Kirk Franklin says he is no longer apologizing for the collaborations featured on his first double album “I Am What I Am,” out Friday.
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Gospel artist Kirk Franklin says he is getting tired of defending his musical decisions, and he is not apologizing for collaborations that have drawn criticism.
Franklin said he is not sorry for praying with R&B stars Chris Brown and Usher before a recent concert, explaining that he agreed because “they asked me to.” He also said he is not apologetic about teaming up with GloRilla for his 14th studio album, “I Am What I Am,” despite what he said is the explicit content in her music catalog.
The Texas native, who is 56 and a 20-time Grammy winner, said he believes some gospel fans approach his work with an “elitist, holier-than-thou attitude,” adding: “It’s far beyond my understanding.” He questioned what he described as an inclination to judge other believers and decide what “harder penance” others should face.
Franklin’s comments were tied to the message he said permeates his new album, his first double album, which is out Friday. The release contains 14 tracks split between contemporary songs and live-recorded traditional selections.
The album includes features such as Karen Clark Sheard of the Clark Sisters, along with mainstream artists including Afrobeats star Davido and rapper Jelly Roll. GloRilla appears on “This Time,” a single that extended Franklin’s record-holding mark to 10 No. 1s on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart.
Franklin said criticism around secular collaborations is not new, noting that working with artists whose music carries parental advisory labels inevitably leads to scrutiny. He also said there is a “deeper reason” he believes pulls those artists to collaborate in gospel spaces.
He described “I Am What I Am” as one of his more introspective works, saying it is primarily his first double album and that he is not a traditional lead vocalist, but mainly a songwriter, producer and musician. Standouts include “Hope in You” with Davido and “Welcome In — Live,” which finds Franklin feeling forgotten by God at times while expressing gratitude for God’s presence.
Franklin said “Free Me Tonight,” featuring Jelly Roll, stands out for its spoken-word approach in which he reflects on imperfection and public criticism, including a reference to a 2021 controversy involving his estranged son Kerrion leaking a recording of Franklin threatening him and cursing.
The album also includes Franklin’s remarks on gospel’s role in presenting truth about life, quoting that “Gospel music is able to handle the raw, unfiltered truth about how ugly and difficult life can be.” He said creating the song was cathartic, though he once worried the recording would end his career.
Franklin’s mainstream success dates back to 1997’s “Stomp (Remix)” featuring Salt of Salt-N-Pepa, which brought him heavy rotation on radio and music video networks. That crossover helped the album “God’s Property from Kirk Franklin’s Nu Nation” reach No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and top the R&B albums chart—his first time at No. 1 for a gospel project.
Franklin said his art is not just entertainment but a lifelong calling, describing his connection to the purpose of life and faith as something he feels from “light” and “sunlight.” He said he has been included in a “relevant conversation” about bigger questions, including “does God really exist.”
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