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Gospel Music has undergone somewhat of a transformation over the last decade. Whilst the traditional choirs, worship groups and Kirk Franklin are still commonly referred to when mentioning the genre, here in the UK, the recent wave of Christian rappers (both in Hip Hop and Grime), has swept the genre into a frenzy. Amidst the various names who are pushing the sub-genre of Gospel music, Guvna B stands as the most prominent of the group. The east London born 21 year old’s list of accomplishments are quite remarkable; winning the MOBO for Best Gospel, supporting US superstar Kirk Franklin and headlining at the Indig02 alongside fellow artists Victizzle and Faith Child are just some of the accolades he has achieved. As a result of this, his New Year’s Day release of the Scrapbook mixtape has captured the attention of more than just the faithful Gospel folk.

MaryMary_02_color Twelve years ago if you were to tell sisters Tina and Erica Campbell that they would be three time Grammy winners, have a platinum selling debut album and three Gold certified albums, they would have probably laughed in disbelief. Gospel music rarely crosses over into the mainstream charts and any artist – regardless of their genre – is extremely lucky to have a career that spans over ten years. “Sometimes I look around and I have to pinch myself to believe that this is really happening. Did I really achieve all this?” says a very humbled Erica, one half of acclaimed gospel duo Mary Mary. She begins to reminisce, “Tina and I use to share a tiny apartment, so when I look back it amazes me how far we’ve come. I have to thank God for all he has done for us, he has really blessed us and for that I’m truly grateful.” With the guidance of producer Warryn Campbell, Tina and Erica were making a name for themselves in the late '90s within the Gospel music scene. But it was 2000’s hit “Shackles (Praise You)” that put the duo on the map and broke them into the mainstream market. “I had no idea the single would be that huge” she says. Performing under the name Mary Mary, the single was a huge success on both sides of the Atlantic and their debut album Thankful - released later that year - went Platinum. A decade later and five albums down the line the singers are still going strong and staying relevant in today’s music scene, with the last twelve months being one of their most successful years to date.

Brian Retouched_single

Gospel gave birth to soul and with his debut album Just Love, Brian Courtney Wilson (a protégé of Mathew Knowles) proves why the genre has always remained relevant. "The Bible says love covers a multitude of sins and that’s what I wanted to sing about on the album," he says. "Not just the fruit of [loving] but also struggling with that." Read on as the Chicago native talks to SoulCulture about the merits of love: with God, one’s self and each other.

SoulCulture: Why did you call the album Just Love?

Brian Courtney Wilson: Because people decided to just love me, despite my flaws and faults. They gave me the opportunity to follow the dream that God has given for my life. It’s the reason why I can keep going instead of worrying.