God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation is a collaborative live album by God's Property and Kirk Franklin. It was released on May 27, 1997 recorded as a live-in-studio project in July 1996. At the time of its release, urban contemporary gospel had gained massive ground in the music industry, thus sending the album to its third position peak on the Billboard 200 album chart and making it the first gospel album to top the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, where it reached number one on five nonconsecutive weeks. With sales of 3 million units, it is one of the best-selling gospel albums of all time.
Track listing # TitleTimeNotes1."Stomp (Remix)"5:04Written by Kirk Franklin (features interpolation of "One Nation Under A Groove" written by George Clinton, Jr., Garry Shider, and Walter Morrison, who are also credited with writing "Stomp")Guest performance by Cheryl "Salt" James.2."My Life Is In Your Hands"5:34Written by Kirk Franklin (It can be heard on the end credits to Spike Lee's "Get On The Bus", and is added to the soundtrack album 'Get On The Bus: music from and inspired by the motion picture', available on 40 Acres and A Mule MusicWorks and Interscope Records.) 3."It's Rainin'"3:49written by Larron Vaughn4."More Than I Can Bear"5:21Written by Kirk Franklin5."Up Above My Head"4:11written by Myron Butler6."Love"5:23Written by Kirk Franklin7."Sweet Spirit"4:54written by Robert Searight Jr.8."Faith"5:45Written by Kirk Franklin (embodies portions of "Yes, We Can Can" by Allen Toussaint, who is also credited as a writer of this song)9."You Are The Only One"6:47Written by Kirk Franklin and Greg Brown (contains interpolation of "If I Was Your Girlfriend" written by Prince Rogers Nelson). 10."So Good"5:10Written by Kirk Franklin11."The Storm Is Over Now"5:46Written by Kirk Franklin12."Stomp (Original Mix)"5:36Written by Kirk Franklin (features interpolation of "One Nation Under A Groove" written by George Clinton, Jr., Garry Shider, and Walter Morrison, who are also credited with writing "Stomp")13."He'll Take The Pain Away"8:40Written by Kirk Franklin
Chart performance and RIAA certification The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 120,000 copies, making it the highest charting gospel album at the time (until Marvin Sapp's Here I Am debuted at #2 in 2010). It was also #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for 5 non-consecutive weeks making it the first gospel album ever to top that chart. It was also #1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart for 42 consecutive weeks also making it the longest streak at #1 on that chart, and the album would remain on the chart for 105 weeks total. In October 2001 the album was certified triple platinum with over 3 million copies sold across the United States.
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1997) Peakposition
Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position US Billboard 200 40 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 7 Chart (1998) Position US Billboard 200 175 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 67 Chart (2025) Position US Top Gospel Albums (Billboard) 21
Singles chart positions
"Stomp" Year Chart Peak 1997 U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 12 1997 U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay 1 1997 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay 52
Personnel Musicians Kirk Franklin: Piano/Organ Keith Taylor: Bass David "Paco" Cruz: Electric Guitar Bobby Sparks: Keyboards Shaun Martin: Keyboards/Organ Robert "Sput" Searight: Drums/Keyboards Jerome Harmon: Organ Lawrence Ferrell: Drums R.C. Williams: Organ/Keyboards Jerriel Carter: Trumpet Jason Davis: Saxophone Derrick Harris: Saxophone
See also List of number-one R&B albums of 1997 (U.S.)
References