The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music — #39: Kirk Franklin, The Nu Nation Project (1998)

Intro

Landing at #39 in The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music, Kirk Franklin’s The Nu Nation Project (1998) stands as a watershed in contemporary gospel. It’s a record where mass choir energy, R&B smoothness, and hip-hop swagger converge around an unashamedly Christ-centered message.

The Album in Context

By the late ’90s, Kirk Franklin had already disrupted the gospel landscape, but The Nu Nation Project represented an even bolder step. Featuring guest appearances from R. Kelly, Mary J. Blige, Crystal Lewis, and others, the album intentionally straddled genre boundaries and cultural spaces.

Production is dense but purposeful—thundering drums, stacked choir parts, and hook-laden choruses sit alongside spoken interludes and intimate moments of worship. The project feels like a live church experience and a meticulously crafted studio statement at the same time.

Within Christian music, the album signaled that gospel could be both fiercely rooted in tradition and fully conversant with contemporary sounds. Its cross-format success helped bring gospel further into mainstream awareness without diluting its core.

Standout Songs

• “Stomp” (feat. Cheryl “Salt” James) — A joyful, high-energy declaration that fused hip-hop, funk, and choir praise into one of the most recognizable gospel singles of its era.
• “Lean on Me” — A collaborative ballad of comfort and solidarity that reimagined the classic title with a distinctly Christ-centered anchor.
• “Revolution” — A call-to-action track that marries bold production with a challenge to live out the gospel in public and personal life.

Why It Matters

Artistically, The Nu Nation Project proved that gospel could embrace modern production and cultural relevance without losing theological depth. Franklin’s vision and arrangements helped redefine excellence for choir-based projects.

Historically, the album’s reach across radio formats, award shows, and cultural conversations marked a turning point for how gospel and CCM interacted with the broader musical world. It inspired a generation of artists to think bigger about their sound and platform.

What’s Next

Tomorrow on The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music countdown, we continue with #38 — Larry Norman, In Another Land (1976). Be sure to catch the companion podcast episode of The CCM Professor with Greg Rice, where we trace how these albums re-shaped the soundscape of Christian music.

Soli Deo Gloria!

This post is part of the series The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music, celebrating the artists and recordings that defined a generation of faith-filled creativity.

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