An interesting question is circulating in the entertainment industry: How should a religious star who performs in front of secular audiences get marketed? Articles questioning rapper Lecrae’s and pop-star Justin Beiber’s musical shifts have brought attention to the question.

Lecrae—an artist the Christian music industry provided an early audience for—told Fortune he moved back to roots to the dismay of some long-time fans. “I’m definitely more comfortable around a Sway than a Hillsong,” Lacrae said in an interview in June. “I was raised by Tupac.”

Faith is “just who you are,” Lecrae said.

The artist, however, has reached a place in the industry where he wants to transcend genre.

Lecrae Devaughn Moore, 37, said he and his label, Reach Records, want to sell more cuts. Christian rap was an introduction for him. But the commercial successes—Rebel became the first Christian hip hop album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Gospel chart in 2008 and Anomaly did well on Billboard in 2014—expanded his labelling into mainstream rap.

Genre, who cares?

Lecrae’s latest project due out this summer will feature Tori Kelly on ‘I’ll Find You­ (TK)’. A download is available online. It also will include ‘Blessings’ with Ty Dolla $ign. If a transformation is taking place it is here with Ty$.

“If I ever took a loss, I learned a lesson / I won’t ever think I’m better than the next man / I’ve been down before, to come up on the stressin’ / Baby, I’m too busy counting all these blessings,” Ty$ chants.

Compare that to the lyrics in a previous Ty$’s hit ‘Oh Nah.’ “Can you really take dick or nah? / Can I bring another bitch or nah? / Is you with this shits or nah? / Oh nahhhh oh nahhhh.”

Perhaps there is no meaning in any of the lyrics. What if the singers and writers are simply producing words to a beat people will buy?

Being Bieberized

Canadian bad-boy Bieber is moving in a different, but no one is suggesting he is a Christian artist. Hillsong United posted video on Instagram—which has reached more than 89 million people—‘Not Today’ in which the singer takes on the devil. “Whenever I say Your name, Let the devil know not today / Whenever I say Your name Jesus, Let the devil know not today / Not now not ever again,” the 23-year-old croons in a Hillsong United’s song.

While some of the lyrics of ‘Purpose’ a the namesake of his Purpose world tour have a religious interpretation—Thinking my journey’s come to an end / Sending out a farewell to my friends, for inner peace / Ask you to forgive me of my sins, oh would you please / I’m more grateful for the time we spent, my spirit’s at east—the tour is not. The Victoria Angel’s models are part of the marketing lip syncing the lyrics to ‘2U’ shaking their tiny booties throughout.
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