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Fri, 2 Oct 1998 14:24:57 EDT
Gospel's message transcends medium
Gospel artist Kirk Franklin: 'I just want to make sure that my message is
clear. Even if you don't agree with me I want you to know what I'm saying.'
WASHINGTON � Kirk Franklin says the debate over whether Stomp, last year's
phenomenal funk-driven, hip-hop flavored hit by his spinoff act God's
Property, is truly gospel music is still simmering. But he's undeterred in
bringing his message of salvation and uplift to young people by using the
beats of the streets.
His The Nu Nation Project hit stores Sept. 29, and he's pushing the envelope
beyond Stomp, which drew the ire of conservative gospel fans with its use of
Parliament-Funkadelic riffs and a rap by Cheryl James of Salt-N-Pepa.
Franklin, who makes frequent references to Jesus and God when talking about
his music, says he's on a mission to counter the negativity found in some of
today's popular records, but he can't do it if he doesn't get kids' attention
first.
"I've got kids, and I had to throw some of my son's (R&B and rap) CDs away,"
says the father of three young children. "He says, 'Yeah, Dad, you're right
about the message but I love the beats.' You've got all these songs out there
with fly beats but then they've got all this poison in them with folks just
cussing."
Franklin's new album includes several woofer-rattling dance numbers, including
Revolution, a collaboration with hot R&B producer Rodney Jerkins (Brandy),
mixed in among powerful, contemporary gospel ballads.
"This album is a collage of every style of music that we as African-American
people represent � jazz, hip-hop, blues, old-time church," says Franklin, 28,
whose rags-to-riches autobiography, Church Boy: My Music & My Life (Word
Publishing, $12.99), was also released Sept. 29. He'll launch an extensive
tour after Christmas.
"We are trying to make the message more accessible to everybody. If a true
change is going to come in society, it's going to come by bringing folks
together. Young people can learn how to respect the old school and the old
school can learn how to understand the new school."
The album's first single is the conscience-pricking anthem Lean on Me, which
features R&B stars R. Kelly and Mary J. Blige, U2's Bono and Christian music
star Crystal Lewis. The song addresses a number of social ills, including
AIDS, homelessness and teen pregnancy, and aims to rekindle awareness of the
plight of churches destroyed by arson. Franklin and his label, Gospo
Centric/Interscope, plan to donate $250,000 from the album's proceeds to the
Burned Churches Fund, established to rebuild churches and synagogues torched
in recent years.
Franklin is also helping B-Rite Records � a joint venture between Franklin,
Claude Lataillade (husband of Vicki Mack Lataillade, owner of Gospo Centric)
and Interscope Records � bring on a new wave of gospel artists and producers.
The double-platinum God's Property, gospel's best-selling album ever, was B-
Rite's first release, and it's currently enjoying R&B crossover success with
the young female trio Trin-I-Tee 5:7.
"What we've found out is that a lot of young people are rising up saying,
'Yeah, that's what we want to do, but nobody has heard our stuff because for
years folks thought our stuff was corny or wasn't right for church,' " says
Franklin. "Now, there is a platform for them."
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