KIERRA SHEARD
GRAMMY® nominated vocalist Kierra Sheard will release KiKi's Mix Tape (EMI Gospel) on September 22, 2009. Included on the project are 2 brand new songs, the lush and slow-grooving "Teach Me" and the church-girl-gets-her-rock-girl-on high-octane praise anthem "Sing To The Lord". An EP comprised of 8 tracks, KiKi's Mix Tape is a vivid portrait of a young artist fully coming into her own.

The material on KiKi's Mix Tape spans Sheard's dynamic young career, virtually documenting her artistic development from her explosive introduction as a solo artist in her own right via her 2004 debut smash single, the Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins-produced "You Don't Know" to current radio hit "Love Like Crazy (Extended Mix)", making several stops in between.

"I love how this project shows how I've grown as an artist from my first single until now," says Sheard of the release. "I went on facebook and twitter to ask my fans what some of their favorites were that they wanted to see on the project that we could mix in with some remixes and new songs. I love the artwork, I love the concept and overall this project was just a lot of fun to put together."

Sheard enjoyed letting her hair down and shifting into a bit of a different gear for the new song "Sing To The Lord". "I really like to jump around and have a good time when I praise God. We tend to put limits on ourselves when it comes to expression and I wanted to get outside all that with this song," she says. "I had so much fun with this song and can't wait to do it live!"

Also included on KiKi's Mix Tape is a new remix of "Wave Your Banner (Monsta Mix)", a special Tommy Sims-produced duet with vocalist Marcus Cole on the classic Donnie Hathaway-penned holiday favorite "This Christmas" and the futuristic-sounding urban aural assault of "I Want Back", which was previously available only as an exclusive bonus track to fans who purchased Sheard's last release, Bold! Right! Life! on iTunes.

The words "spare time" are foreign to Sheard, and in between studio sessions and live concerts she has more than enough to keep her busy. In addition to actively pursuing a degree in English at Wayne State University in her hometown of Detroit, she is working hard on the launch of her clothing line, MaMAJik™, in the spring of 2010. More information about MaMAJik™ can be found at www.mamajik.com.

Another effort close to Sheard's heart is her youth ministry initiative BRL (Bold! Right! Life!), which just held its second-annual youth conference in August 2009 in Detroit. "My vision with BRL is to nurture and empower my generation both naturally and spiritually, and show them that it is entirely possible to be young, saved and still have a full, vibrant and fun life," says Sheard of the BRL initiative. More information about BRL can be found at www.boldrightlife.com.

Sheard will also be making her big-screen debut alongside LeToya Luckett, Clifton Powell, Essence Atkins and others in the Warner Premier/Gener8xion Entertainment film "The Preacher's Kid", which hits theaters October 30, 2009. More information about The Preacher's Kid can be found at www.preacherskidfilm.com.