Maverick City Music is facing significant fan backlash following a recent collaboration with a rap artist.
The five-time Grammy award-winning and six-time Dove award-winning worship collective is featured on a song on GloRilla’s latest album Glorious alongside, Kirk Franklin, Chandler Moore and Kierra Sheard.
The song, ‘Rain Down on Me’ is the only song on the 15-track album that doesn’t feature explicit or inappropriate lyrics.
After hearing this news, fans of Maverick City quickly took to social media to react.
“Maverick City is featured on a song with Glorilla???? What an embarrassment for the Christian music industry. Come quickly, Lord,” said one fan.
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“These ‘Christian’ gospel artists need to stop compromising. It’s PLENTY ways to reach souls. Kirk Franklin, Kierra Sheard & Maverick City Music being on Glorilla album is wild. God come get us,” said another.
On the flip side, others backed up the band saying there is an opportunity to minister.
“Objectively if Maverick City stayed true to their virtues and bring more people over from collabing with Glorilla i don’t see the issue. Joseph was under the Pharaoh(pagan) and still served God and brought people over,” said a fan on X.
Others praised the song, saying it was great and that it’s time to stop judging people.
The Glorilla ft. Kirk Franklin, Maverick City track is so good. Y'all can sit down, and stop judging people. You're not God. You're not perfect.
— Noémie (@nne_o_mah) October 11, 2024
In an interview with Complex Magazine, GloRilla, whose birth name is Gloria Hallelujah Woods, says she was born into a conservative Christian family of 10 kids.
She was the second youngest and grew up listening to gospel artists like Kirk Franklin and Donnie McClurkin. Despite her parents’ beliefs, according to GloRilla, they have always backed her career choice.
This isn’t the first time Maverick City Music has been in the spotlight.
In 2022, Maverick City Music cut ties with singer-songwriter, Dante Bowe, due to behavior that they said was inconsistent with their core values and beliefs. Details of his behavior were later reported; Bowe initially issued an apology then retracted it.
Maverick City Music has yet to address this recent backlash.
This article was originally published by CHVN Radio.
Journalist Colleen Houde is a news writer and on-air host at CHVN in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
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4 Responses
“What fellowship has darkness with light?”
I just listened to the song while reading along with the lyrics. This is a fantastic way of introducing contemporary gospel music to those who might not usually choose to listen to music centering on God’s blessings and love. Honestly, the beat slapped. It can be easy to get into our personal experiences of where we think God belongs instead of remembering how often Jesus was seen speaking truth in places that were not the temple and not with people who already had faith.
The point of our faith is to share it with others, especially those who don’t care for traditionally Christian music. This song is an excellent introduction to those who might become curious about listening to more music about God and faith. We must be willing to recognize that God can use those not generally known for their faith background to help water the seeds that lead others to faith. This does more for those who don’t know him yet than we can imagine.
Why are people awarding each other for singing to God? Who are they worshipping? God is a holy God and He is worshipped in spirit and truth not for an award or for pay but because He is WORTHY OF ALL PRAISE, exaltation, adoration and thanksgiving. Why are people treating things of God as common? Christian music events marketed&promoted as those of the world….
John 12:43
“For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.”
These concepts aren’t new: Christian artists have had secular artists on their albums for years. Kirk Franklin alone has had Salt (from Salt N Pepa) and Bono (from U2) collaborate on songs.
If this gets people who normally wouldn’t listen to a Christian song listening to something with a gospel message, what’s the problem?
Sigh…. I think today’s church would judge Jesus for hanging with sinners….