Written byJordan Hamilton
Kirk Franklin samples simply do not miss! As a music mogul who has created and produced chart-topping hits for nearly three decades, his music remains timeless โ creating a strong sense of nostalgia and worship.
Attending a Christian school in the early 90โs, it was normal hearing โMelodies from Heaven,โ โRevolution,โ and everything in between on repeat throughout the day. As a young girl, I appreciated this new age gospel music. It would take me almost twenty plus years to realize that some of my favorite tracks by Kirk, also happened to use samples by some iconic Hip-Hop and R&B artists from back in the day. Sampling artists such as Scarface, Patrice Rushen, and the iconic Funkadelic, mixing the undertones of secular music with the words of worship was something that was seldomly done back then, but perfectly executed by Franklin.
Through fusing popular genres of music, Kirk Franklinโs style of sampling remains unmatched through the creation of literal โmelodies from heaven.โ Beyond the technical aspect of his musical craft, he has a way of breaking down barriers by drawing in music lovers from all walks of life. Kirk Franklin was, and still, remains the epitome of the future of gospel music. He took two popular things (gospel music and mainstream music) and fused them together to create something bigger that would glorify God at the end of the day, further proving that the genre can and will continue to evolve.
Below are 9 Kirk Franklin samples birthed from some of the most timeless musical masterpieces of our time.
1. Why We Sing (1993)
Source:YouTube
Sample: โHis Eye Is on the Sparrowโ by Ethel Waters (1952)
2. Melodies From Heaven (1996)
Source:YouTube
Sample: โAnniversaryโ by Tony! Toni! Tonรฉ! (1993)
3. Stomp Remix (1997)
Sample: โOne Nation Under A Grooveโ by Funkadelics (1978)
4. Revolution (1998)
Source:YouTube
โMo Money, Mo Problemsโ by The Notorious B.I.G. ft. Puff Daddy, Mase, and Kelly Price (1997)
5. Gonna Be A Lovely Day (1998)
Source:YouTube
Sample: โLovely Dayโ by Bill Withers (1977)
6. Imagine Me (2005)
Source:YouTube
Sample: โStrangerโ by L.T.D.
7. Looking For You (2005)
Source:YouTube
Sample: โHavenโt You Heardโ by Patrice Rushen (1979)
8. I Smile (1997)
Source:YouTube
Sample: โSmileโ by Scarface ft. 2PAC and Johnny P (1997)
9. Wanna Be Happy (2015)
Source:YouTube
Sample: โTired of Being Aloneโ by Al Green (1971)