Nicole C. Mullen
Nicole C. Mullen Bio
Much of who we become is shaped by the people God places in
our lives. We are all a product of the love and wisdom we glean
from family and friends who sow into us. They guide and teach
us, leaving an indelible impression not just on our hearts and
minds, but on future generations as well. On her new Word Records
collection, Sharecropper's Seed Vol. 1, Nicole C. Mullen examines
the gift of relationships. Whether saluting her grandfather
in the title track or sharing the tender mother's lullaby "Babylove,"
Nicole celebrates the rich tapestry of life.
"It's all of our stories," says Nicole. "We
all have come from someone else's toil. They've prayed for
us or planted seeds on our behalf or encouraged us along the
way. We all have somebody who's responsible for the great
harvest that we might receive in life. For me, it's my mama,
my grandparents, and my dad."
Her maternal grandfather inspired the title track of the
album. "My inspiration came from a conversation that
I had with my mom," she recalls. "She was speaking
about her dad and how they grew up in Georgia. He was a sharecropper
when she was a small child and life was hard, but at the same
time he had a hope and a dream for a better life for his family."
As a sharecropper, Nicole's grandfather had to give a portion
of his crops to the landowner. It was a hard life, but it
didn't rob him or his family of the joy they found in their
faith. That priceless legacy was passed down to her.
"Many people in my family have paid a price for me to
do what I do today," she says appreciatively. "It
just made me want to stop and honor them, give credit where
credit was due, and at the same time remind us that what we
do with a seed has power for generations to come. If you bless
the seed and nurture it just the right way, then the seed
can rise up, but if you contaminate the seed, in future generations,
there will be nothing to prosper from."
Both of Nicole's grandfathers were Pentecostal preachers.
"So we grew up going to church 11 days a week,"
she says with a laugh. Among all those fond memories, there
was a particular New Year's Eve church service she recalls
having life-changing impact. Nicole and her two sisters were
sitting in the front row when her father bestowed a special
gift.
"He came around and laid his hands on the three of us.
When he got to me, he laid his hands on me and prayed that
God would bless me in music and that He would take me around
the world and that I would sing. My sister still jokes that
the only reason I'm doing this is because Daddy gave me that
blessing. They say, had he not given them that blessing on
that day, there would be no Nicole C. Mullen. It's one of
our family jokes, but at the same time I think there's a lot
of truth in that. The way that we've been blessed, and the
way that we bless each other, can actually produce fruit."
Nicole's life and ministry is a shining example of that fruit.
She's a sharp businesswoman who designs her own clothing line.
She's collected eight Gospel Music Association Dove Awards,
including two Female Vocalist of the Year honors, two Song
of Year honors ("On My Knees" and "Redeemer"),"
Songwriter of the Year and the 2005 Urban Album of the Year
for her previous CD, Everyday People.
Beyond the numerous music industry accolades, Nicole has
accomplished so much more with the desire to impact others
from her own backyard to across the globe. She has worked
to help free the Trokosi slaves held captive in Ghana, West
Africa, and for more than a dozen years she has sown into
the lives of young girls through her Baby Girls Club, an organization
that mentors young women.
Perhaps even more important than her far-reaching ministry
are the seeds she's planting in her four children. "I
think a lot of times it's just the simple things like hugs.
I tell my kids often, 'I'm so thrilled that out of all the
parents and all the kids, that I've been chosen to be your
mom,'" says Nicole, who lives with her husband, David,
their kids and lots of animals on a farm outside of Nashville.
"I see greatness in my kids. I love to be able to ask
them what their hopes and desires are for the future, and
be able to call those things out."
Nicole's music is inspired and informed not only by those
closest to her in her daily life, but also her encounters
on the road. "There are faces that I see when I write
albums," says Nicole who penned all the lyrics on Sharecropper's
Seed Vol. 1. "Many of those are faces I see after a concert.
I love to talk to those who have come and enjoy hearing their
stories. I want to hear it all. These are the faces and the
names that I'm writing toward when I'm sitting down with a
pen and paper."
Produced by Tony McAnany (Chant, Missy Elliott, Jennifer
Knapp), the album features many top musicians in the country,
whose creative expertise runs the gamut from jazz to Broadway
to pop to classical to country. "It's definitely one
of those albums you can listen to and unwind when you come
home from work and want to just contemplate on something good.
When you want to just relax, this is one of those albums.
Hopefully people will, in their relaxing, find something that's
worth chewing on."
Anticipating new music from Nicole, Christian radio is sure
to quickly embrace the up-tempo debut single "Convinced,"
a compelling declaration of faith that nothing separates us
from the love of God. The song features guest vocalist Curtis
King, who has worked with Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin
and Rod Stewart.
One of the most talked about tracks on the project is "One
Touch." Inspired by scripture, the poignant ballad describes
one woman's desire to be healed by simply touching the hem
of Jesus' garment. "Unless you humble yourself, you can
never be exalted. If you exalt yourself, then you have to
be humbled," says Nicole. "So in this album, part
of the thread woven throughout teaches us to make the choice
to humble ourselves. It's the same thread of the woman who
wants to be healed. The only way she knows is to go low and
to touch the hem of his garment, then she could rise up and
be made whole."
"He loved her and affirmed her in front of people,"
Nicole continues. "She went away from that encounter
truly made whole, not just in body, but in spirit also. I've
always loved that story and been fascinated by it at the same
time. I felt some kind of a kinship to it. In some crazy way,
her story becomes my story. Her story becomes our story as
to how he embraces us in the midst our pain and our doubt.
In the midst of our unworthiness, he embraces us and loves
us. It's a reminder for me and to all of us that this is the
kind of God we serve."
"Elohim" features Nicole's voice, a stunning, vulnerably
beautiful instrument that captures the passion of a heart
crying out to God in surrender. "I Wish" is a prayer
for those she cares about, inspired by her Babygirls. "It
says, 'Of all the things that I would want for you, I wish
this more than life—to love the Lord with all your heart,
with all your soul, your mind and strength,'" she says,
citing the poignant lyric.
"Some of these songs are just prayers that have been
born out of joy," states Nicole. "Some were born
out of frustration, the ups and downs of life. It's the journey
that we walk, the truth that we see in it all."
Musically there are songs like "So in Love" that
will make the listener surrender to the groove, unable to
sit still. Then there are songs sure to make other people
break down and weep, but at the essence, this is music that
will plant seeds. It's an outpouring of emotion from a sharecropper's
granddaughter—a woman who knows the importance of continuing
a powerful legacy.
"My granddad is a man of few words, not a talker like
we women in the family are, but a sweet man," says Nicole.
"He taught my mother the love for prayer and power of
prayer. It's amazing to see how God has honored him and his
life, even though he's probably never had more than 30-50
people in his congregation. But he's been faithful. You can
see how God has been rewarding his faith and not just through
me, but through other family members honoring my granddad's
faith. It's a testament to him, and at the same time, I am
encouraged, and want to do the same for those who come after
me. I want to do the same for those who come after me."
Nicole is doing that through her music. "I just aim
for the heart and hopefully that was accomplished on this
album," she says. "There are everyday people that
are heroes to me. These are people who keep me fired up and
keep me going. These are the people that I aim toward, and
I want to get it right. Hopefully, at the end of the day,
they will not have just heard pretty music, but somewhere
between the lines, pages, and phrases, they will have heard
the whisper of God to the depths of their hearts." Courtesy
Word Records
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