Nicole “Faithful” Franklin has accomplished so much over the course of her remarkable and fascinating career. Today, this energetic, self-described “B-girl” continues to explore her many talents as a songwriter, recording artist and performer, but the focus has changed: Faithful has redirected her gifts in praise of her Creator, using music as one of her vehicles. This holy light shines through on her new album, Taking It Back, which is being released on her own Living Water Records, distributed by Thank You Entertainment/ Fontana/ Universal Music Group.
Taking It Back is a high-energy hip-hop/praise-and-worship project produced by Qura Rankin (Christina Aguilera, Fabulous, Donnie McClurkin, Mike Post), that showcases Nicole doing what she does best: throwing down the beats and giving the glory to God! She wrote all the lyrics and co-produced the disc, with Rankin writing the music. The album grooves through 12 outstanding tracks as Nicole, filled with the Holy Spirit, shares the Word and exalts God’s greatness. “My mission for this album is to capture the heart of the Christians, take them into the presence of the Lord and keep them there, and keep their minds on Jesus, for it’s Christ alone that is our Savior,” Nicole explains. “Ultimately, Jesus is all we need, so if I can lead them to Christ, then everything is all right.”
Taking It Back, with its commanding, marching-band beat, is the perfect choice as a title track and album opener. It is a charge to all to take back everything that the devil stole, and it sets the theme for the entire CD. “Purpose and Destiny,” the first single, showcases Nicole at her most energetic. This uplifting praise-and-worship song is all about going after your purpose and getting what God has in store for you. On “Who U Rollin’ Wit’” Nicole tells Christians that if they’re rollin’ with Jesus, let the world know and don’t be ashamed of it! This call-and-answer hip-hop anthem is sure to catch the ears of young listeners as it compels Christians to proudly represent! “Beautiful,” a mid-tempo hip-hop track, is Nicole’s special message to women of all ages, shapes, sizes and ethnicities. It flows with smoothness, flutes, strings, heavy bass and drums. The encouraging lyrics affirm women of who they are in Christ. “Without You” reflects another side of Nicole. This slow worship song opens with an orchestral introduction; its lush keyboard passages accompany Nicole as she leads the singers with grace and passion in the acknowledgement of one simple fact: Without the Lord, we are nothing! “The Greatest” is a praise-and-worship song with tremendous energy, soul and spirit from beginning to end. Nicole leads the singers with power and passion, acknowledging Jesus in an anthem that is sure to be a favorite among church choirs.
Nicole was raised in Inglewood, California. She grew up in a very traditional Baptist church and sang in the choir, with whom she would also travel and perform at other local churches. Nicole comes from a large family of gospel singers; her mother’s side is comprised of thirteen siblings, ten of which are singers. Between her mother and father’s families, three members are pastors, one is a co-pastor and four are ministers.
Life would present Nicole with many challenges, like the death of her best friend and play sister, Motown recording artist MC Trouble, from whom she got her first break as a choreographer, DJ and sidekick at a very young age. Throughout her career, Nicole has worked in choreography, artist development, directing, writing, television and films. These fields led her to work with incredible artists such as Jada Pinkett-Smith, Queen Latifah, Boyz 2 Men, P. Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Nas, Whitney Houston and LL Cool J, to name a few. She choreographed for such shows as the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, David Letterman Show and Europe MTV Awards, to name a few. Eventually, she signed a record deal with Street Life/Scottie Brothers under the moniker Nikki Kixx, scoring a hit single with “What U Do 2 Me,”(the song reached Billboard Magazine’s Top 20 on the Hot 100 Music Charts).
Experiencing so much success and pressure at such a young age, Nicole found herself caught up in the secular industry. Throughout all of the struggles, twists and turns, through Jesus Christ, she returned home. “I went through a lot to come out and tell about it. Jesus Delivers! He still heals. He still saves and absolutely nothing or no one is too hard for GOD to turn around for the good, for his Glory, for his name sake!” She says. “The Bible says, ‘Raise up a child in the way that they should go and when they are older they will not depart.’” Nicole found her way back home with a newfound sense of Purpose and Destiny.
In 2000, Nicole rededicated her life back to Christ and eventually answered the call to minister. God directed Nicole to a new place in Him, a relationship she discovered at In His Presence Church in California, under the leadership of Pastor Mel Aryes. It was there that she renewed her faith. “I walked into that church lost, angry, hurt and confused, and they embraced me for who I was at the time and helped me turn my life around,” she says. “I walked out a new woman in Christ.” While at In His Presence, she worked in the prison, outreach, children’s and youth ministries. Nicole is now serving as Youth Minister at her new church in California.
Nicole signed her first gospel recording contract with producer extraordinaire Warryn “Baby Dubb” Campbell (Missy Elliott, Mary Mary, Mario, Kelly Price, Yolanda Adams) and his label, My Block Records. Making the change from secular to gospel music was easy for her because of the great joy she experiences when expressing her love for Christ. Having grown up listening to hymns, quartets and urban gospel, she understood the traditional music, but she discovered gospel music in other genres, such as Contemporary Christian, Pop, Rock, Rap and Hip-Hop.
“Hip-hop is an artistic form of expression in itself, and I have been rapping since I was 10 years old, but in the midst of different styles of music I needed to find my own voice in Christian music,” she says. “Through that search, God birthed in me my new album, Taking It Back.”
Nicole’s testimony is a powerful one. To hear it is to hear the true reflecting power and nature of God’s redemption and deliverance.
