Kirk Franklin
To say that Kirk Franklin has been instrumental in changing the landscape of contemporary gospel music would be agross understatement. Since his 1993 debut, Franklin has gone on to win 3 Grammys ,33 Stellar and 9 Dove Awards. Always celebrated for weaving seemingly disparate musical influences—R&B, modern rock, hip-hop, pop, jazz, gospel—into a seamless fabric, Franklin creates his own singular style and sound that truly transcends any and all boundaries of genre, race, denomination or social background.
Never defined solely as a gospel artist, Franklin is also responsible for several mainstream cross-over successes. The highlights include 1995's multi-format smash “Stomp” that garnered airplay on MTV, as well as a Song of the Year nomination and performance on the 1998 Grammy Awards of “Lean On Me,” a track from his 1997 release,
The Nu Nation Project, which featured guest appearances by Mary J Blige, U2's Bono and R Kelly.
