LOS ANGELES -- Atlanta’s Lecrae is a rapidly ascending star, but the guy is as down-to-earth as ever.

We had a few minutes to chat Saturday night in the middle of the chaos at the Beverly Hilton, where Lecrae and his lovely wife, Darragh, were staying and Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Gala was in full swing.

Lecrae is up for a Best Gospel Album Grammy for “Gravity” (it’s the second nomination of his career) and said he thinks that all of his fellow nominees (Israel & New Breed, Marvin Sapp, Anita Wilson and James Fortune & FIYA) are “phenomenal.”

“It’s ironic, because I’m the guy who does honest hip-hop and these are all really great gospel singers. I’m technically a hip-hop artist, but the categories are based on content, so that’s where it begins to change,” he said, hanging outside of the hotel in a black leather jacket and jeans (I had a great photo of him under the palm trees outside of the Hilton – or so I thought until my camera battery died).

“Gravity” landed with a boom last fall, debuting on the Billboard 200 album chart at No. 3 and earning Lecrae notice in publications as mainstream as Time magazine (and the AJC).

He and Darragh arrived in L.A. on Thursday and Lecrae said the weekend had so far been a nonstop blur of “event after event and red carpet after red carpet.”

A highlight, though, was meeting San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, a big rap fan.

“We had a brief convo,” Lecrae said. “I was under the impression he knew who I was, so if he’s listening to the music, right on.”

Lecrae already has some ideas of how he’ll celebrate Sunday night should he bring home the gold gramophone: “I’m gonna go find Colin and hang out with him all night long!”

Check back later in the week for more of my interview with Lecrae, who plays The Tabernacle Feb. 22.