Kris Grant’s Melodic Measuring Tape
By Emmanuel Daraloye
It’s the intriguingly nuanced approach to his music that sets young Kris Grant apart from his contemporaries within the Christian gospel musicdom. The Nigerian musician has been on my radar for quite some time, and his recent joint tape with his longtime collaborator Maikon West, Shepherd Vol 2, flickers more attention on this alluring aspect of his artistry.
On Shepherd Vol 2 Grant deepens his stylistic approach with West, approaching more contemporary pop styles, such as the Highlife/folk-leaning pop in “The Sheep’s Song”, and Amapiano in “The Way”, and Afro-pop in “Na You”. The 5-tracker spin showcases Grant’s neuer ideas with Christian gospel lyricism; he explores more intimate, personified povs, like he does on “Na You”, where he says “you be my pillar (my only ginger), nothing fit to separate me from you,” without the tense salutations that several Christian gospel musicians tend to tuck in to show piety.
The project follows the dream that was set in Shepherd Volume 1, where Grant and Maikon explore a versatile soundscape, fitting Amapiano, Crunk Hip Hop, and Melodic Rap into a 4-tracker spin. On Shepherd Volume 2, the idea is refined for a dance-leaning Afrobeats audience, with all of the five tracks except “Holy Father” crafted in mid to high tempos. The Shepherd EP Vol 1 charted in multiple countries on Apple Music’s Christian and Gospel Album charts, peaking across the top 100 albums in Netherlands, Uganda, Nigeria and Malawi. His other songs have equally garnered significant streams, with some bestsellers like “All In All Pt 2” which netted over 100,000 streams.
In addition to his rapping and singing prowess, Grant really does approach his catalogue like a tailor, sizing up the right melodic fabrics to fit his fancy visions of contemporary Christian gospel music. His debut tape, Ablaze, also showcases his devotion towards Hip Hop and RnB. The tape stands out for its dramatic arrangement, with a suspenseful psychodrama/Drill opening in “Oku”, and the vintage Naija RnB in its title track “Ablaze”, flows easily into the RnB-Dancehall/Indian pop fusion of “Why”, before climaxing with Trap and Amapiano in the last two tracks “Tmhr” and “Salute”, respectively. On all his compilation records, Grant takes his fusions with pride, serving deliveries that accentuate his far-right melodic ideas. His work remains impactful among music-loving Christians who enjoy contemporary music that is lush with originality, culture and exciting sonic fusions.
There’s also the track record he’s built in Nollywood, composing riveting film scores that have kept him on a referral hotdial over the past years. His Hip Hop track “Ogbe”, in Dolapo Adigun’s Criminal, as well as the Amapiano-fused track “Gallant” in Niyi Akimolayan’s The Man For The Job, and the song “Gbas Gbos” in Funke Akindele’s Battle On Bukka Street are a few examples of his stellar work across Nigerian cinema. His film scores, notably, ring with the signature feel of Grant’s vintage-futuristic compositions, visibly coloured with his rich use of Nigerian languages such as Igbo, Yoruba and Pidgin English. They also have interesting fusions of some other indigenous sound like highlife, especially in “Gallant”, and are all apt references of the motion pictures they were created for.
With most of his records primed for replay value, especially his most recent work Shepherd Volume 2, Grant stands out for his varied lyricism, as well as his audacious and versatile deliveries, spotlighting him as one of the most interesting rising voices in the Nigerian Christian gospel scene.
Born Nwokocha Mac-Grant Ifeanyi, Kris Grant surfaced across the Nigerian music scene in 2018. His debut extended play, Ablaze, helped solidify the foundations of his music legacy, distinguishing him as a singer, rapper worth his salt.
