 Midway wristband entitles you to enjoy nearly all the mechanical rides; however, do check the website, www.flstrawberryfestival.com, for special Midway discount days that can save you $3 to $10 on each wristband.

“Over the last two years, the Department of Transportation and city engineers in charge of traffic control have studied the situation and collaborated on solving the problem.”

With an anticipated 11-day attendance of over half a million people, the question is inevitable: WHERE TO PARK?

Directions from all four compass points and various state and interstate highways are on the festival’s website. Or, according to the site, you could just “look for routes that take you to Alexander Street and into Plant City.

Alexander Street splits with Paul Buchman Highway north of the city; proceed south on Alexander and look for Reynolds Street as you enter town. Take a right on Reynolds and there is parking throughout the area located just south of the Festival Grounds.”

The enormous popularity of the 11-day event has meant extra challenges for the festival’s organizers. The man in charge for the past nine years, general manager Paul Davis, acknowledged that parking in the past has been a bit problematic, but changes to mitigate any inconvenience are producing results.

Over the last four years, he said, a significant amount of money has gone into solving the parking dilemma. Four acres have been purchased specifically for parking lots, and the police departments have become more adept at redirecting people off the interstate when there’s a problem.

“There are three Plant City exits, and when one starts to back up, the police will begin moving people to the next exit,” Davis said.

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The result has been almost 20 acres of parking lots, with 10-15 acres accessible by shuttles, and four acres that offer parking within three to six blocks of the main gate.

LOTS AND COSTS: • Blue, Gray and Red Parking Lots located on Ritter Street, off Hwy. 92 or Hwy. 574.

• $5 for cars, etc. under 20 ft. Cars, pickup trucks and vans under 20 ft.

• $10 for vehicles 29-39 ft.

• $15 for vehicles & buses in excess of 40 ft.

Whichever route you choose, expect the freeways into Plant City to be crowded, and remember to bring your patient, goodhumored self.

THE OBVIOUS? Sunscreen, hats, rendezvous sites in case family members are separated, an appetite for good food and a sweet tooth for strawberry shortcake.

Tampa Bay Times | Friday, February 26, 2016 |

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2016 Florida Strawberry Festival

Entertainment Spotlight

Lecrae Appearing on Stage

Saturday, MARCH 5 3:30 PM Tickets $25

By Sarah Whitman Times Correspondent

Hip-hop artist Lecrae wants fans to know he carries scars.

As a boy, he experienced neglect and physical abuse.

As a teen, he turned to drugs, guns and women. He once attempted suicide.

Then he found healing through music and a belief in Jesus Christ.

Since releasing his first album, Real Talk, in 2004, Lecrae has managed to achieve success in mainstream hip-hop rapping about God and positivity.

In 2013, he joined the Rock the Bells tour, featuring Comon, Kendrick Lamar and Wu-Tang Clan. In 2014, his album Anomaly debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts.

In May, Lecrae will release his first book, Unashamed, detailing his early life struggles and rise from the ashes.

I spoke to the artist, who performs Sat., March 5, at the Strawberry Festival, about faith, music and steering clear of labels.

In the last couple years, you’ve managed to transcend the Christian hip-hop and Gospel genre. Why do you think that is? Do things such as landing the top spot on Billboard’s 200 surprise you?

Music is music. Christianity is a faith, not a genre. It’s about musical expression.

Accolades and things like that are always a surprise. Me, most of the time, I keep my nose down working in the studio.

The only thing through that process I’m thinking about is making the best music possible.

How does your faith impact your work?

My faith impacts every aspect of what I do and who I am.

There is that moral line.

I never write music that contradicts it, at least not on purpose.

My music is not about being degrading or misogynistic. It’s glorifying.

Sarah Whitman can be reached at hillsnews@tampabay.com 18

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Is it difficult keeping the music positive in an industry saturated with the opposite?

Honestly, Kendrick, J Cole, in a lot of ways they are taking a similar path, going against the grain of what you see in hiphop a lot of times.

How does the crowd react when you tour with artists such as Kendrick Lamar?

Everyone loves it and wants to know why I’m not there more often. I come in as the underdog to a lot of people and then when I’m finishing, they’re like, man, you need to keep going.

Have you experienced any backlash from within Christian hip-hop?

My fans support me and know what I’m about. I would never slander or put down another genre. Philosophically, that’s just not where I see myself.

Why did you write Unashamed?

It chronicles my journey. I’m very candid about being physically abused and sexually molested, about the sexual exploitation I had to experience to make me the person I am today. The stories in the book are raw and real, and hopefully will be able to help people. Leaders lead in vulnerability. When you’re vulnerable you heal people. You show people your scars and they see how deep the wounds are, but they see they’ve healed. Maybe it gives them some hope.

What do you enjoy about touring?

Being on the road with your friends and the bonds that you build. Aside from that, seeing the fans and how much they appreciate the music.

Will you get to spend time at the Strawberry Festival? Will you try the strawberry shortcake?

I hope so. I may get to experience the festival a little bit. We will have to see how my figure is looking for the shortcake.

You devote a lot of time to mentoring young people.

What advice do you give?

Your past does not define you. Your mistakes do not define you. Delight in your purpose. Be who you were created to be.

Tampa Bay Times | Friday, February 26, 2016 |

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