Gospel Music Crosses Over

12/23/1998 4:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Billy Johnson Jr

(12/23/98, 1 p.m. PST) - The success of Kirk Franklin has opened doors at urban radio stations for New Orleans female trio Trin-I-Tee 5:7. The hip young singers' debut single, "God's Grace," is enjoying spins on urban stations KKBT Los Angeles, WHUR Washington, D.C., and WVAZ Chicago.

The song's success is partially attributed to its sound, essentially a mellow R&B track produced by R. Kelly. "If you don't listen to the lyrics, ["God's Grace"] sounds like everything else on the station," says KKBT music director Dorsey Fuller. Fuller and his colleagues wanted to give it a try at KKBT after learning of the song's success in the gospel community.

Trin-I-Tee 5:7's self-titled album, out on B-Rite/ Interscope, reached No. 1 on the Top Gospel albums chart. The response at KKBT was favorable. "We put it in call-out research and it came back really strong," Fuller said about recently adding the song to the station's playlist. "We put the record in the next week and it was just as strong. Maybe it's an indication that people want to hear inspirational lyrics."

Eric Dawkins of the gospel duo Dawkins & Dawkins hopes this is the case. His group's latest album Focus, released in August, featured production from "The Boy Is Mine" producer Rodney Jerkins.

"You don't have to leave church and do bump-and-grind just so you could drive around in a Beamer or Benz," said Dawkins. Focus is currently No. 25 on the Top Gospel albums chart; it peaked at No. 10.

Other Top 10 contemporary gospel acts to watch include Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ's double-CD Pages Of Life, The Prince Of Egypt-Inspirational soundtrack, and Take 6's So Cool . Abandon Entertainment even has a Notorious B.I.G.-like rapper by the name of B.B.J., whose video "Pentecostal Poppa" has been played on BET.

A myLAUNCH feature on top gospel superstar Kirk Franklin is available by clicking here.

-- Billy Johnson Jr., Los Angeles