Kirk Franklin kicked off The Breakfast Club’s “Church in the Streets” round of interviews last Friday which was anchored out by Pastor Young Jeezy. However, the jewels dropped by the Grammy Award-winning gospel superstar were both bountiful and undeniable.
Take a look at the top highlights from Franklin’s interview in the gallery below, which was closed out with a powerful prayer. Also, Charlamange Tha God saying “color money” at the end of that prayer is nothing short of hilarious.
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Photo: Power 105
Plies
First thing’s first, rumors of being related to his polar opposite, Plies had to be addressed. The gospel singer played along joking he actually was the “Bust it Baby” rapper but he does admit that he hears it all the time in real-life and on social media.
Photo: Flashpoint / WENN
Rooted In Hip-Hop
Believe it or not, Kirk Franklin didn’t start off as a gospel musician. He said back in the day, he had a S-Curl and used to break dance under the moniker “Kid Fresh.” He also used to drink and smoke in church parking lots until he straightened up seeing a childhood friend getting killed.
Losing My Religion
Franklin’s new album expands on his beliefs that the practice of religion, no matter the faith in question, is a hinderance to one’s spiritual gain. It actually took him five years to complete the album.
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Homophobia At The Altar
For many decades, Franklin says “The Church” has dehumanized gay people for which he apologized for. As far as “praying the gay away,” a term used by Christians for delivering or turning homosexuals straight, he does point out that the Bible addresses sexual conduct but it shouldn’t be used as a tool to combat gay people.
Adopted In The Church
Having being abandoned by his parents as a baby, Kirk Franklin was raised by an elderly aunt, who showed him how to walk with Christ and the rest is musical history.
Black Church
After Envy admitted he was a backslider largely due to a church’s financial aspirations, Franklin admitted that he was “very disappointed” in some of the ways the Christianity culture conducted themselves in the media. With his music, he says he’s trying to get the people back to the source, which is “that Jesus, baby.” As for the reality show debacle that is Preachers of L.A., Franklin says he hates everything about it.
Photo: Chris Connor/WENN
XXX Demons
Franklin says he got married with an existing addiction to pornography–that he thought marriage would fix. It was then, he was able to see “women through God’s lens” and break the chain. He’s now looking forward to his 20th wedding anniversary.
Photo: WENN
Balance & Options
Being a Christian artist doesn’t necessarily mean you shut yourself out from the surroundings of the world. Franklin feels his job as an artist is to “point people in the direction to better themselves.”
