Youthful Praise

Youthful Praise has earned recognition for its exuberant gospel and praise & worship repertoire that incorporates urban influences, with James "J.J." Hairston serving as both director and principal songwriter. The ensemble originated in 2001 at Turner's Faith Temple in Bridgeport, Connecticut, initially under the name Teens of TFT, and issued its first recording, Awesome God, that year through Evidence Gospel. Its follow-up, Thank You for the Change, arrived in 2004 and included a guest appearance by Coko, while Live! The Praise...The Worship came out the next year in 2005.

Spots on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Bobby Jones Gospel, along with joint performances alongside Joan Osborne, Shirley Caesar, and Destiny's Child, broadened the choir's audience, reinforced by its high-energy stage presence and urban leanings. Exalted, captured live in Baltimore, Maryland, was issued in both CD and DVD formats during 2007. After This emerged five years afterward in spring 2012, and I See Victory followed in 2014. The single "You Deserve It" preceded the subsequent release two years later; titled You Deserve It, that project reached listeners in March 2017 and featured Maranda Willis, Travis Greene, and Bishop Cortez Vaughn.