(PART 1) Battle of Riffs and Runs: Lalah, Kim, Bslade, Karen, Nikki 

But Lalah is the only one who can harmonize with...herself😂

B4 watching this, I would go with bslade for the win.

Kim burrell and Karen Clark Sheard.

The Clark Sisters had an influence directly or indirectly on almost every church/gospel singer so based on that alone Karen wins lol.

Kim is the most creative with her melisma overall. But Karen tho..

All these singers inspired me to study jazz!! Nikki has an incredible ear and so does Karen!! B.Slade/Tonex is THE KILLA, Lalah is out of this world!!! But my favorite is Kim!!! She was the first Gospel singer that I studied and that I tried to imitate!

KAREN IS MOTHER VOCAL PERIOD........

Have we forgotten Rachelle Farrell?🤔❤

Kim and Lalah for sure. Their jazz ears give them an edge to find note combinations and scales even your best Gospel singers wouldn’t look for. Karen is the most extra and has always had the ability to match her extra notes vocally, however, extra often lacks proper placement which is worth considering when it comes to being the best. That also said it has often put her in territory where she doesn’t execute her entire run as precisely or as clean, but yet and still she’s definitely a legend and considering her age and the fact that she’s still destroying vocally let’s you know she’s one of the best. B Slade has remarkable agility and the fact he’s listed within this group should speak for itself. Jazmine couldve also been listed, tho if we’re being fair she doesn’t show out as much as the rest of them (tho I think we all wish she would)

Ain’t no one touching Kim Burrell. Her Creativity and execution is unmatched. She doesn’t have the voice clarity of Karen but way cleaner.

B. Slade is unmatched

I watched this clip with the STANK FACE the entire time.. Although Kim is favorite they allllllllllllll bomb 💣 when it comes to the vocals 🙌🏾

All legends in their own right...almost no comparing because they all do different things and have different trademarks in their voices But...... LALAH👑 IS THE GOAT 🐐 Clark sisters are the originators They are all master class, and could teach in a college about music theory and voice......and no one can do what they do.

Love them all! They all have something special. Nobody can riff up the way Karen does. Lots of singers can do descending runs but Karen is the only one I know who can do them quite well ascending (the duration of executing them are longer than anyone I've heard). Lalah's style to me has the most uniqueness as she doesn't necessarily do the standard gospel runs as much. She's kind of got a world music vibe in what she does mixed in with jazz, soul, and a touch of gospel (you should checkout a clip of Lalah's run on the 2nd bridge of Forever, For Always, For Love that is killing)! Kim's are fast like a gliss on a piano where you hear every single note but at a pretty fast tempo. Nikki reminds of Karen at times. BSlade is ridiculous as he's probably one of the few male vocalists that can keep up with the ladies range-wise and with melisma. These are the kind of singers instrumentalists love because they can hear beyond the usual chord structures and sing notes the way an instrumentalist might hear them as opposed to the standard singer.

None of them was ready for Karen Clark she the best

Where is J Moss in this?

B Slade is an instrument.

yall are SLEEPING on nikki

I love all of their gifts for one reason or another, and they’re each unique in their own way. The biggest thing is Karen’s gift has stood the test of time. She and her sisters set the benchmark for a lot of singers across every genre to follow and stand on.

you really cant compare them 2 against each other cause for one, their voice types are different. from the texture of their voice is different and the range. If you prefer churchy then Karen. if you prefer jazz then Kim is your girl. I think Kim Burrell has the better ear and did things vocally one would hear a jazzy sax would do.

Very surprised Daryl Coley was not mentioned. His breathing, placement and phrasing are unmatched.

Nikki and Karen does so much that they lose step off the curb of their abilities at time. Kim just recently started using her range. Lalah smh.... Perfect timing and always in her lane. Lalah is undeniable.

Kim Burrell has the best runs shell do it better than anyone and it will sound very pleasant and will have rich tone and see what u guys say Karen’s runs are amazing but sometimes they sound a little bit pushed and she’s trying too hard but Kim does it so much easier plus the rasp ❤️ plus lecresia Campbell should of been in this she’s my second favorite with runs in head voice

Can’t forget; Karen’s in her mid 60’s. She’s not a young spring chicken but she’s been holding down her sound for over 50+ years w/o loosing her original sound. Not a lot of singers can say that or experience that. Karen’s been shutting it down for half a century and still sounds very similar to when she first started👌🏼She is a legend in her own right along with her sisters, The Clark Sisters. They deserve the movie to tell their journey.

All these artist listed will tell you Kim Burrell is the Greatest Of All. Her execution is clear & gets more technical as years progress! #HoustonTxSangingCity

Kim Burrell all the way!!

real nice but Karen won thanks no comments LOL

KCS - THE BEST!!!

Extraordinary vocal ability! I really enjoyed the collaboration at 8:26-8:52 the end had me cracking up.

Kim and Lalah are the greatest singers of ALL time. But Lalah is a rnb/jazz singer so in my opinion its not really fair to compare her to gospel singers but Lalah and Kim still take the crown

Kim Burrell wins on all of them folks. But the others are not to be played with either. In ANYWAY

Vanessa Bell Armstrong was doing it before them all.

Lalah!!!

Lawd Jesus Kim Burrell’s voice is magic!

Ledisi should've been in this as well as Rachelle Ferrell

B Slade too

Where's Kiki, Brandy, and Jasmine?

The Karen Clark Sheard got that 1st Place... y'all can argue who got 2nd, 3rd, etc.

Lalah and Kim

Nicki sounds too much like Karen. She's an amazing singer, but I'm not feeling that. She studied Karen too much

Karen Clark Sheard is the best singer of all time and CANNOT be compared! She inspired every singer on this list‼️

Everyone is great but in my opinion the difference between Karen and Kim little sister shared you never ever really know what she's going to do or where she's going to go

I wish there were more screen time for bslade

Kim

You are Amazing for finding all of these. SUBSCRIBED!! Please make more!

There is a difference in yelling a note and singing a note in HIGH pitch.......too many call yelling as singing

All of them in their own way is simply Amazing ❤️

NIKKI ROSS...❤️❤️🔥🔥🔥

Can we get a Mariah Karen battle

This comes down to personal taste.. but let’s not forget who everyone looks up to.. and that’s Karen

6:06 is my favorite karen run

all these burners were burnin but, u know.....karen!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nikki Ross💙💙💙

That last clip with Karen and Kim was so funny! Made me smile :D

Where's Jasmine sullivan

The last part with karen cracked me me up... do that one mo gain, imma school u lol

@4:47 to 5:02 what video is that from?🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

1:15 THANK YOU FOR FINALLY GIVING THIS RECOGNITION!!!!! Every year I revisit that song for THAT part

KAREN!!!

Kim Burrell is just magical at what she does am in awe of her cause you can feel the chops in her riffs and runs especially when it comes to a horn trumpet or sax her voice can do that fr fr

Kim is supreme, even if your able to imitate the run I can’t come up with it on your own, Kim’s ear is way too innovative. No one hears Melodies & melismas like Burrell!

Sing Karen !

they're all good but to become genius you have to understand and study. Kim is the best in this video, her runs and riffs are well thought out. The others are just trying to do runs and riffs without putting art on it and sounded messy.

So if Karen is the mother... than Marvin winans has to be the counterpart to the greatest gospel singers ever

Kim

This was hard but I think I got it. 1) Karen 2) Kim 3) Lalah 4) Nikki 5) Bslade It was hard. I'd also like to mention that everyone on this list is extremely skilled but this is just my list on who I thought had it down the best.

All of them are my favorite

And Karen

nikki ross💯💯

Yes...Yes...Lawd...One Love Fam...

Karen!!!!!!!!!!

Beautiful,nice job.

Sang now

Karen 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

👑Karen reigns Supreme! #PERIOD

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is there a full video for 6:10 ??

first lady Is she Nikki Ross isn't she?

So where's Rachelle Ferrell?

Nikki has a beautiful gift but she lost me so many times she off beat

Or some Vanessa belll

Nikki who?

Karen all day

I didnt see bslade vocals clips but his pictur is in the group🤔🤨

They are all good. But I feel Karen when she sing, everybody else I feel they do it for the praise. Karen does it in spirit.

What is the song in 5: 25 of bslade

Sometimes Karen voice irritates me a whole damn lot but all in her can sing and Kim got some f up ways and a nasty tongue but they all can out sing most fav singers

I just came here to see the KCS hive... y’all know she can’t touch Lalah but y’all gonna try and find a way for her to top her lol... 🤣🤣 they all GREAT Lalah and Kim can’t be touch with riffs and runs idc about jazz or gospel a singer is a singer point bank period...

Karen all the way.

There would be no Karen if it wasn’t for Aretha Franklin....

B Slade will kill everybody even tho this video doesn't show .Karen is a beast to tho lol