In the secular world, the closest parallels to gospel mogul
Kirk Franklin are George Clinton and Prince. All three rule musical universes that they envisioned, created and control. (Franklin's Grammy-winning latest,
Hero, and Prince's
3121 are a mere six innuendos and one Prince whisker apart.) But Franklin's funk and sweetness answer always — and
only — to a bigger ruler. Even in the face of detractors who find his sound too earthbound, Franklin's ensembles shamelessly pull together two-thirds church, with massive choirs, horns and shouts and love songs to Jesus, and one-third world, with ferocious grooves that have even the most sacredly reticent music fans gettin' their praise on. For Franklin, that conversion is pretty much exactly the point.
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