At only 18 years old, Kierra "Kiki" Sheard is both wise and talented, far beyond her years. The granddaughter of the late Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, roundly credited as one the defining influences in the history of Gospel music, and daughter of Rev. J Drew Sheard, and Karen Clark-Sheard, a founding member of Gospel legends the Clark Sisters, and a celebrated solo artist for the last decade, Kiki is not only the first of the "next generation" of Clarks, but one who is, of even greater significance, reshaping the very face of modern Gospel, just as her mother and aunts did before her.
The title of her second and latest release, This Is Me, speaks quite well for itself. While giving a reverential nod of respect to her forebears, and delivering a couple of knockout, R&B ballads (the album's title cut, and "Hear This"), Kiki moves into a very hip, urban pocket, delivering her messages through the modern, up-to-the-minute R&B and hip-hop language of today.
Under the sure, hit-making hands of several producers, including Dark Child Production's Fred Jerkins (Brandy, Destiny's Child, Michael Jackson, Kirk Franklin, Trin-i-tee 5:7), Warryn Campbell (Dru Hill, Queen Latifah, Mario, Sisqo, Brandy, Mary Mary), and her younger brother, J. Drew, Kiki and This Is Me delivers a sound that will captivate ears, minds, hearts and souls—as well as capture the airwaves—for a long time to come. The CD is also being released in a Special Edition format, which will include the entire album plus five bonus cuts and an alternate mix of the title song.
"I called the album This Is Me because it's more of the music me and my friends listen to," says Kiki. "I grew up in the church, hearing and singing traditional Gospel, which I still love and will always be a big part of who I am. But when the Clark Sisters, then later, artists like Kirk Franklin, and Mary Mary stepped out and put the Gospel message to a contemporary sound, a lot of people, particularly the young, realized this was music they could relate to, and when they were then willing to give it a listen, the message started getting through as well."
Other This Is Me stand-outs include "You're the Only One," a slammin' slice of hip-hop with a bone-rattling bottom end, which, in Kierra's own words, "Basically says, `Lord, you are the one who always keeps me, and sustains me, and I'm going to praise you for all the miraculous things you've done in my life.'"
"Faith," masterfully produced by Kiki's extraordinarily gifted producer, J. Drew—her 16-year old brother—sports a cool, retro-soul vibe. "I love that neo-soul sound… Tye Tribbett, Jill Scott, Bilal, " says Kiki. "I got the idea for this song from one of my father's messages on faith. It really hit me, and sunk in, and this song just arose from that."
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