The Music of Kirk Franklin

Society & Culture & Entertainment Religion & Spirituality
By Society & Culture & Entertainment
106 13
There aren't many artists out there in Christian or mainstream music that can say that their debut album spent 100 weeks on the charts. Kirk Franklin, a man who's gospel debut album was the first ever to go platinum, can. Twenty years later, he's added 5 Grammy Awards, 16 Doves, 33 Stellars and 3 NAACP Image Awards to his list of kudos.

Franklin's albums include ...


'Hello Fear' - 2011


The 2012 Grammy Awards' Best Gospel Album also gave us the Best Gospel Song (the title track). The album was also named the NAACP Image Awards 2012 Outstanding Gospel Album - (Traditional or Contemporary) with the single, "I Smile" being named the Outstanding Song the same year and at the 2012 Dove Awards, it took home the Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year win and the Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year.
  • Certified RIAA Gold on February 15, 2012

Hello Fear Track Listing:

  1. Hello Fear
  2. The Story Of Fear
  3. Before I Die
  4. I Am
  5. But The Blood
  6. Everyone Hurts
  7. I Smile
  8. Give Me (featuring Mali Music)
  9. Never Alone Interlude
  10. The Altar (featuring Marvin Sapp & Beverly Crawford)
  11. Something About The Name Jesus Pt. 2 (featuring Rance Allen, Marvin Winans, John P. Kee & Isaac Carree)
  12. Today
  13. The Moment #1
  14. The Moment #2
  15. A God Like You
on Hello Fear


'The Fight Of My Life' - 2007


The 2007 album addresses issues that our nation faces: crime in the streets, young people trying to grow up too fast, fathers not being in the picture and the negative self-images that abound in a way that we all can relate to, regardless of our age. The winner of the Grammy Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album in 2009 also gave us the Grammy Best Gospel Song ("Help Me Believe").

The Fight Of My Life Track Listing:

  1. The Fight Of My Life
  2. Intro
  3. Declaration (This Is It!)
  4. Little Boy (featuring Rance Allen)
  5. Help Me Believe
  6. Hide Me
  7. How It Used to Be
  8. He Will Supply
  9. Jesus
  10. I Am God (featuring tobyMac)
  11. It Would Take All Day
  12. A Whole Nation
  13. Still In Love
  14. I Like Me (featuring Da' T.R.U.T.H.)
  15. Chains
  16. Still (In Control) (featuring Doug Williams and Melvin Williams)
  17. The Last Jesus
on The Fight Of My Life


'Hero' - 2005


The 2007 Grammy Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album delivered the Best Gospel song as well ("Imagine Me"). Hero also won the Stellar Awards CD of the Year for 2007 and the 2006 Dove Awards Urban Album of the Year. The project was also nominated for the Soul Train Music Award Best Gospel Album in 2006.
  • Certified RIAA Gold on December 02, 2005
  • Certified RIAA Platinum on December 14, 2006

Hero Track Listing:

  1. Intro (America The Beautiful)
  2. Looking For You
  3. Hero (featuring Dorinda Clark-Cole)
  4. Interlude #1
  5. Let It Go (featuring tobyMac & Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D.)
  6. The Process
  7. Imagine Me
  8. Could've Been (featuring J Moss & Tye Tribbett)
  9. Better
  10. Afterwhile (featuring Yolanda Adams)
  11. Brokenhearted (featuring Marvin L. Winans)
  12. Without You
  13. Keep Your Head
  14. Why (featuring Stevie Wonder)
  15. First Love
  16. The Appeal
  17. Brokenhearted (Reprise)
  18. Interlude #2
  19. Sunshine
  20. Outro
on Hero


'The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin' - 2002


In 2003, The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin won the NAACP Image Award Outstanding Album award, the Soul Train Music Award's Top Gospel Album award and the Dove Awards Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year honor.
  • Certified RIAA Gold on March 20, 2002
  • Certified RIAA Platinum on May 19, 2003

The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin Track Listing:

  1. Intro
  2. Hosanna
  3. Caught Up (featuring Shirley Caesar)
  4. 911 (featuring Shirley Caesar)
  5. The Blood Song (featuring Crystal Lewis, Donnie McClurkin and Jaci Velasquez)
  6. Brighter Day
  7. My Life, My Love, My All
  8. Lookin' Out For Me (featuring Willie Neal Johnson)
  9. He Reigns / Awesome God
  10. Interlude
  11. Don't Cry (featuring Richard Smallwood)
  12. The Transition
  13. Always
  14. When I Get There
  15. Interlude
  16. Outro (The Blood) (featuring Yolanda Adams and Alvin Slaughter)
  17. Throw Yo Hands Up (featuring tobyMac)
on The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin


'Kirk Franklin Presents 1NC' - 2000


Seamlessly blending an African music sound with hip-hop, soul and pure old-school gospel, Kirk Franklin and the 1 Nation Crew gave listeners something new and different.

Kirk Franklin Presents 1NC Track Listing:

  1. Interlude
  2. Movin' On
  3. Unconditional
  4. Interlude
  5. Breath Away
  6. Be Like Him
  7. Nobody
  8. Interlude
  9. Donna
  10. Free
  11. Interlude
  12. Hands Up
  13. When You Fall
  14. Could've Been Me
  15. Interlude: Prayer In Schools
  16. Lost Hearts
  17. I Can't Live Without You
  18. Free (Reprise)
  19. In Your Grace


'The Nu Nation Project' - 1998


Kirk Franklin along with The Family, God's Property, One Nation Crew and Nu Nation won enough awards for The Nu Nation Project to fill up any mantle. The album won the 1999 Dove Award for Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year, the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album, the 1999 MOBO Award for Best Gospel Act, the 1999 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Gospel Artist, and several 2000 Stellar Awards (Artist of the Year, Producer of the Year, CD of the Year, Contemporary CD of the Year, Contemporary Choir of the Year and Rap/Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year).
  • Certified RIAA Gold on January 20, 1999
  • Certified RIAA Platinum on January 20, 1999
  • Certified RIAA 2x Platinum on March 28, 2000

The Nu Nation Project Track Listing:

  1. Interlude: The Verdict
  2. Revolution (featuring Rodney Jenkins)
  3. Lean on Me (featuring Mary J. Blige,Bono, R. Kelly and Crystal Lewis)
  4. Something About the Name Jesus
  5. Riverside
  6. He Loves Me
  7. Gonna Be A Lovely Day (featuring Skip Scarborough and Bill Withers)
  8. Praise Joint
  9. Hold Me Now
  10. You Are
  11. Interlude: The Car (Stomp)
  12. If You've Been Delivered
  13. Smile Again
  14. Love
  15. My Desire
  16. Blessing In The Storm
  17. I Can
Purchase/DownloadThe Nu Nation Project


'God's Property' - 1997


God's Property was the first Kirk Franklin album in my collection and I fell in love with the energy and flow of the praise. I wasn't alone in the love affair as this project won multiple awards: It was the 1998 Dove Awards Urban Album of the Year with "Stomp" being named the Urban Song of the Year; it garnered Franklin the Best Gospel Album by a Choir or Chorus Award at the 1998 Grammy's; it won him two NAACP Image Awards - Outstanding Music Video and Outstanding Gospel Artist and a Soul Train Music Award for Best Gospel Album.
  • Certified RIAA Gold on July 30, 1997
  • Certified RIAA Platinum on July 30, 1997
  • Certified RIAA 2x Platinum on March 4, 1998
  • Certified RIAA 3x Platinum on October 19, 2001

God's Property Track Listing:

  1. Stomp (Remix)
  2. My Life Is In Your Hands
  3. It's Rainin'
  4. More Than I Can Bear
  5. Up Above My Head
  6. Love
  7. Sweet, Sweet Spirit
  8. Faith
  9. You Are The Only One
  10. So Good
  11. The Storm Is Over Now
  12. Stomp
  13. He'll Take the Pain Away

Purchase/Download God's Property


'Kirk Franklin and The Family - Christmas' - 1995


The only Christmas project from Kirk Franklin, Kirk Franklin and The Family - Christmas is as contemporary in the 21st century as is was in the 90s.
  • Certified RIAA Gold on January 22, 1999

Kirk Franklin and The Family - Christmas Track Listing:

  1. Silent Night
  2. Now Behold the Lamb
  3. Jesus Is the Reason for the Season
  4. Go Tell It On The Mountain
  5. They Need To Know
  6. There's No Christmas Without You
  7. O Come All Ye Faithful
  8. The Night That Christ Was Born
  9. Thank You For Your Child
  10. Love Song
  11. Silver And Gold (Remix)
Purchase/DownloadKirk Franklin and The Family - Christmas


'Whatcha Lookin' 4' - 1995


The 1997 Grammy Awards winner for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album offered both upbeat/up tempo tunes and slower, more worship oriented songs.
  • Certified RIAA Gold on August 16, 1996
  • Certified RIAA Platinum on May 28, 1997

Whatcha Lookin' 4 Track Listing:

  1. Savior More Than Life
  2. Whatcha Lookin' 4
  3. Melodies From Heaven
  4. Conquerors
  5. Don't Take Your Joy Away
  6. When I Think About Jesus
  7. Mama's Song
  8. Jesus Paid It All
  9. I Love You Jesus
  10. Washed Away
  11. Where The Spirit Is
  12. Let Me Touch You
  13. Anything 4 U
  14. Whatcha Lookin' 4 (Remix)
  15. Melodies From Heaven (Skate Remix)
Purchase/DownloadWhatcha Lookin' 4


'Kirk Franklin and The Family' - 1993


The album that introduced the world to Kirk Franklin appeared on five different Billboard charts: Heatseekers (#2), R&B Albums (#6), The Billboard 200 (#58), Top Contemporary Christian (#1) and Top Gospel Albums (#1).
  • Certified RIAA Gold on February 08, 1995
  • Certified RIAA Platinum on November 14, 1995

Kirk Franklin and The Family Track Listing:

  1. Why We Sing
  2. He's Able
  3. Silver & Gold
  4. Call On The Lord
  5. Real Love
  6. He Can Handle It
  7. A Letter From My Friend
  8. The Family Worship Medley
  9. Speak to Me
  10. Till We Meet Again
on Kirk Franklin and The Family
Source...
Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up here to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe at any time
You might also like on "Society & Culture & Entertainment"

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.