Franklin modernizes gospel's sound
'The flavor didn't change, the soul changed,' the singer says of himself.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Trendsetter is not a word that normally comes to mind when describing a gospel artist.
Usually the Christian-based musician or singer sticks to familiar tenets of the genre, employing traditional strings, heavenly organ keys or modest guitar chords to accurately enhance the spiritual message.
However, over the past decade, Kirk Franklin has systematically changed the way fans view gospel music, breaking down barriers by meticulously weaving popular musical influences -- R & amp;B, modern rock, hip-hop, pop, jazz -- into a modern gospel sound.
Take a listen to Franklin's latest effort "Hero," and you'll hear crisp rhymes, bumping bass lines and saucy percussion that sound more like 50 Cent than Cece Winans.
"To be honest, I'm not really trying to do anything different," said Franklin, calling from New York City. "All I'm doing is just expressing my faith in the music and how it comes to me. The music that inspired me and influenced me growing up as a kid is just the music that I pulled from. It wasn't a sit down, thought-out process."
Inspirations
As far as what music inspired this Dallas native, that may surprise you.
"Growing up I used to listen to David Bowie, U2, Tears for Fears, the '80s European movement," Franklin said. "I was a kid when hip-hop was born. I used to break dance, [my] street name was Kid Fresh. So I've kind of been there with it and then when I became a born-again Christian, God didn't change my swagger. It's like when you become a Christian, if you like Chinese food, that's not going to change. So the flavor didn't change, the soul changed."
In a little more than a decade, Franklin has continuously updated gospel, beginning with his 1993 debut "Kirk Franklin and the Family," which was the first album of its genre to go platinum. So far seven studio albums have resulted in millions of albums sold, three Grammy Awards and countless tours, the latest of which comes through Youngstown on Monday at Chevrolet Centre.
Not only is Franklin the biggest-selling contemporary gospel artist in the history of music sales, according to reporting agency SoundScan, but he's a definite player in the secular music industry. Guests on previous albums have included the likes of Mary J. Blige, U2's Bono and R. Kelly, but it was Stevie Wonder's collaboration on "Hero" track "Why" that has him feeling giddy today.
"That was every sweet taste you can think of," Franklin said. "Can you imagine? The song just felt Stevie-ish." The 35-year-old record mogul, who recently started Fo Yo Soul Entertainment, said he called in a favor to Wonder, who years ago expressed an interest in singing with Franklin.
His credibility
Aside from offering music fans a contemporary gospel perspective, Franklin's credibility stems from his music's honesty, which doesn't sugarcoat the struggles that life provides. "If gospel music is going to reflect life, then it has to reflect all of life," Franklin said. "And all of life isn't a walk in the park. There is a bitter taste to life at times."
Considering the bitterness and despair that pervade our tumultuous times -- Hurricane Katrina, war overseas, struggling economy, etc. -- Franklin decided to remind people there's calm in the storm by naming his album "Hero."
"That's what the world is looking for," Franklin said. "Everybody is living life on edge. There's just a desensitized culture out there and you don't see a lot of happiness, a lot of optimism. Because of our own desire to be sometimes too politically correct, nobody wants to run the risk on taking the chance on that offer. So as a young man of faith, I'm saying God has given us a hero who we can put our trust in."