Entertainment

KIRK FRANKLIN
THE NU NATION PROJECT

Open your heart, your soul, your mind. That's what Grammy winner Kirk Franklin wants everyone to do when listening to his latest Gospo Centric Records release, The Nu Nation Project, his fourth album to date. It is inspirational music for the new millennium - music with a message. "This album is the greatest picture of who I am and what I believe," says Franklin, the first gospel or Christian artist ever to reach platinum sales with a debut recording. In conjunction with the release of The Nu Nation Projec , Word Publishing will debut the only authorized autobiography of the renowned gospel wunderkind entitled Church Boy: My Music and My Life.

Throughout his career, Franklin has striven to spread the ministry through music. In doing so, he's forged a new genre - Hip Hop Gospel. His youthful appeal has not only increased gospel music's fan base, but also sales and media attention. This new 14-track collection will further increase his global scope. The arresting, hip hop flavored first track, "Revolution," (featuring Rodney Jenkins and Franklin handling rap chores) grabs you and doesn't let go. The "call to arms" song pushes believers to prepare for a new beginning. "Lean On Me" is a star-studded celebration featuring R. Kelly, Bono, Mary J. Blige and Crystal Lewis. "R. Kelly and I have been good friends for a while. This was a great opportunity for us to work together," says Franklin, who produced the entire album. "And I've been a Bono fan for years. It was incredible to be in the studio with him." The track was recorded in Ireland as well as New York, Chicago and Dallas.

For those more in tune with traditional gospel, Franklin included "Something About the Name Jesus" on which gospel legend Rance Allen, The Family and Men of Standard appear. "It's an old-school gospel song for people who like that down-home church singing," promises Franklin. Continuing on, it's the serene "Riverside," a selection that blends straight-ahead gospel with R&B - soul. Jazz propels the elegant "He Loves Me," adorned with a lush piano and strings arrangement. Bill Withers' tender classic "Lovely Day" gets the Franklin treatment. "I spiced it up a bit and made it more hip hop," notes Franklin, who decided to cover the song after hearing it late one night. "It was about 2 A.M. I was trying to sleep when 'Lovely Day' came on the radio," reflects Franklin. "I jumped out of bed, went straight to the piano and started playing it. I was inspired."

Next Franklin enthusiastically delivers "Praise Joint," a get-up-out-of-your-seat-and-testify track. Reminiscent of Kirk Franklin and God's Property's number one international hit "Stomp" (from the album God's Properly From Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation , "It's a real praise party," declares Franklin. The tempo slows down quite a bit with the introspective "Hold Me Now," a piece very close to Franklin's heart. "It's real intimate, a very transparent song," reveals the singer-songwriter-producer-mentor. "It shows some of my scars and feelings about being a Christian in this business. I'm a gospel artist who has to deal with a secular business. I walk a very tight rope. I stay focused through prayer." "'You Are' talks about all the wonderful things that Jesus is," explains Franklin. "I want to educate and enlighten. Some people are afraid of organized religion. I'm giving a fresh new way to look at religion so it can be embraced."

Hip hop pumps hard on "If You've Been Delivered," with Franklin flexing his rhyming skills. "Smile Again" takes a different twist ... it's a rock-gospel number featuring gospel veteran Donnie McClurkin. "I love many styles of music and on this album I wanted to express them all," offers Franklin. Gospel great Fred Hammond joins Franklin on the upbeat "My Desire." "Blessing In The Storm" moves to an acoustic/folk vibe while "I Can" is another touching and personal composition highlighted by a full orchestra and arrangements by Claire Fisher (who has worked with such artists as Barbra Streisand and The Artist Formerly Known As Prince). The albums wraps up with a "Love Remix."

With the release of The Nu Nation Project, Franklin aims to advance gospel music even further. "There are so many walls that still have to be knocked down," explains Franklin. "There are so many places gospel music can't go because of the lyrical content even though the music is progressive."

Franklin has already taken gospel music to new horizons. In the business for less than four years, he has sold almost four million albums. His 1994 debut album, Kirk Franklin & The Family, took the industry by storm. His second album, from 1996, Whatcha Lookin' 4, hit the Billboard album chart at number 23, simultaneously landing at number three on the R&B chart number one on the Contemporary Christian chart and number one on the Gospel chart. Gospo Centric Records also released The Kirk Franklin & The Family Christmas and Franklin also appeared on the top-selling soundtrack to "The Preacher's Wife."

Because of Franklin's instant success, the industry has had to reconsider the sales potential of gospel music. Franklin proved this even more when he helped usher in the group God's Property. Their single "Stomp" enjoyed support not only from gospel radio stations, but from many urban outlets as well. The video got major airplay on MTV. The Franklin-produced album reached number one on the R&B and Gospel charts and number three on the Billboard pop album chart. It also took home a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album by a Choir or Chorus.

Franklin himself has been the recipient of many awards. In all, he has received seven Stellar Awards (sweeping all rive categories in which he was nominated at the 1996 Stellars, an event he hosted), five Excellence Awards, two NARM Awards, two Dove Awards, one Grammy Award (for the God's Property project), a Gospel Music Association Impact Award, a Vision Award, a Black Expo Award, three Image Award nominations and two Soul Train Award Nominations. He has graced magazine covers and television screens normally reserved for world-class athletes and Oscar-winning actors. USA Today lauded Franklin's sound as "a new day in gospel music." People called him the "apostle of gospel." Franklin has also been featured in Billboard. Rolling Stone, Vibe, Newsweek and on CNN. He has performed on "The Late Show with David Letterman," "The Tonight Show," "Good Morning America," and "Live with Regis & Kathie Lee."

Franklin's rise wasn't one that happened overnight. His was a hard-fought battle from the streets of Fort Worth, Texas. It is a tale of despair and deliverance that Franklin has chronicled in Church Boy, but putting his life story to paper wasn't initially of interest. "Plus I knew it would be difficult because I've had so many painful things that I would have to relive." But when he realized his own saga might help others, Franklin proceeded. The book is not only about his life, but also an honest discussion about issues important to him, including racism in the church and teenage sexual promiscuity.

He was born to a teenage mother, the 15-year-old Deborah Franklin, who initially considered abortion until an aunt intervened. That aunt, 64-year-old Gertrude Franklin, ultimately took in the infant and raised Kirk as her own. It was her piano-playing husband who introduced Kirk to music. At four years of age, Kirk would climb the piano stool and attempt to pound out a song. Noting this, Gertrude collected cans to pay for piano lessons for the youngster. By age 7, Kirk's natural talent lured a recording deal, which Gertrude turned down. Joining the church choir, Kirk rose up the ranks to become music director at age eleven.

Despite his love of church and music, the mother- and fatherless lad lost his way. He got into fights, entertained too many girlfriends, and in school he skipped his academic courses, opting only for the arts, choir, band and drama. Attempting to keep the rebellious teen out of trouble and help focus his talent, Gertrude arranged for an audition for him at a professional youth conservatory associated with a local university. Franklin was accepted and for awhile his life was on track. But things unraveled fast after a girlfriend announced her pregnancy. Franklin was soon expelled for behavioral problems. He never returned to school.

In the end, music and ministry prevailed. Franklin returned to the church and landed another choir directing position. He also co-founded a gospel group, The Humble Hearts. They recorded one of Franklin's compositions and got the attention of industry legend Milton Bigham. Impressed, Bigham enlisted Franklin to lead the DFW Mass Choir in a recording of Franklin's song "Every Day with Jesus." Next, Bigham hired Franklin to lead the choir at the 1990 Gospel Music Workshop of America Convention, a major industry gathering. Franklin was just twenty years old.

He traveled across the country, writing songs for choirs and performing. In 1992, he formed The Family with a group of friends. They produced Kirk Franklin & The Family, which had several record companies vying for the group. The following year, Franklin signed with up-and-coming label Gospo Centric, founded by Vicki Mack Lataillade.

These days, when not on the road or in the studio, Franklin spends time with his family in Dallas. He married longtime friend Tammy Collins on January 20, 1996. Along with Franklin's two other children (son Kerrion, 10, and daughter Carrington, 9) he and his wife recently welcomed an addition to their family (16-month-old daughter Kennedy).

Franklin is set to embark on a major tour to promote The Nu Nation Project and has launched a website "to make the Word as accessible as possible." This is a gentle soul with a giant mission to enlighten the world.

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