The Elevens remembers one of the first Christian female groups to unite Hip Hop with Contemporary Christian music.
Growing up in a Christian household sometimes can limit your exposure to many different types of things. From a very young age, I was sheltered in different areas, music being one of those areas. I’m asked many times about different artists from the past, and I sometimes can only tell you about their most popular songs. As I got older, I found many ways to expose myself to other music genres besides Contemporary Christian, Praise Music, and Gospel. Still during these times of limited listening I fell in love with artists that still today hold a very valuable place in my heart and mind. One of those artists is a group called Out of Eden. I was actually introduced to the group while watching a Saturday night program on the Christian network called Real Videos. The music video that played was a song called More Than You Know, and it blew my mind. The very little glimpses of the video of what we in the Christian world call secular music looked very similar those videos . In my mind I said is this a Christian video and should I be watching this? The dancing, the bubble coat, the chill hip hop vibe that was coming from the video was something that we had never seen before. At this time Kirk Franklin’s Revolution video hadn’t even come out yet, so it was eye-opening. What made it even more special was that it was an African-American girls group, and these ladies came before the likes of groups like Virtue and Trinitee 5:7, these groups would surface in 1997. Yes along the way there were other African American female groups, but they veered into the lane of traditional Gospel and had a completely different sound. The harmonies of this group were so very unique and something that Christian world had never really heard. The best part about Out of Eden or OOE as I liked to call them was that they were all real life sisters. Lisa, Andrea, and Joy Danielle Kimmey were their names at the time, now all are married with new last names. The R&B and Hip Hop music that they delivered truly set the tone for future Christian female group music. After I finished watching the video, I began to do my research and found out that a previous album had come from them called Lovin’ the Day which I connected with yet another song from the album. The song was called Lovely Day, originally recorded by Bill Withers, this was actually the first rendition of the song I had ever heard. Years later when I began to listen to oldies and others types of music I figured out that their version was not the original, but nonetheless I thought it was so amazing that they turned that song into a song geared towards the Lord. Following those first two albums they went onto record 4 more albums along with releasing a greatest hits album with a final never before released song. Out of Eden has been and will continue to be my favorite group of all time. I can’t begin to explain the impact and the help they have been to my life and the life of so many other boys and girls. Today The Elevens will list the top 11 songs or videos that showcase one of the greatest female groups in Christian music history. Enjoy!
1. Lovely Day (Lovin’ The Day) – A fresh new take on Bill Withers classic song, Out of Eden is able to put a new spiritual twist on the song. By simply replacing the word love with Lord, we get a whole other meaning to the song. The video is so simple but such a great introduction to the three sisters.
Enjoy the “Lovely Day” video by clicking here. 
2. A Friend (Lovin’ the Day) – A song from the first album that I think is so overlooked is the song called A Friend. This song gives us a classic early 90’s sound, with a sort of California cruising Jazz sound. The vocals and harmonies of this song are undeniable, and you get to hear the true blend of the sisters voices. I enjoy this song so much because it the type of song you can just turn on and ride with the groove of the music.
Listen to “A Friend” 
3. More Than You Know (More Than You Know) – Like explained in the intro More Than You Know was the first video I had ever seen from OOE. The upbeat dance track is sure to catch your attention and is unlike anything the Christian world had ever seen from a girls group. Enjoy the “More Than You Know” music video by clicking here. 
4. Lookin For Love (No Turning Back) – Even though I’m only showcasing two songs from this OOE album, No Turning Back was a true turning point for the group as a whole. The sound for this project really grew the girls up and gave them a more mature grown up sound. At this time Out of Eden went from girls to young women and you cam hear that through the music. Looking for Love along with other great tracks like River, Window, and Tomorrow, all were worthy of mention but I had to keep it to 11. The Lookin for Love video had two different versions for the video but nonetheless just great to see the girls having fun. Take a peep at the “Lookin For Love” video by clicking the link. 
5. Here’s My Heart (No Turning Back) – Another fabulous song from the third album from OOE was Here’s my Heart. This song was a group duet with another huge Christian family group at the time called The Katinas. The Katinas was a group of 5 brothers that had just come on to the scene and were label mates at Gotee with OOE. The song is a ballad that almost sounds like it could be a love song to another person, but in fact is a ballad of surrender to the Lord. So basically it is a love song to God, which is beautifully written. 
6. Meditate (This Is Your Life) – I can remember anticipating a new album from the group and finally after 3 years in 2002 a new album arrived. This album was called This is Your Life. Unlike the previous album which had a more Contemporary Christian sound, This Is Your Life leaned more heavily on the R&B/ Hip Hop style. I felt this project brought them back to their original roots from the first album. The song Meditate has a very slow groove but it gives you everything you need from the girls. The blend of their voices and the cadences of the song are incredible, it truly makes you want to sit back and meditate. Click Link to watch “Meditate” video. 
7. Praise You (This Is Your Life) – One of my all time favorite songs from OOE is the song Praise You. Praise You actually highlights Joy Danielle who you get to hear every so often on certain songs. Her voice shines through during the entire song. There is no doubt the entire album flows effortlessly and actually garnished two Dove Awards a year after its release. The most interesting thing about this album was that OOE was known for hiding special tracks on their CD’s. Ever since their More Than You Know album, I always listened to the full album to hear the extras placed throughout it. On this particular album, I didn’t realize the hidden track was at the beginning of the CD. You actually have to rewind the CD in order to hear the introduction to the album. If you just start the CD regularly it begins with Track one. I thought it was an genius move! You never know what to expect on an OOE album. Listen to “Praise You” 
8. Love, Peace, and Happiness (Love, Peace, and Happiness) – In 2004, the group came back with another full EP, but this would be the last CD with a mixture of the upbeat Hip Hop and R&B sounding tracks. Love, Peace, and Happiness has the now signature OOE sound to it, and almost was reminiscent of the way Out of Eden started. The music video would be the final music video released by the group which makes it extra special. Watch the entire music video by clicking the link. 
9. Soldiers (Love, Peace, and Happiness) – Before Destiny’s Child came out with their song Soldier, OOE had a song called Soldiers with an entire different meaning. Out of all of the songs on the album this song actually gained the most recognition. I totally wish OOE would had have followed this song up with a video to draw more attention to this entire project. I feel like Love, Peace, and Happiness did not get the recognition it deserved and might have fared a bit better with a summer release, it definitely had a summer vibe to it.
10. Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (Hymns) – In 2005, a year after the Love, Peace, and Happiness’ short-lived era OOE released a whole new sixth album. At this point, we should have realized that albums back to back like that without and tours or heavy promo would mean the groups run was coming to a close. Although this song is the only upbeat song, the whole album is so much different from all the other albums yet very beautiful. The group took classic old Hymns and put their own unique OOE sound on each of the songs. Click link to watch a rare performance “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” and “Meditate” during an appearance on the TBN network. 
11. Mighty, Mighty Good (The Hits) – About a year and five months later the group released one final Hits compilation CD. This included eleven of their most popular songs from previous albums, and one brand new song which would have most likely been another amazing hit. Mighty, Mighty Good was actually rich sounding upbeat song which made me just want the group to continue on, but a great way for them to go out. Truly it lets the fans know that they are appreciative and blessed to have a successful music career spanning 12 years.
In 2011, I personally put together a fan page for the group on Facebook (Click Link to Join the Fanpage). I wanted to make sure that my favorite group was never forgotten. The music they made is still very relevant today and is timeless. I have always had hope that they would return to the Christian music scene because I still feel as if something is still missing in Christian music today. Groups like Grace, Trin-i-tee 5:7, and Virtue are some of the few remaining Christian female groups of today. Still their sound is not at all comparable to the three sisters from the garden. Out of Eden will always hold a special place in my life after being given a second chance at life their This is Your Life album was one of the first albums I remember listening to over and over after my brain injury recovery. When I listen to their music, it takes me to another place and triggers great memories of a time when Christian music actually brought about change and it wasn’t about putting on a show. My hope is that we can get one more album out of the group their music is so needed in our world today. After beginning the fan page, and almost 1000 followers later, I believe that people all over the world could go for another dose of OOE. I truly hope the message and the light that has been spread from this group continues to impact and permeate the world around us. I also pray that they see that there is still a need to see their example, and hear that always unique and heavenly sound released in the atmosphere once more. My dream wish is to one day be able to interview the members of the group to talk about the ups and downs and get the entire story of the group as a whole. I’m sure by now you can tell I’m a Mega Fan and that’s one thing that will never change! So I’m sure if they were standing in front of me right now I would say loud and clear, “Out of Eden we want you back again for one more glorious round!” Please take time to Share, comment, and subscribe to The Elevens to hear future stories.
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