Maverick City Music + Kirk Franklin Release ‘Kingdom’

Grammy award-winning music collective Maverick City Music and 16-time Grammy winner Kirk Franklin have released the new single and title track from their upcoming album “Kingdom.”

They will bring the injustices around mass incarceration – and the voices of 1,300 inmates – to center stage with the release of their collaborative album “Kingdom Book 1,” available June 17th via Tribl Records and Fo Yo Soul Entertainment/RCA Inspiration.

Taking the idea of “prison performance” to another level, the genre-transcending, 11-track project made entirely from the grounds of a Florida prison, features Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin recording the experience alongside more than ninety percent of those who remain incarcerated at the location.

“My heart has always longed for something more
I searched the stars to knock on Heaven’s door
Creation groans for God to be revealed
Every wound we carry will be healed”

Joined by men from every walks of life – different gangs, races, and backgrounds – “Kingdom Book 1” evolved from an unfiltered message of love and universal acceptance and became a passionate, powerful movement that embodies the collective’s core beliefs of inspiring and helping others.

“I think this album is for every fan that loves music, and our hope is that these songs and the stories behind them will serve as a way to raise awareness of the challenges that people face every day – many of which are forgotten about,” Maverick City Music’s Jonathan Jay states. “For me, the most impactful part of this experience was the prisoners’ reaction to being remembered as humans. It was an overwhelming sense of gratitude and excitement that carried through every day we spent with these men. It was unbelievable, and I think if more people would just become aware of these feelings, they would want to help find a solution for the issues that come with incarceration.”

This year is poised to be the biggest yet for the young pioneers of Maverick City Music. The group just won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album and completed a historic televised performance on the show. Nominated across four categories at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards, with triple nods in one category, and receiving three 2022 K-Love Awards nominations earlier this week, the group will take the music and the movement behind “Kingdom Book 1” on the road this summer with their headline “Kingdom’ Tour” alongside Kirk Franklin.

Set to kick off on June 1st in Miami, the extensive, 37-date trek hits arenas across the nation through the end of July.