The 85 South Show with Karlous Miller, DC Young Fly and Chico Bean - 2025 BET AWARDS BACKSTAGE | 85 SOUTH SHOW | KIRK FRANKLIN

Episode Date: July 22, 2025

Karlous and Navv sit down with KIRK FRANKLIN!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. community united by passion. Podcasts that amplify the voices of women in sports. Thank you for supporting iHeart Women's Sports and our founding sponsors, Elf Beauty, Capital One, and Novartis. Just open the free iHeart app and search iHeart Women's Sports to listen now. I knew I wanted to obey and submit, but I didn't fully grasp for the rest of my life

what that meant. For my iHeart podcasts and Rococo Punch, this is The Turning, River Road. In the woods of Minnesota, a cult leader married himself to 10 girls and forced them into a secret life of abuse. But in 2014, the youngest escaped. Listen to The Turning, River Road on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. In 2020, a group of young women found themselves in an AI-fueled nightmare.

Someone was posting photos. It was just me naked. Well, not me, but me with someone else's body parts. This is Levertown, a new podcast from iHeart podcasts, Bloomberg and Kaleidoscope, about the rise of deepfake pornography and the battle to stop it. Listen to Levittown on Bloomberg's Big Take podcast. Find it on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebene, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebene, and every Tuesday,

I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that would challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the Black Effect Podcast Network. Tune in on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Hey man, welcome back to the 85 South Show. BET Awards 2025, we live at the Media House.

Naf, we've been talking to everybody this week. But right now, before I say anything, I just gotta ask you one question. What you gonna ask me? GP, are you with me? Oh yeah! But my question is, why you yelling though? Why you gotta yell? Didn't you yell on that part?

I didn't yell that loud. Alright, let me try that again. So try one more time. Alright. Bring it down a little bit. Now. Okay? I got this, son.

Man, it's you. Okay, okay, okay. Ready, go. GP, are you with me? That sound like that your cheeks is tight. I need for you to loosen that up some. Alright, I got it. GP are you with me?

Oh, that's it, that's it. Oh yeah? What is you doing? I don't wanna be too loud. What is this one doing? Oh yeah? Yeah, you may need to sit out of this one, Plam. Sit out, let me and Big Dog do it.

Who is he? Who is, is he? He's my cousin. Is this your man? He's my cousin. This your man? Yeah, it's my cousin. My full name.

What up, Kings? What up, Kings? What up, Kings? What up? That's my auntie boyfriend. Sister son. Hey, you had the day set him. You had the day set him. That's my auntie boyfriend. Sister son. Hey you had the day set him. You had the day set him. You couldn't keep him at home by himself.

Take your little cousin with you. I ain't got nothing to take him. We got none other than Mr. Kirk Franklin in here with us today. That is so good. On a Sunday. Come on man. First of all, how you doing? I'm doing good King. It's so great to see you.

Boy, you are hilarious. You're so talented, so gifted man. It is an honor to sit here with you. Black talent is amazing bro. Thank you. But I feel like on behalf of the black community, all our aunties and grandmamas and all the people that we went to church with man, no matter what light we see you at, what event we see you at, I gotta show you extra love for the people that we went to church with, man. No matter what light we see you at, what event we see you at, I gotta show you extra love for the people that I love, that I know love you. Wow. Yeah, cause you were definitely a staple

in Black House Home. Wow. We knew it was time to clean up. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. We knew it was time to, when you hear that music, ha ha ha ha ha. we know what going on. Thank you, man.

Nah man, but we really. Well man tell your aunties and everybody that Kirk said hello man. I will. Salute. Yes sir. All my people miss him. Now did you give him some questions to ask or does he just sit here and laugh? He fascinated by you man. Okay. Hey man. You just don't meet Kirk Franklin every day. I ain't gonna act like- Let me lay it down. He been kicking it with me. I been the biggest star in these news for a long time. Then I started bringing them around people.

That's so good. You just sit down like you regular. I'm like, that Kirk Franklin. He is regular. He don't want you to treat him like that. That's why I need you to ask me some questions. Ask me something. Melodies from heaven. I need you to ask me some questions ask me something What y'all got in that car That was a church on the Sunday

Well, no, no, no, no, no, It wasn't a Sunday night, but it was a church. It was a Friday night. We were recording Melody from Heaven at a church. 1994. How old were you in 1994? Eleven. Eleven years old. Timeless music, though. That song has been around since you were eleven years old, okay? I know. We had to perform that song.

Children's Choir. Wow. Come on, man. That's beautiful on man. That's beautiful man. That is beautiful. Down in Mississippi. Yes. That's beautiful. And you don't understand.

Mississippi ain't no end to the song. They might just keep playing and everybody start walking to the car. Late night revival. It's 10 o'clock on a Wednesday. We gotta work tomorrow. There ain't no end to the song. I love it. So man, I'm here man to just be able to be celebrated by YouTube

Brothers man and celebrate y'all and I know y'all got things popping. I got things popping. Matter of fact, I got a digital series coming out man where I'm sitting together with men and with black men over dinner and first episode is your boy DC country Wayne Deval Ellis Lou Young and I called and I called the series Den of Kings that's hard and it's just conversations with black men over dinner and we talking about life like suicide divorce fears anxiety depression Come on man, it's gonna be super super dope man dope house in Atlanta had a chef good food and man and so we just having these dope conversations. Well we would love to pull up on season 2. When the first one drops? Father's Day Father's Day on my YouTube channel man. We gotta pull up now. Thank y'all man. What kind of food y'all got?

Y'all can bring him? I don't know he seemed a little slow. He seemed like you gotta, that you gotta lead him. I like him, but I don't know if he would really, like, if he come, like, is he gonna sing? He might. What, that he can't, he can't? No, I'm good. No, he need to be there though, man. He need to be in the conversation. Does he need to be there, cause you don't have nothing else?

You have no other place you can take him? I ain't got nowhere else to take him It can benefit him a lot. I won't sing again. No, no, no, no I want you to sing because if my music has touched you I want to be able to know that man And so if it's touched you I'm humble that you want to sing it. So wherever I am But when you introduce I shouldn't have sung it back to you. Yes, you can you didn't do nothing wrong You said what's up? I said melodies You know what you know what but but let me know you know

Let me double check that you won't just that you won't play with my emotions. Sing me another Kirk song Since you rock with me so much. Do you know another Kirk song? We gotta go if I want to just do a Kirk song I would say I would have started right. All my people say That was that one. Y'all only know two Kirk songs. Who are you playing? Y'all only know one. I like the song with you and T.D. Jakes. Oh, okay. My favorite Kirk Franklin song is Someone Asks a Question.

If someone asks a question... Why it is that we sing? Why do we sing? Why do they sing? If you live... That's my part. That's my part. Come on man. That's my part. You know what?

We pass the test. I gotta shut up. I gotta shut up. I digress black man. I digress. I'm more than a carcass. Stop playing. I been a fan since you had the little flat top with the little Gucci in it.

When you was playing the keyboard standing up with the suspenders on. When I learned your song, my grandma thought I was going to be a deacon. What happened? She found out when I stopped listening to your song, what I did when I went outside. Now we ain't heathens, man. We know how to turn it on and turn it off. We ain't heathens. Well, man.

We was raised right? Brother, this touches me, man. This touches me. Thank you. Thank you so much. But you know what? As a fan of music in general, I always wondered, like, could somebody get a feature that it ain't, if it ain't a gospel song?

Yes. Yes. I'm on the Glowrilla record. Yeah, definitely. You got one with Big Glowr. Yes. You've been one with Young Dro and T.I.? Young Dro and T.I.

I've been on Kanye's records. I've been on soundtracks with Lil Baby. I've been on many records. So that be letting me know you out here. You be listening to the other songs on the CD, too? I listen to music. I listen to music, all kinds of music. I'm a musician. Let listen to music all kinds of music. I'm a musician

Let me ask you this man. You done did movies TV shows tours concerts Travel the world what else what's left that you want to do whatever comes? Well, whatever comes that inspires me. I'm pulling up. That's it man. I'm I'm a new artist every day As long as it inspires me, I'm pulling up. That's it, man. I'm a new artist every day. I'm a new artist. That's a good way to look at it.

My attitude is new. That's my hunger. Every album is my first album. Every project is my first. You're not going to beat me being hungry. Now see, a lot of people, they feel like, because you are, like, you're known in the gospel world that you're just one dimensional. What are some of the biggest misconceptions about Kirk Franklin, the gospel world that you just one dimensional. What is some of the biggest?

misconceptions about Kirk Franklin the man that people got That that I have this super Contact with God that don't nobody else have I remember being on planes Doc I can be on the plane and people getting on the plane and people walk past me and they'll say oh Man, I know this plane ain't going down cuz Kirk on here My nigga probably Christians dying plane crashes every day.

But some people think, oh, but like, yo man, Kirk, pray for me, man. It's I know God hear your prayers. It's like, bro, God hear your prayers just as much as he hears mine. And I think that these are the things that I'm always trying to deconstruct and change in people's minds.

Cause people really think that these are the things that I'm always trying to deconstruct and change in people's minds because people really think that just cause you may preach or do gospel music that you got some supernatural connect that they don't have and it ain't true. Now I gotta say this, the documentary that you dropped about your life was extremely personal, extremely touching. Thank you. Man, and like, how did you have the courage to tell that story? Because you already you. You got this big super image and then you let people in on the intimate details of your life. Wow. Like what gave you the courage to do that? Was that for other people? Because you got to keep

in mind it's not like you already Kirk Franklin. Like you said people got this perception of you that you anointed that God got you put up in a special place and then you show them that you still Going through real life stuff and you're still struggling with stuff to man. What how you do that? if I think that it also helps me heal to that that that what I talk and when I release and when and and and when I Exposed those areas in my life, I'm healing at the same time. Like, I heal as I reveal.

And so it's very powerful for me. Like, man, I couldn't go through that and just keep that to myself. Blah, can't I, man? I would have lost it. So that was very much medicine for me. It helped you like it helped others. For sure, for sure, man. It was medicinal on every level.

So when people, did people start pouring out to you and saying hey I'm kind of dealing with the same thing and seeing you go through. Yep, yep, yep. It was powerful. It was a powerful moment that many people were able to find themselves, see themselves in my own experience. But see to the people who haven't seen the documentary go watch it. But I wanted to ask you this, now that you done got it out, and that's just not a moment, you still dealing with it. Still dealing with it. Where you at with the healing journey at this point? One day at a time.

Some days good days, some days bad days. Not because of them, but because of me, you know. I wasn't looking for a father, and he wasn't looking for a son. And so these things just happen, and so me not being raised with a dad and me not being raised with family it's not always the easiest thing to process and have to take it one day at a time. That's heaven man. Yeah it is. You got that Dior on the date. Well you know it ain't real. Stop playing. It ain't man. I found some fabric and just sewed that on there. I want to impress everybody.

Are you actually going to the war show? I'm going to the war show. I'm being given a... Lifetime achievement award? Yeah. Come on, man. Clap that up. Clap that up.

Unless y'all got one too. Nah, because right here, you supposed to that up, man. Unless y'all got one too. Nah, cause right here you supposed to pop it, Kirk. Everybody ain't got no lifetime achievement award, so if they ain't clapping, they hate. Y'all step over there, you gonna hate on the man. Thank you. Really, congratulations on that. It might be overdue.

Very humbling, very humbling. I represent an entire community, an entire genre, so I want to be able to represent it well because I'm not here by myself I'm here on the shoulders of so many and so I just want to be able to reflect that and represent that. Man I've been telling people for years you will come on the 85 South Show. Bro I've been to come, y'all keep telling me no. Who said no? That must have been DC. It wasn't me. No.

I've been telling people for years, you would come on there, they'd be like, man, stop playing with that man like that. I'll pull up so quick. No, man, you know, I never knew I was invited, so man, this is a great honor for me to finally come. That's why I wanted to make sure that I told you to your face so you would know.

Thank you, bro. So next time we in Atlanta, here at the studio. I'm there. And we gonna pull up at the dinner next time he in Atlanta, he at the studio. I'm dead. And we gonna pull up at the dinner cause I got something to say at the dinner too. I know. Pull up, we gonna want you there baby. And that's dope that you connected with DC man.

Like everybody tell you DC, he is our spiritual guidance. He got us praying in a different way. Like we pray, oh nah, he take that serious though. That's beautiful, bro. Yeah, man. I don't think that's a side of him that a lot of people get to see. You know, he a preacher's kid.

He grew up, be like, he grew up, his dad had the big suit, he had the little big suit. Ha ha ha! With the square toe shoes. Absolutely! Woo! Yeah. Them joints hurt.

Yeah, most definitely. Hey, what was, let me ask you this, out of, like when you were growing up in the church, what was let me ask you this? I'd uh, I mean you were growing up in the church What was your favorite part of it? The girls really the girls because you know, I was coming up in the church where you know It was kind of like the the hangout It was where like the kids were you know, I mean cuz you you know the youth choir and you know what I mean? That does little little youth trips and I was just church, you know and all of that

So, you know, it was I mean mean, back then for me coming up, it was fun. Yeah. You know, my favorite part of church was always guest pastors. Why? Because they would like to always try to out preach each other.

Yeah. And then you can tell when they really get in, they preach it bad, cause they, like, I'm from Mississippi, so it's down south, you know, the church smell like bacon. They cook you breakfast this morning. So it's like- Church st you know the church smell like bacon they cooked breakfast this morning so it's like turn they get it a little bit yeah when they get into they they bag they start throwing a little at the end everything and God came down and everybody said

yeah and everybody yesterday like I love that part. I'm like, he in his bag. He in his bag. Especially when they used to do the program and another pastor had to come and then he'll walk up and he'll start off real summer and, yes, yes, give it up for Brother Will. Pastor Williams over there in Pine Bluff Arkansas Sometimes I go to church and when I go to bed and I can't get no rest God don't want you to go to sleep, but you gotta lay down

What are you gonna do next? That was always the highlight for me. That's what you enjoy Cuz we had a well, you know that that still happens We had a real country preacher who used to mess up simple words. Like what? Like, this is a word I only ever heard in Mississippi. I was getting ready to come down here

and start getting ready and I looked around and I had been sitting there for about 15 or 20 minutes. How many? 20 minutes. How many? 20 minutes. Ha ha ha. I ain't never heard that word outside of Mississippi. Well, I'll be over there in about 15 or 20 minutes.

With the head, no. 20. That's how we living out here. Mr. Franklin. Thank you, King. We appreciate you sitting down. It's wonderful. Giving us a few moments of your time and much love and respect everything you got going on. We can just change the word, Los. We can still have it. You know you more than welcome. Thank you. To pull up at the 85 South Show. And thank y'all for knowing more than one or two songs. Oh, I could have kept going.

We gotta do the segment winner. We could just change the word. This your cousin. All right, we came up with a segment. Everybody gotta do it. Okay. All right. Now this segment right here is for the BET Awards 2025. And the segment is called, we ain't even gonna say it we just gonna leave it blank

yeah we're gonna leave it blank okay man it's called what the you got on and you just tell us what you got on and you pop it you know I mean I have on some some jeans from Nazareth. Okay. Okay. I have a Holy drill. A shirt from Bethlehem. Okay. And boots from the Red Sea. There you go. These are Moses specials.

Cause when he came out he was white. Oh. Holy. Anointment drill. Sanctified. Come on man. Pop it. He wasn't white but he was pure like white.

Pure like white. There you go. That's what I have on. Nothing but love and admiration and respect. Kirk Franklin, 85 South Show, BET Awards 2025. Lifetime achievement, we outta here. Join iHeartRadio and Sarah Spayne in celebrating the one year anniversary

of iHeart Women's Sports. With powerful interviews and insider analysis, our shows have connected fans with the heart of women's sports. In just one year, the network has launched 15 shows and built a community united by passion. Podcasts that amplify the voices of women in sports. Thank you for supporting iHeart Women's Sports and our founding sponsors, Elf Beauty, Capital One, and Novartis. Just open the free iHeart app and search iHeart Women's Sports to listen now. I knew I wanted to obey and submit, but I didn't fully grasp for the rest of my life

what that meant. For my heart podcasts and Rococo Punch, this is the turning, River Road. In the woods of Minnesota, a cult leader married himself to 10 girls and forced them into a secret life of abuse. But in 2014, the youngest escaped. Listen to The Turning, River Road on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. In 2020, a group of young women found themselves in an AI-fuelled nightmare.

Someone was posting photos. It was just me naked. Well, not me, but me with someone else's body parts. This is Levittown, a new podcast from iHeart podcasts, Bloomberg and Kaleidoscope, about the rise of deepfake pornography and the battle to stop it. Listen to Levittown on Bloomberg's Big Take podcast. Find it on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebene, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebene and every Tuesday I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that will challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you.

Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the Black Effect Podcast Network. Tune in on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. This is an iHeart Podcast.