Bishop Eddie Long returns to the gospel music arena with a new release tomorrow, only this time, he’s not presenting the New Birth Total Praise Choir.  This project, The Kingdom Vol. 1 Featuring GW’s, is coming from Bishop Eddie Long & Friends.

If you were hoping to add another churchy project to your collection, you may want to amend your expectations a bit– nearly all of these tracks are laced with hip-hop beats without a choir or ensemble in earshot, though, I don’t think you’ll notice their absence.

The Kingdom features some heavy-hitting guest artists to capture your attention, including Mary Mary on the easily danceable ”Give God Something”, Tye Tribbett on “Down With The King,” an old-school-flavored joint that is slightly reminiscent of his hit, ”Good In The Hood,” and Dorinda Clark-Cole on the classic R&B-influenced “Wrapped Up In You,” which reminds me a lot of DeBarge’s “All This Love,” a soul music favorite.

The rest of the project bounces from rap to more soulful ballads, at all times featuring artists with a clear passion for using their gifts to glorify God.  Executive Producer James E. Jones, a former Def Jam executive, says he wanted to “make a difference in the gospel music world” with this 11-track project.  You’re definitely going to wanna check it out.

Again, it’s in stores tomorrow, but you can listen to some sample tracks NOW at the official website by clicking here.

Make sure you come back here and lemme know what you think!