MAVERICK CITY MUSIC AND KIRK FRANKLIN COLLABORATE ON ‘KINGDOM BOOK 1,’ OUT FRIDAY, JUNE 17 VIA TRIBL RECORDS/ FO YO SOUL/ RCA INSPIRATION

Taking the concept of “prison performance” to new heights, the genre-bending, 11-track project was created fully on the grounds of a Florida jail, with Maverick City Music and Franklin capturing the experience alongside more than 90% of those who remain incarcerated at the facility.

Joined by guys from all walks of life – all gangs, races, and backgrounds – ‘Kingdom Book 1′ blossomed from an unfiltered message of love and universal acceptance into a passionate, powerful movement that reflects the collective’s basic ideals of inspiring and assisting others.

“I think this album is for any music fan,” Maverick City Music’s Jonathan Jay says. “Our hope is that these songs and the stories behind them will serve as a vehicle to raise awareness to the issues that people face every day – many of which are forgotten about.” “The convicts’ reaction to merely being remembered as humans was the most moving element of this event for me.” Every day we spent with these individuals was filled with an enormous sense of appreciation and joy. It was incredible, and I believe that if more people were aware of these thoughts, they would want to help find a solution to the problems associated with incarceration.”

“We want to raise awareness about issues that affect the community that we serve, especially black and brown people,” Tony Brown of Maverick City Music says. “It’s critical that we’re able to communicate not only our music, but also the hearts and lives that these songs are inspired from.” Most of us have been affected in some way by these challenges, and as we evolve as artists, the things that are most important to us must take precedence. One of them is this.”

“In addition to raising awareness, I hope this record inspires people to take action on these concerns,” Brown says.“It’s being proactive – giving to foundations that help figure out how to stop mass incarceration, volunteering in communities that are grossly affected by it, and acknowledging that this is a real thing. If we can get a small amount of people to simply acknowledge this issue exists, then that’s a huge win for us.”

This year is shaping up to be the most important yet for Maverick City Music’s youthful pioneers. The ensemble recently received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album and performed a historic televised performance on the event. The group will take the music and movement behind ‘Kingdom Book 1’ on the road this summer with their headline ‘Kingdom’ Tour alongside Franklin, having been 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 extended, 37-date excursion begins on June 1 in Miami and continues until the end of July, and fans can get tickets to the virtually sold-out tour HERE.