- 1 minute ago
Kirk Franklin is continuing the mission, striving to show people his sincere love for Jesus Christ. The Gospel icon is back with a new album, 'I Am What I Am,' out everywhere on October 30, and he stopped by our New York studios to talk about his unique blend of music, his navigation through personal accountability and spiritual mentorship, and the maturation of faith during his talk with Big Mack.
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MusicTranscript
00:00It's 94.7 The Block, New York's number one for Throwbacks.
00:02We inside the Radio Big Mac show.
00:04And when I tell you right now,
00:07I am so happy,
00:09I am so blessed
00:11to have my big brother here.
00:13My OG.
00:15The legendary.
00:16The one and only.
00:18That's enough.
00:19Greg Franklin is here!
00:22What's good, King?
00:23No, what's good with you, man?
00:25Long time no see, boy.
00:26I know, it's been a while.
00:27Looking good, fam.
00:28Look, every time I look on the TV
00:30and I see you moving around,
00:32I say, look at Kurt out here getting it.
00:35You know what I mean?
00:35You'd never think that you was 56.
00:37You out here moving like a 23-year-old, man.
00:40I'm a new artist.
00:41I'm a brand new artist.
00:43You know, that's my energy.
00:45That's forever my energy.
00:47New artist energy.
00:48That's right.
00:48New album.
00:49I am what I am.
00:51Yeah.
00:52Now, before we talk about the name,
00:54I noticed that it is
00:56I am what I am, not who I am.
00:58Was that specific?
00:59Yes.
01:00Yes.
01:01Yeah, yeah.
01:02It's very much conclusive.
01:04You know, it's something like
01:06it's the book closing.
01:07You know what I mean?
01:09It's the mic drop.
01:10You know, it is
01:12the finality of the conversation.
01:14Whether you like me
01:16or you don't like me,
01:17you agree or you disagree,
01:19you have questions or concerns,
01:21you know,
01:22I've spent my entire life
01:23striving to show people
01:25my sincere love for Jesus Christ.
01:28I mean,
01:29my methods
01:30and techniques
01:31may not always seem
01:32the most traditional
01:33and I'm not perfect
01:34and I try to live
01:36a very transparent life
01:37to admit when I'm not perfect
01:39and when I make the flaws.
01:40So, at this point in my life
01:42and in my season of career
01:44or wherever,
01:44is that whatever the conclusion is
01:46that you have about me,
01:48I have resolved in my heart
01:50for you to be able
01:51to know clearly
01:52that whatever it is
01:54you think about me,
01:54I am what I am.
01:57Now,
01:57through your whole career,
01:59specifically with gospel music,
02:01you have taken chances,
02:02you've thought outside the box,
02:04you've brought different genres
02:06to there
02:06and you kind of showed people
02:08that like,
02:09there's different sides
02:10to gospel.
02:11Yeah.
02:12Do you feel like now,
02:14with all you've done,
02:15do you still have to fight
02:16that battle?
02:17Yes.
02:17It's because I think
02:20that whether it's the battle
02:21of the space of creativity
02:25or the battle of just getting
02:29people's attention
02:29to want to share the gospel
02:31of Jesus Christ with them,
02:32that is all a battle
02:33and I understood that
02:35and I signed up for that
02:37over three decades ago.
02:39So,
02:40that doesn't bother me.
02:43You know,
02:44what has been difficult
02:45is sometimes a rejection
02:47that you get
02:47from your own community
02:49when they don't want
02:51to take a chance
02:51to figure out
02:52why you move
02:53the way you move.
02:54They just make the conclusion
02:55that the way you move
02:56is wrong.
02:57Right.
02:57And so,
02:59but once again,
03:00I've resolved in my heart,
03:03you know,
03:03and it's not everybody.
03:05There's,
03:05you know,
03:05there's a lot of people
03:06that pray for me
03:07and support me
03:08and, you know,
03:09there's a lot of people
03:09that hold me accountable.
03:10You know,
03:11you know,
03:11hey man,
03:12I saw this interview,
03:13you know,
03:13you know,
03:14I think that you maybe
03:15went a little too far here
03:16or, you know,
03:17hey,
03:17I saw this
03:18and I think maybe
03:19you need to really,
03:19you know,
03:20it's because I want
03:21to be held accountable.
03:22Like,
03:23I live for accountability
03:24and like,
03:26for all the wrong
03:27or the mistakes
03:28or the things
03:28you see me do
03:29that you may not like,
03:29you have no idea
03:31how many times
03:32there could have been
03:32even more
03:33because I got accountability
03:34and got wisdom.
03:36It's like,
03:36no,
03:37you shouldn't move
03:37that way.
03:38You shouldn't do that.
03:38You shouldn't wear that.
03:39You shouldn't say that.
03:40You know,
03:40just one.
03:41It's because these are new,
03:44these are new terrains
03:46that have not been
03:47traveled a lot
03:48by men and women
03:49in my space.
03:50It's not like
03:50I can call somebody
03:52like,
03:52think about it.
03:53Who can I call
03:56that's an OG to me
03:57that has been
03:58in this space before?
03:59I mean,
03:59that's a,
04:01that sounds lonely,
04:03but it's a very tough
04:04question to ask
04:05because that's always
04:06something like,
04:06that's kind of like the
04:07who cuts the barber's hair
04:09type of thing.
04:09You know,
04:10I wasn't,
04:11you know,
04:12if I would have,
04:12you know,
04:13now God bless a lot
04:14of these brothers
04:14have,
04:14you know,
04:15you know,
04:15you know,
04:16transitioned,
04:16you know,
04:16to be with the Lord,
04:17but I wasn't able
04:18to call Richard Smallwood
04:20or Edwin Hawkins
04:21or Walter
04:21or Andre
04:22because they still
04:23didn't really navigate
04:24this type of terrain.
04:26Right.
04:26So,
04:26you know,
04:27they,
04:27their wisdom
04:28was going to be
04:29very limited.
04:29So who was I
04:31going to call?
04:31And so,
04:32and I think a lot
04:33of people have
04:33to understand
04:34demands a lot
04:35of the mistakes
04:36I've made
04:36is because
04:37I've been doing
04:38my best
04:38to figure out
04:39the terrain
04:40of my own,
04:41you know,
04:41praying,
04:41fasting,
04:42trying to trust
04:42the Lord,
04:43but even like
04:43my spiritual
04:44fathers in the faith,
04:45even my pastors,
04:46even my mentors,
04:47they can only give me
04:49what they know.
04:50Right.
04:50And so,
04:51um,
04:52I prayed that my
04:53trials and mistakes
04:55and errors can be,
04:56uh,
04:56now for the good
04:57of somebody else
04:58coming up.
04:59Now,
04:59before we talk
05:00about the new album,
05:01um,
05:01I do want to ask
05:02though,
05:03with everything
05:03you've done
05:04throughout these years,
05:05um,
05:05has,
05:07has your relationship
05:09with God changed
05:10at all?
05:11Meaning like how
05:12you understand him
05:13or how you connect
05:14with him based on
05:15just everything
05:16you've experienced
05:16throughout these years?
05:17God,
05:17yes.
05:18God,
05:19yes.
05:19I,
05:19I have a deeper
05:21understanding of
05:21God's grace now
05:22in my fifties
05:23than I ever could
05:24ever comprehend
05:25that the gravity
05:26and the depth
05:28and the,
05:29and the unlimited
05:33availability
05:35of his kindness
05:37and grace
05:37to me
05:38and to us
05:39as his children
05:41causes me
05:42to fall deeper
05:43in love with him.
05:44And,
05:45and I never saw
05:47that coming
05:47at this stage
05:48of my life.
05:48These,
05:48these are stages
05:49of life
05:50or the,
05:50uh,
05:51fragilities
05:51of my life
05:52that I would be
05:53beating myself up.
05:54Wow.
05:54But instead
05:55of condemning
05:56myself,
05:56the experience
05:57of the kindness
05:58and mercy
05:59and grace
05:59of God
06:00is unexplainable.
06:01I can't even find
06:02sometimes the language,
06:03but what it does,
06:04it pushes me
06:05to want to be
06:06closer to him
06:07based on my gratitude
06:09and my,
06:09and my amazement
06:10at,
06:12at how kind
06:13he's been.
06:15When you get
06:16that criticism
06:17and you're,
06:17you know,
06:18you're hard on yourself
06:18and I'm sure
06:19even when you're
06:20making music,
06:20you're kind of
06:20thinking like,
06:22you know,
06:23there are outside
06:24opinions that may do.
06:26Do you remember
06:26the moment
06:26where you heard God
06:27and you're like,
06:28no,
06:28I know my assignment.
06:29I know what I'm doing.
06:30I know I'm on my path.
06:32The outside can be outside.
06:34One profound moment
06:35was 1997.
06:36Summer of 1997
06:37Stump just came out.
06:39Come on now.
06:39And I was at a
06:41church conference.
06:43There was a big church
06:43conference called
06:44Full Gospel
06:45and they were having it
06:46in New Orleans
06:47at the Superdome
06:49as it was called.
06:50Yeah.
06:50Yeah.
06:50And so,
06:51you know,
06:52thousands,
06:52thousands,
06:53thousands of people.
06:54The day before I got there,
06:55one of the pastors
06:56that preached that night
06:57before I got there,
06:58the sermon was about me
07:00and how wrong I was
07:01for Stump
07:02and how Stump
07:03was not of God
07:04and how,
07:06and how the response
07:07of the audience
07:07was kind of split.
07:09And when I got there,
07:10a lot of my OGs,
07:12a lot of my past OGs
07:13there were like,
07:13hey,
07:13want to let you know
07:14something happened
07:15last night.
07:16We're talking through it.
07:17We,
07:18you know,
07:18just know we got you,
07:19you know,
07:20you know,
07:21you know,
07:21there's a little bit
07:22of tension,
07:22but we've already
07:23let them know
07:24that we stand with you
07:25and we rock with you.
07:26And I'm,
07:26and I'm the figure
07:27going up into my dressing,
07:28well,
07:28not my dressing room,
07:29but my hotel room.
07:30And I'm the figure
07:31sitting on the floor
07:32just really discouraged
07:33by that
07:33and just feeling
07:34beat up by that.
07:35And I'll never forget
07:38what laid on my heart
07:39in that moment
07:41and what I trust
07:42to believe
07:42was the voice of God
07:44and the heart of God.
07:45Laying on my heart
07:46at that moment
07:46was this statement
07:47I'm the forget
07:47if they don't have
07:49nail prints
07:49in their hand
07:51and scars
07:51on their forehead,
07:53you owe them
07:53no explanation.
07:55I was 27 years old.
07:56I'll never forget that.
07:57Can you say that
07:57one more time
07:58for the people
07:58in the back queues?
07:59If they have,
08:00if they don't have
08:01nail prints
08:01in their hand
08:02or scars upon their forehead,
08:05you owe them
08:06no explanation.
08:07I'll never forget that
08:08because I was getting
08:09beat up by stomp.
08:11Beat up.
08:12I was getting killed.
08:14And to know that
08:15that amount of people
08:17and to know that
08:18a pastor,
08:19a preacher,
08:19got up and preached
08:21against me that night.
08:22You know,
08:22I'm part of the community.
08:23I'm part of the family.
08:25Call me.
08:26Right.
08:26Call me.
08:27Don't do that
08:27in front of everybody.
08:28Call me.
08:29Talk to me.
08:30Walk me through.
08:31I'm 27 years old.
08:32I couldn't picture
08:32going in that church
08:33sitting down and
08:33oh,
08:34this is going to be
08:34a good one,
08:34y'all.
08:35And then you get
08:35blindsided like that?
08:36Not a church.
08:38A Superdome arena.
08:40Jesus.
08:41Packed.
08:43Not a church.
08:44An arena.
08:46A stadium.
08:47That's a stadium.
08:48Yeah,
08:48a stadium.
08:49Yeah,
08:49yeah,
08:49yeah,
08:50yeah,
08:50yeah.
08:50And now look,
08:52stomp,
08:53one of the,
08:53it's the,
08:54it's the before I let goes
08:55of gospel music.
08:57You can't go nowhere.
08:58You know,
08:59I'm going to be honest with you.
08:59Let me tell you what's funny to me.
09:02I've noticed,
09:02and I'm humbled
09:03and thankful for both of them.
09:04I'm grateful for both of them.
09:06I don't know if it's stomp
09:07more than it is.
09:09Revolution?
09:10Melodies from Heaven.
09:11Ooh.
09:13Melodies from Heaven
09:14seemed like the barbecue song.
09:16Seemed like the cookout song.
09:18It's amazing.
09:20And you know what's crazy?
09:21TikTok has taken that
09:22a whole,
09:23a whole other place.
09:25Melodies seems to be
09:26the cookout song.
09:27I heard that
09:29after a Waka Flocka song
09:30one time at a party.
09:31I said,
09:31this is out of here.
09:33I don't know a lot of songs
09:34that you can make that transition for.
09:36Melodies from Heaven.
09:36It is amazing.
09:37Melodies from Heaven.
09:38Wow.
09:39Crazy.
09:40Well,
09:40now we got the new project,
09:42I Am What I Am.
09:43Yeah.
09:43And just in good Kirk Franklin fashion,
09:47you brought all different sounds
09:49and artists together.
09:51You're back working with Glorilla.
09:53Yeah.
09:54What is it about her that you just,
09:57like,
09:57I got to get back in the studio with her.
09:59I mean,
09:59you know,
09:59we just became real cool.
10:01And,
10:01you know,
10:01and I love her heart.
10:03And,
10:03and,
10:04and,
10:04and,
10:04and I love that she's on her journey.
10:06She's a young lady.
10:07Yeah.
10:08She's on her journey and I'm out of this.
10:10She want to be connected to me.
10:11She ain't got to be connected to me.
10:12She could be,
10:13you know,
10:14you know,
10:14I'm not benefiting her financially.
10:17Right.
10:17You know what I mean?
10:18Like I'm not benefiting her career.
10:20You know,
10:20this doesn't make her career go higher working with me,
10:26you know?
10:26So,
10:27you know,
10:27there's a reason why it has to do with,
10:30you know,
10:30she,
10:31she really has a,
10:32a love for this message and,
10:34and she really has a love for and respect for this community.
10:37Yeah.
10:38And her name,
10:39I think her middle name is,
10:41hallelujah.
10:41Yeah.
10:42Hallelujah.
10:42Yeah.
10:43And you know,
10:43when you said,
10:45when you said it doesn't get you higher,
10:47you know,
10:47I mean,
10:47it gets me high.
10:49Anytime I hear these certain words,
10:51I go straight to that.
10:52Hilarious.
10:52That's your ADHD.
10:54A little bit.
10:56Because I got it too.
10:57Oh,
10:57do you?
10:58Every most creative.
11:01We got Kirk Franklin hanging out with us.
11:03New project.
11:04I am what I am.
11:06You also have DeVito too.
11:07Yeah.
11:08Getting,
11:08you know,
11:09that,
11:09what's the,
11:10the Afrobeat sound.
11:11Like,
11:12what is that like working with these younger artists now?
11:15And what have you been learning from all these different cultures that,
11:19that are kind of like,
11:21I don't want to say you don't reinvent yourself,
11:23but you,
11:24you kind of reinvent yourself every time with different,
11:27like songs and different projects.
11:28I just like to be a student.
11:30Like,
11:30I'm always a student.
11:31Like I literally,
11:32you know,
11:33strive to have a new artist energy.
11:36I have a new artist energy.
11:38Like I'm going to kiss every baby,
11:39shake every hand.
11:40I'm going to do every interview.
11:41I'm going to have all the questions,
11:42you know,
11:43like,
11:43and then I'm a real pure fan of good music.
11:46So I'm engaging in the music throughout,
11:48you know,
11:48just,
11:49just,
11:49you know,
11:50I listen to everything.
11:52Yeah.
11:52Listen,
11:52everything jazz,
11:53classical,
11:54bebop,
11:54hip hop,
11:55you know,
11:56I'm just a fan of music rock pop.
11:59So when,
11:59when Kirk in the car,
12:01we riding,
12:02Hey Kirk,
12:02hit the aux,
12:03take the aux card.
12:04What,
12:04what's three songs you playing?
12:05It's going to be all over the place.
12:07It may be sounds of blackness.
12:08Keep your head to the sky.
12:10It may be,
12:14it may be,
12:16we in a car for 30 minutes.
12:17Yeah.
12:17It may be Kanye and Kanye Big Sean and Jay Click.
12:26You know what I mean?
12:27It may be the biggest,
12:31the largest.
12:32It may be.
12:33Kirk Franklin,
12:34listen to the biggest and the largest.
12:37Well,
12:37because I'm him.
12:38Come on now.
12:41I'm being funny.
12:42but you know,
12:44it,
12:45it may be some old,
12:47uh,
12:47jumpy key,
12:48you know,
12:49it may be like,
12:50it's all over the place.
12:51It's all over the place.
12:54It may be some David Bowie.
12:55Wow.
12:56You know what I mean?
12:57It may be some Eurythmics.
12:58It may be,
12:59you know,
13:00it may be some Biggie.
13:02You know?
13:03Now what I like about what your music is that you give us live versions and then you have studio
13:09versions of this new album.
13:11This is my first double.
13:12Just in general,
13:12but also with this project is given.
13:14And do you have a love for one versus the other?
13:17I love both.
13:18I am both.
13:20You know,
13:20like my first album was a,
13:22probably saying was live.
13:23What you're looking for was alive.
13:24And then rebirth was live.
13:26So,
13:27you know,
13:27I love the live moments,
13:29you know,
13:30of having the audience bite,
13:32catching whatever happens when God drops something.
13:35A live band,
13:37live singers.
13:38And then I also love not only organs,
13:42but I love 808s.
13:43Wow.
13:43And so,
13:44you know,
13:44I love,
13:46you know,
13:46the production of the Glorilla record or the DeVito record,
13:51you know,
13:52or the,
13:52or the,
13:53uh,
13:53Jolly Roll record.
13:55You know,
13:55I'm,
13:55you know,
13:56I enjoy all of that too.
13:58Wow.
13:58Kurt Franklin,
13:59new album.
14:00I am what I am.
14:01I know you got a busy schedule.
14:02Um,
14:03I do want to ask a question though.
14:05Yes.
14:05When it comes to in the church,
14:07right for you,
14:09what sounds more dangerous to you?
14:11A drummer who thinks he'd a star,
14:13an organ player that won't stop,
14:15or a choir member that won't give up the mic.
14:19What's more dangerous?
14:20Yeah.
14:21What's,
14:21what's the more dangerous to you?
14:22A choir member that won't give up the mic.
14:26Yeah.
14:27Yeah.
14:27It's because the amplification of what that is can be horrendous.
14:34Have you had that before where you had to,
14:36Hey,
14:37let's tone it down a notch.
14:39Yeah.
14:39Facts.
14:39Facts.
14:40Facts.
14:40Because people get caught up in them and,
14:42in their own interpretation of what good is.
14:45Yeah.
14:46You ever seen,
14:46um,
14:47first Sunday where a cat Williams played the,
14:49uh,
14:49the pastor.
14:50Yes.
14:50Sometimes I feel like I can see you go.
14:52All right.
14:53That was great.
14:53Oh my goodness.
14:54Let's take it down a notch.
14:55Great movie.
14:56Funny movie.
14:58Well,
14:58I appreciate you.
14:59Thank you for having me.
15:00I know you,
15:01uh,
15:01you got a lot.
15:02I'm proud of you,
15:03man.
15:03I thank you so much.
15:04Um,
15:05before we go though,
15:06if you could,
15:06cause I end every show with a prayer.
15:09So if you could maybe do that for us,
15:12that would be amazing.
15:13Let's go.
15:14Father,
15:15thank you for your kindness.
15:16Thank you for your unlimited grace and mercy.
15:18Thank you for not treating us as our sins deserve.
15:21Uh,
15:22Lord,
15:22it is amazing how your patience with us is greater than we ever have.
15:26With each other.
15:27And so father,
15:28I thank you for,
15:29uh,
15:29continuing to be the example of what we need to strive to be for our own brothers and sisters.
15:33Lord,
15:34I pray that this music will,
15:35uh,
15:36bring people to you.
15:37We'll bring awareness to you that the glory will go to you and not to me.
15:40Father,
15:41continue to work on my character,
15:43work on me,
15:44all the things in me that need to be more like you.
15:46You have full permission to come in and remodel my soul.
15:49So father,
15:50I give you the praise and glory.
15:51Bless my brother and his entire king kingdom that he's working on right now.
15:56use him for your glory.
15:57Uh,
15:58use him over the microphone to still find moments to speak life to people and point people back to you.
16:03We love you and we thank you for your unlimited patience for us in your name.
16:07Christ.
16:07I pray.
16:08Amen.
16:09Amen.
16:10Ladies and gentlemen,
16:11Kirk Franklin.
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