Kirk Franklin

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1970, Kirk Franklin emerged in the early 1990s on the American contemporary gospel scene as a choir leader, songwriter and arranger. Leading the ensemble The Family, he recorded the 1993 album “Kirk Franklin & The Family,” which situated his writing between traditional gospel, R&B influences and urban soul, before following with “Whatcha Lookin’ 4” in 1996 and “God’s Property from Kirk Franklin’s Nu Nation” in 1997, both made with expanded choral formations. Franklin’s work is characterized by dense vocal harmonies, prominent use of call-and-response, rhythms close to hip-hop and a special attention to collective arrangements designed for both stage and church. From the 2000s onward — with albums such as “The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin” (2002), “Hero” (2005), “Hello Fear” (2011) and “Long Live Love” (2019) — he continued a discography focused on urban gospel, regularly collaborating with R&B and rap artists while producing and leading new generations of choirs. Also present in American television media, Kirk Franklin occupies a lasting place in the contemporary gospel landscape.