Kirk Dewayne Franklin is an American songwriter, choir director, gospel singer, and rapper. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel and Christian R&B ensembles such as The Family, God's Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC) among many others. He has won numerous awards, including 20 Grammy Awards. Variety dubbed Franklin as a "Reigning King of Urban Gospel", and is one of the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.
Karen Valencia Clark Sheard is an American Grammy Award–winning Gospel singer, musician, songwriter, First Lady, and businesswoman. Clark-Sheard is the wife of the current Church of God in Christ Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard and she serves as the current First Lady of the COGIC denomination. Clark-Sheard is the youngest member of gospel group the Clark Sisters. She is also the mother of contemporary gospel singer and actress Kierra "Kiki" Sheard. She has released five solo albums, seventeen with the Clark Sisters, and collaborated with her son J. Drew Sheard II and her daughter Kierra Sheard.
Lecrae Devaughn Moore is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record and film producer, record executive, actor, and entrepreneur.
Mandisa Lynn Hundley, known professionally as Mandisa, is an American gospel and contemporary Christian recording artist. Her career began as a contestant in the fifth season of American Idol, in which she finished in ninth place. She is the fifth American Idol alumna to win a Grammy Award, for her album Overcomer in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album category.
Tamela Jean Mann is an American gospel singer and actress. She began her career as a singer with the gospel group Kirk Franklin and the Family. Mann was a primary vocalist on several tracks while with Franklin's group, including "Now Behold the Lamb", and "Lean on Me", the latter of which also included Mary J. Blige, Crystal Lewis, and Bono. She began her solo career by releasing the albums Gotta Keep Movin (2005), and The Master Plan (2009).
American rapper Lil Wayne has released thirteen studio albums, one collaborative album, three compilation albums, five extended plays, and twenty-nine mixtapes. Wayne made his album debut in 1999, with Tha Block Is Hot, which was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. His later albums, Lights Out released in 2000, and 500 Degreez, released in 2002, attracted minor attention. In 2004, he released the first of his infamous Carter series, with Tha Carter. In 2005, Tha Carter II was released. In 2006, Wayne released a collaborative album with rapper Birdman, titled Like Father, Like Son. In 2008, Wayne released his best-selling album so far, titled Tha Carter III. Certified triple platinum by the RIAA, Tha Carter III won the Best Rap Album award at the 2009 Grammy Awards. Lil Wayne founded record label Young Money Entertainment and released a collaborative album featuring rappers signed to the label, We Are Young Money, in 2009, followed by his debut rock music album Rebirth in 2010. While serving an 8-month prison sentence in New York he released another album entitled I Am Not a Human Being, in September 2010. The next addition to Tha Carter series, Tha Carter IV, was released on August 29, 2011. In 2013, Wayne released a sequel to his 2010 album I Am Not a Human Being, titled I Am Not a Human Being II, followed by two compilation albums with his labels, Rich Gang (2013), and Young Money: Rise of an Empire (2014). After years of legal battles, his 12th studio album Tha Carter V was released on September 28, 2018. Lil Wayne released another album, Funeral, on January 31, 2020.
Kierra Valencia "Kiki" Sheard-Kelly is an American gospel singer and evangelist. She is the daughter of gospel singer Karen Clark-Sheard and COGIC Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard and the granddaughter of gospel choral director Mattie Moss Clark. After appearing on her mother's and aunt's albums, Sheard debuted to the music scene with the release of her debut album I Owe You in 2004. Her hit single You Don't Know was inspired by her mother almost losing her life in 2001 to a fatal blood clot. Sheard portrayed her mother in the hit Lifetime movie, The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel.
Elevation Worship is a contemporary worship music collective from Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. The collective leads worship in weekend church services at Elevation Church, as well as performing concerts and tours around the United States. The collective has sold over 2.5 million albums in the United States.
Reach Records is an American independent record label specializing in Christian hip hop. The label was founded in 2004 by Ben Washer and the hip-hop artist Lecrae. In addition to Lecrae, the Reach Records roster contains artists like Tedashii, Trip Lee, Andy Mineo, 1K Phew, WHATUPRG, Wande, Hulvey, and Limoblaze. The hip-hop collective 116 operates under the label and consists primarily of the label's solo acts. The artists Sho Baraka, Derek Minor, Aha Gazelle, KB, and Gawvi were formerly signed to the label, and DJ Official was under the label until his death.
Help is the debut studio album by gospel musician Erica Campbell, originally released on March 25, 2014 by eOne. This is Erica Campbell's debut studio album without her sister Tina Campbell. The album's release was preceded by the singles "A Little More Jesus", the title track "Help" and "You Are". The album debuted at number 1 on the US Billboard Gospel Albums chart and number 6 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 23,000 copies. The album also won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album at the 57th Grammy Awards.
Heartbeat is the seventh studio album by Christian hip hop recording artist Da' T.R.U.T.H., released on April 15, 2014 by Da' T.R.U.T.H.'s own label, Mixed Bag Records. It features artists such as Braille, Capital Kings, Chris August, Lecrae, Papa San, and Tedashii, and production by Black Knight, DJ Corbett, Justin Ebach, Jordin Endow, Epikh Pro, J.R., Joseph Love, Alex Medina, Carlin Muccular and S1.
Anomaly is the seventh studio album by American Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released on September 9, 2014, through Reach Records. The album features appearances from Crystal Nicole, Kari Jobe, and For King & Country, along with label-mate Andy Mineo. Anomaly met with a positive critical reception, and the song "Nuthin", released for streaming as a single on July 1, 2014, was nominated for the 2014 BET Hip Hop Awards in the best Impact Track category. The album also fared well commercially, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with over 88,000 copies sold. It also debuted at No. 1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart, marking the first time that any artist has ever topped both the 200 and Gospel charts. Anomaly won Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year at the 2015 GMA Dove Awards, and Rap, Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year at the 2015 Stellar Awards. Two songs earned a nomination for the 2015 Grammy Awards; "All I Need Is You" was nominated for Best Rap Performance, and "Messengers", featuring For King & Country, which won Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.
"Break Every Chain" is a song performed by American recording artist Tasha Cobbs from her major-label debut studio album Grace (2013). The song was composed by Will Reagan, produced by VaShawn Mitchell and released as the album's lead single. The songs features guest vocals performed by Timiney Figueroa from Hezekiah Walker's Love Fellowship Crusade Choir.
Natasha Tameika Cobbs Leonard is an American gospel musician and songwriter. She released the extended play Grace in 2013 with the hit lead single "Break Every Chain". The EP reached No. 61 on the Billboard charts.
William Henry Murphy III is an American gospel recording artist and pastor. He started his music career in 2005, with the release of All Day on Epic Records. This album was listed on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart. His second album, The Sound, was released in 2007 on Central South, and was listed on the Top Gospel Albums chart as well. He self-released We Are One in 2011. This album was listed on the Top Gospel Albums chart, along with the Heatseekers Albums chart. His fourth album, God Chaser, was released in 2013 on Verity. The album reached the Gospel Albums chart, as well as the Billboard 200. Murphy is pastor of the dReam Center Church of Atlanta, which he founded.
Mansion is the debut studio album by American rapper NF, released on March 31, 2015 on Capitol CMG.
One Place Live is a live album by Tasha Cobbs. Motown Gospel released the album on August 21, 2015. The album was recorded live in Greenville, South Carolina before 3,000 attendees at Redemption Church. This album charted on two Billboard magazine charts, The Billboard 200 at No. 28 and No. 1 on the Gospel Albums chart, selling 13,000 copies during its first week of sales. Some special appearances like Kierra Sheard, Jamie Grace, Jonathan Nelson It has sold 80,000 copies as of September 2016.
"Holy Water" is a song by We the Kingdom that was released as the second single from their debut extended play, Live at the Wheelhouse (2019) and Holy Water (2020), on September 13, 2019. The song was written by Ed Cash, Scott Cash, Franni Cash, Martin Cash, and Andrew Bergthold.
Michael Brandon Lake is an American Christian worship singer, songwriter, guitarist, and worship pastor. Lake is a member of Maverick City Music and serves as a worship pastor at Seacoast Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Lake began his recording career with a successful crowdfunding campaign to produce an album in 2015, which resulted in the independent release of his debut studio album, Closer, in 2016.
"This Is a Move" is a song by Tasha Cobbs Leonard, which was released as a standalone single on January 25, 2019. Cobbs Leonard co-wrote the song with Brandon Lake, Nate Moore, and Tony Brown. Kenneth Leonard Jr. handled the production of the single.
