Through virtual auditions and rehearsals, the Compassion Youth Choir, made up of more than 120 youth, ages 11-19, worked with the artist to record the song, which was originally released in 1998.Īfter a trip to the Dominican Republic with Compassion in early 2020, Franklin felt called by God to use his talents, platform, and personal story to inspire youth around the world to pursue their own giftings. The award is the highest honor BMI presents to gospel songwriters.For the past several months, Franklin has been working with youth from all 25 countries in Compassion's child development program. Kirk Franklin was named a Trailblazer of Gospel on January 13, 2012, in Nashville.

In a 2005 interview with Songwriter Universe, he said, “I believe that God is the songwriter and I am the pen,” elaborating “All the music that comes out of me is because God has spoken to my heart-it all comes from Him.”Īnd coming from a gospel songwriter as successful as Franklin, that’s no timid statement either.

He’s often described himself as receiving divine inspiration when he writes songs. Kelly for his re-reading of Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me” or rack up appearances on BET’s popular hip-hop video countdown show 106 & Park or host BET’s gospel singing competition Sunday Best or see his music embraced by gospel and r&b audiences for going on two decades.įranklin has almost always done his songwriting solo, though this statement calls for some qualification. So it’s really no coincidence that he’s been able to land Salt-N-Pepa’s Cheryl “Salt” James for “Stomp (Remix),” or Mary J. Live and on recordings, Franklin inhabits something of a hybrid role-you could call it worship leader/MC-energizing and exhorting singers and audience alike with his bold-faced, spoken insertions. Songs like “I Smile” fit well in the r&b landscape, in part, because Franklin writes them in first-person-the style of most r&b lyrics-while a lot of his more traditional numbers, like his uplifting early ‘90s classic “Why We Sing,” are written in the collective voice, inviting participation from the pews. His twelfth album, 2010’s Hello Fear, is home to everything from spoken word, verging on rap (“The Story of Fear”) to buoyant urban pop (“I Smile”) and a dramatic mass choir showcase (“The Moment #1”). In adulthood, Kirk Franklin the Grammy-winning, platinum-selling composer-arranger-producer-choir director has made good on his firsthand knowledge of what it takes to forge musical connections with people both inside and outside the church, trend-attuned, tough-to-please teens included.įranklin pioneered with his approach to bridging hip-hop, contemporary r&b and traditional gospel on his albums, which was no small risk at first after all, people tend to associate rappers and slow-jam crooners with considerably more carnal concerns. That was the opening track on God’s Property, the rare gospel album to top Billboard’s r&b chart, which arrived four albums-counting a Christmas set-into a career that has continuously and profoundly broadened modern gospel music’s pop cultural impact.Īs a kid growing up in Texas, raised by his Aunt Gertrude (for whom his publishing company is named), Franklin took piano lessons, listened to his share of hip-hop-he’s named Run-DMC as an early influence-and led the church choir, though he didn’t necessarily do all of that at once. There was nothing at all timid about the words Kirk Franklin delivered as an intro to his 1997 gospel and r&b hit “Stomp (Remix).” “For those of you that think that gospel music has gone too far,” he challenged, stamping every syllable with streetwise churchly conviction, “you think we’ve gotten too radical with our message.

Lean on me kirk franklin live