The Breakfast Club - Best of full interview: Kirk Franklin On Kevin Hart Jokes, Representing Faith, Being Imperfect, Digital Series + More

Episode Date: December 24, 2025

Best of 2025 - Kirk Franklin On Kevin Hart Jokes, Representing Faith, Being Imperfect, Digital Series. Recorded 2025. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. I'm investigative journalist Melissa Jeltsin. My new podcast, What Happened in Nashville, tells the story of an IVF clinic's catastrophic collapse and the patients who banded together in the chaos that followed. It doesn't matter how much I fight. It doesn't matter how much I cry over all of this.

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Wake that ass up. In the morning. The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ NV. Just hilarious. Charlemagne the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. La Rosa is here. And we got a special guest in the building. Yes, we do. Kirk Franklin, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome. I feel like I live here. That's fine.

That's a good thing. I feel like I live here. What is this, what is it like the 20,000 times? I'm good with it. I'm just humbled by that. I'm glad you here. Well, first of all, welcome and congratulations for being honored at the BET Awards this year. How was that feeling?

Oh, nervous. Had bubble guts. Really? What? You are the performer of performers. Kirk, you're always on the road. Bro. How?

I am always nervous. Didn't we talk about that, too? Yeah, I couldn't believe it either when he said it to me. Really? Yeah, we talked about it at the media room. Yeah, I'm always nervous. If I go speak, if I go to a nursing home

and perform, I'm nervous. If I go speak to kids, I'm like, yeah, I'm always have, yeah, I'm over- Really? What about it makes you nervous? Like, what is it? What are you thinking about? It's, I think that, you know,

there's always, first of all, I think that it has served me well is because it's never normal. I'm never comfortable. I'm always wanting to do my best. I'm always, you know, like I'm always concerned about every moment. You know, will it be good enough? Will it be accepted?

Will it be light? And so there's never a moment where I'm ever dialing anything in. You know, like everything for me is my first. Every project, every album, every song, every moment, it's my first. Like I'm a new artist. I'm a new, I'm a, I'm a, I'm a, I'm a, I'm a, I'm a, I'm a struggling artist every time.

And I think a lot of it, and you know, y'all probably can just even attest just all the, the guests that you've had that have come from traumatic backgrounds. You know, childhood abandonment, adoption, all that, is that I think that you are always chasing those. You're always chasing ghosts. You're always looking for that good job, baby,

their mama didn't give you that you didn't, that you didn't have in those formative years. So, yeah, every moment is, is nerves and new and so at the B2 wars I'm about to lose it backstage I'm about to pass I'm like and then I didn't know I was going last

until like a week before remember we talked about that too so I didn't know I was going last yeah I was mad you went last I was mad I said you put somebody like that like that in the front or the middle because it was so late

well yeah but that but we stayed up I know we did stay up wow that's kind of y'all but what I'm saying though is that you feel even more pressure. It's like, I'm going last. It's like, you know, because you Kirk Franklin, though. But I'm the gospel guy. And so you don't think of your genre having a space like that. You know, you know, and you don't even expect it. Like, you know, it's, it's almost like it's, it's an honor for even the genre to be acknowledged and

and even part of the, the ecosystem, right? But when when I found out that I was going last, I mean, yeah, brother, you didn't want to be sitting by me. Pressure was on, huh? Well, no, I was letting him go. Gas. Oh, so Tiana Taylor and Aaron Pierre was smelling a little. And I lied. I was like, oh, man, who did that?

Oh, my Kirk Franklin, the gassy one. Wait. The gassy one. Because did you have gas when you were sitting next to me? I ain't smell nothing. Well, I wasn't nervous talking to you. Oh, that's good. Right, right.

Because you, I'm not going to lie. I've been telling people since I met you was my first time. It threw me off. I didn't know you were so, like, just normal. Yeah, like so normal. What is that mean? I said you a real inward. She was like, he's a real nickname.

I said, yeah. That's why I love the way. I never felt like that about somebody. But what do you think people like? What are people expecting for me to come in floating on clouds? Yes. A little bit. And I think that's unfortunate.

And I think that we got to find ways to still deconstruct it. I just think that it stands in the way of people feeling like that they can be a part of the family too. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Like everybody can pull me and be part of this God love wagon. Yeah. And so it's always challenging for me when there's this ideal

of what being a person that loves Jesus looks like. And so I want to be the lowliest, the most humble, the most realest person so that you can see, man, that everybody's supposed to be on this bus. And we're supposed to be riding together, man. We don't always know what we're going.

But right. Now, during the BET Awards, they kept showing you when Kevin Hart was doing comedy. And then their whole twist was, Kirk Franklin was upset with all the Kevin Hart jokes. And I'm like, they must not know Kirk. Bro, I was, oh, it was so good. Those jokes, it was so good.

He's good. He's good. But then I'll also give you this side. And, you know, and I want him cap, right? I think that the biggest thing is, for me, is that I always have to be careful because I know that there's a community of the super religious. that if I enjoy something too much,

then it comes across like, well, why he not praying for him? He need to walk out. And so there's this dichotomy that you live in when you say that you represent faith that it's like, I love Jesus, but I'm not Jesus. Yeah. I'm not him. I love God. I live in a body that ain't his.

yet until he cracks the sky and make me more like him. And until then, I live in this broken house and I live in a world where things are going to be funny. I'm going to stub my toe and I'm not going to speak a tongue in the middle of night. I'm going to cuss. You know what I'm saying? You push me too hard.

It's going to be hands, you know. I mean, I am not a perfect person. And so when something's funny and it's good and funny, I want to laugh. How did you stop yourself from laughing? Because he kept going. And you know, Kev, Kevin's going to keep going until you get, and you was pulling that laughing.

I know. I feel like I was laughing. You were, but it was like, you still was trying to keep that sense of like, all right, like, you was like, you were cracking, but you were like, still containing yourself, you know? And it, because it was funny. It was. It's funny. He's funny.

He's good. And so you get to see them perfect Kirk. But I think also what people don't understand is God don't want us to be perfect anyway. And either. Like, I just, you know, Jesus. They, we're not posed to be perfect. That's why he made us in his image. But it's like, if he, if he put us here and he knew,

he know everything we gonna do before we do it. Like he already knows, it's like we are not him. We are of him, you know, we're not meant to be perfect. We're just meant to follow him. And in that, we always should be pursuing to be better. Better. We want to be more like him. We want to be able to be changed in ways.

There are things that I see in myself that I want to grow and look more like him. But I'm not on your watch. Yeah. I'm not on your calendar and how I get there. I am on his. And so I think that if we, like I said something on this, this new digital series I have on, called Den of Kings,

is that we have to understand, man, that that, that we are patient. We're not doctorate. And Christianity is supposed to be a place that's a hospital. It's a hospital. It's not supposed to be a country club. It's going to be a place where people that don't have it together can come and everybody can feel comfortable that they know that they don't have it together.

Right. But when people come to us in our community and they feel like that we are more concerned about their habits and their ways been changed before our eyes and you're not being changed yet, you're not doing it. It's like that, then people create performance anxiety. That's where the mask comes. is because if I don't look the way that you think I should look soon

then now I got to fake it till I make it. And then what happens then you become a human doing and they're never human being. Now they also, I'm sorry I was gonna say back to the BET Awards they were mad at one of your outfits that you wore.

They were mad at every I was about to say that like one of the outfits I had on this year. Yeah they said that you apologized for it. It was a you wore like a tank top and some shorts. Oh no, that was Pirates Awards. We talked about that too

at the media room. They bad at the outfit. I mean, it wasn't Poon Pum shorts. You didn't have a thonged on. It wasn't nothing like that. Because they try to say bro was twerking. Oh, sorry. Let me Kurt Berber.

They tried to say Kurt Franklin was twerking. You said, bro. She definitely heard you. Yeah, sorry. He said, bro. No, I don't think I can't dress you like that. Yeah, sorry. Hold up, but pause.

Pause. What's what with Paul? I don't know. You just feel like, it's so crazy how, like, naturally you just feel like the homie and I'm like, it's Kirk Franklin. Why would I'm not see. We got to work on that, no.

Because it's low-key kind of like watching you at the BET Awards and seeing it. No, your mic went out. See, God didn't want me to call you, bro. See, that's what I'm saying. That's what happened when you call. Don't you call it, bro. But see, that's the thing, though. Even when Kirk met my son, it was crazy, right?

Because I'm, until you might come back on. I was saying, like, we were on the same festival in Miami for Miami Gardens. And my son was so starstruck. And Kirk made him feel like he was cool. So he goes back to my mother, his grandmother, and, like, I met Kirk Franklin. And he was cool. He said, you know, and he said, bro, my, like, bro was cool.

And my mother, here she go, because, you know, she's a deacon in the church. You don't refer to no Kirk Franklin's. I said, my, no, like, Kirk is really cool, like, relax and chill. When I just said it. My son, like, he's bro. Like, no, that's my bro. I felt like my grandmother came in this room.

She probably going to call me after this interview. You know, like, you know, how dead. You're not a man in a pulpit. You better not. See, that's too much. That's too much pressure. That's a lot. And I'm going to tell you, I can be candid.

I don't think we're ever going to deconstruct a lot of that. It's because for a lot of people, they need that to be able to be connected to their thing. Wow. They need the stained glass windows. They need the pastor to look at some way. They need the church service to make them feel that this is my connection. This is what holy and righteous looks. like for me and i need that to hold on i don't need none of it all i need is jesus gang gang

that's all i need is jesus and i'm you know and again i ain't talking about the european version with the blue eyes i'm talking about you know the jesus that dies but everybody sins in any moment everybody can come to the table everybody's at to put it across because we all stank in there that that's what i need yeah know what we asked more i was going to say talking about the award show though um there were a couple things so first people were upset at the performance in a whole like they felt like yeah I mean I thought it was a great performance but I think people I think it just goes to like the people that you bring on to stage and how you um I have a quote here I think it was Dietrich had and was upset about Gloverland

winning the award but they also called he also mentioned like things being like a mockery of worship and like things of that nature do you get tired of that conversation at this point or at this point are you so used to it as whatever be real bro gang gang gang gang gang gang gang gang on everything i love it is what it is yeah it it it is what it is god bless him and god bless him how did you feel about that because some people were mad that in the gospel category was glorilla in yourself it was little baby in yourself it was rhapsody not your quote unquote typical gospel songs what did you think about that that that

Glorilla won. Her first BET award was a gospel record. What are your thoughts on it, a primarily gospel artist? I'm trying to keep my eyes on the prize. I'm trying to keep up with the things that really matter. I'm trying to tell the world about Jesus. I'm trying to tell the world that for God's all about the world that he gave his only son, whoever believes him should not perish that by the last time.

That's what I'm man. That's what I meant. Everything else is just no reason. That's what I meant. I feel like you meet people where they are. doing that since I was a little girl like you know I I feel like there has been like when you say you meet people where you are it's always been saying you meet people where where they are right Christ and in Christianity in church don't look the same for everybody so if like a glowrilla can speak to us the youth

you know and you stamp it and we like oh we know kirk frank this is who all of our mothers and grandmothers and aunts played and growing up and and she because she she she is the bridge you know what i mean like she would be the bridge for it and god uses everybody like he can use anybody can use a bum on a street you can use a homeless person he can use you know anybody to to to lead you know to so you can pay attention to bring you to you know to god Jesus, I feel like, it's not, it's not, why is that frowned upon? You know what I mean? There's a text, um, um, in, in, in scripture, there's this moment where the

disciples were talking to Jesus about people that were not part of their crew. Hmm. That was also using his name and trying to do things at his name. And they were upset about it because they were not part of the crew. And so they came to Jesus and they pulled up like, yo man, you need to go pull up on a boy and they over there saying your name and trying to do boo boo boo boo and your name. and we really need to squash that and and and Jesus was like yo if they over there and they're still trying to do good things in my name even though they're not part of our

crew I'm not going to squash that it's because they're still telling people my name yeah and so I feel that it is the same that today that Christianity has for so long been a country club and you've had to have a membership that and look at a certain way like like like let me tell you one thing that's funny to me is that people always say to me and even Tammy sometimes I'm just like, you know, like, y'all look younger now that y'all did when you first started. Let me tell what a lot of that was. We were assimilating to what the church. If you were young in church, you had to look old to be thought of as serious.

Like, they didn't take you serious if you did not look a certain way. So you dressed, though, you had the long, you know, you had the long jackets, you know, the square-toe gaiters. Yeah. You know. And Tammy probably had the big lampshade hats. Big lampshed hat. First time I took it to Codget Convention. We were 25 years old.

And, you know, God bless Church of God in Christ, love Church of God in Christ, you know, but there's a certain aesthetic that sometimes you have on, 10, 25 years old, got a big old hat on gloves. And she said, she said, I felt like trick-a-tree. You know, because we were trying to assemble, like you're trying to do all the things to be accepted as a young person.

And so now, I mean, we're just comfortable being who we are. And I just think that it is really, really important to just put people back on the focus of what matters. He's what matter. That's right. Now, what was the concept of Den of Kings? What inspired that? Bro, first of all.

You got to talk to the mic. Bro, first of all, I'm, bro, bro, bro, bro, bro. Don't give me trouble. They are we going to drag me for saying it once? That's the motif of the show, right? Bro, bro, bro, bro. And it's a beautiful thing, beautiful thing. But one thing that I'm very excited about is that I just had this idea that I've always

been told that people enjoy the way I hold court during dinner. Like when you go to dinner with me, we're going to try. We're going to chop about politics. You know, we're going to talk about religion, sex. We're going to talk about whatever and get it in. And so during my birthday, I came to Atlanta. Well, I went to Atlanta, had dinner with some of my good guy friends. And they were like, yo, bro, you need to turn this in or something.

You know, because I've had really great conversations. And so with that, I just thought about having dinner with black men and what that could look like in that conversation. And so the first episode, shot in in Atlanta, great food. Atlanta, great food chef, beautiful house. You know, you had Country Wayne, you had Lou, you had Deval, you had D.C. And it was an incredible moment.

And the response has been crazy. I've been telling everybody I know to watch it. It's been amazing. Like, were you shocked at the response? Yes, especially with D.C. and how he gets deep in how you're up, man. I love that, because that's my brother. I know, I know, I know. And he loves you.

Yes. Yes, yes. I'm investigative journalist Melissa Jeltson. My new podcast, What Happened in Nashville, tells the story of an IVF clinic's catastrophic collapse and the patients who banded together in the chaos that followed. We have some breaking news to tell you about. Tennessee's attorney general is suing a Nashville doctor. In April 2024, a fertility clinic in Nashville shut down overnight and trapped behind locked doors were more than a thousand frozen embryos. I was terrified. Out of all of our journey, that was the worst moment ever.

At that point, it didn't occur to me what fight was going to come to follow. But this story isn't just about a few families' futures. It's about whether the promise of modern fertility care can be trusted at all. It doesn't matter how much I fight. It doesn't matter how much I cry over all of this. It doesn't matter how much justice we get. None of it's going to get me pregnant. Listen to what happened in Nashville on the I,

Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, y'all, it's me, your man, M.G. Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael F. L'Orio. And I'm Laquan Jones. If you're looking to win your fantasy football league, you need to tune in to the NFL fantasy football podcast. It's right there in the name. Every week, Florio, LQ, and I bring you the latest news from around the league. We break down every matchup, give you our analysis and advice so you know who to start, sit, drop, and trade to bring that championship. trophy hole. I just want to remind everyone how good Rishie Rice was last season. And there's three

healthy games. He was the wide receiver two in fantasy. I think Rishie Rice just goes off this week. The Chiefs come on a flip pass to Rice. This side. Touchdown! Remandre Stevens is my sleeper this week. This is a matchup where I think I can slide in Stevenson into my flex position and he could deliver double digit points this week. Drake takes the snap. Hands it off. Remodry running it right and running into the end zone. Touchdown. It's never too late to turn your fantasy season or Subscribe to the NFL fantasy football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, Dr. Lori Santos from the Happiness Lab here. It's the season of giving, which is why my podcast is partnering with Give Directly, a nonprofit that provides people in extreme poverty with the cash they need.

This year, we're taking part in the Pods Fight Poverty campaign. And it's not just the Happiness Lab. Some of my favorite podcasters are also taking part. Think Jay Shetty from On Purpose, Dan Harris from 10% Happier, and Dave Desteno from How God Works and more. Our goal this year is to raise $1 million, which will help over 700 families in Rwanda living in extreme poverty. Here's how it works. You donate to give directly, and they put that cash directly into the hands of families in need, because those families know best what they need, whether it's buying livestock to fertilize their farm, paying school

fees or starting a small business. With that support, families can invest in their future and build lasting change. So join me and your favorite podcasters in the Pods Fight Poverty campaign. Head to give directly.org slash happiness lab to learn more and make a contribution. And if you're a first time donor, giving multiplier will even match your gift. That's give directly.org slash happiness lab to donate. For 25 years, I've explored what it means to heal, not just for myself. But alongside others, I'm Mike De La Rocha. This is Sacred Lessons, a space for reflection, growth, and collective healing. What do you tell men that are hurting right now?

Everything's going to be okay on the other side, you know, just push through it. And, you know, ironically, the root of the word spirit is breath. Wow. Which is why one of the most revolutionary acts that we can do as people just breathe. Next to the wound is their gifts. You can't even find your gifts unless you go through the wound. That's the hard thing. You think, well, I'm going to get my guess.

I don't want to go through all that. You've got to go through the wounds you're laughing. Listening to other people's near-death experiences, and it's all they say. In conclusion, love is the answer. Listen to Sacred Lessons as part of the My Kutura Podcast Network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, I'm Radhi Dvlukaya, and I am the host of a really good cry podcast. This week, I am joined by Anna.

Runkle, also known as the crappy childhood fairy, a creator, teacher, and guide helping people heal from the lasting emotional wounds of unsafe or chaotic childhoods. We talk about how the things we went through when we were younger can still show up in our adult lives, in our relationships, our reactions, even in the way we feel in our own bodies. And Anna opens up about her own story, what helped her notice the patterns she was stuck in, and how she slowly started teaching her body that it is safe now. So when I got attacked, it was very random. Four guys jumped out. of a car and just started beating me and my friend. And they broke my jaw on my teeth. I was unconscious. Then I woke up and I screamed. And I screamed because even though I didn't know who

I was or where I was, something in me was just like, hold on, wait. They could kill me and I'm not going to let that happen. I'm not going to let that happen. I'm going to get through this. And I did. Listen to a really good cry on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And you know, even country Wayne, you know, like just you gave them that safe space, that vulnerable place where they can they can talk about things that they don't usually talk about and they they talk about but they don't go in depth with it you know what I mean like you provide that and and I love to see that and it has been I mean the response has been overwhelmed like it has been so so you know we've got

another one on deck coming up soon you know and it's just you know dinner conversations with men yeah with black men and I'm humble and I want to thank everybody that's been tuning in and watching it and it's just been an amazing moment and it's like men's therapy it's like watching a men's therapy session it's crazy yeah it's crazy is each episode about fatherhood is going be different things that did men do different conversations next one is by being a boss okay and uh you know we we are going to have so many conversations that are just really just kind of peeling back and just having a really really really great conversation you're gonna pull up on one of course don't play

I think envy in Charlotte man I think y'all would be so amazing in the sit down side it would be it'd be fire because it's like a real conversation non-judgmental as well non-judgmental non-judgmental and I want everybody to feel safe and I try to lead with vulnerability and transparency myself so I try to create the environment that makes you feel safe and company will there ever be a episode with you and your baby boy your son it's not that I haven't thought about it it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's because it's still a work in progress yeah I would want there to be real healing in his life or there is anything that that that that that that puts a spotlight they could even be more damage it got it you know I want him whole yeah I don't give a heck about ladies you know I was going to say too something else but I just want him hope and so whatever is going to be for his best healing

and a lot of times that that happens when the cameras are all yeah what's your relationship now with them it's um it's still work it's it's it's still work now the beautiful thing that has happened is you know I ran into my biological father of course no these years and here's what's the most incredible thing about God. Everything that my oldest son need, that's his profession. Your dad's profession.

Wow. Biological father's profession. And I think you can impact that. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Right. Everything that my oldest need. So my biological has come in because that's his grandson. So he has a personal interest

in him being whole. And it's been amazing. It's been, well, it's been amazing to watch. But it's still a process. And how was that relationship with your biological dad? How was that been? Let me say that. He's an amazing man.

He's an amazing man. I love that you can say that. Oh, he's an amazing man. But it is more me. It's more because I wasn't looking for a father. He wasn't looking for a son. I mean, you know, I mean, we weren't looking for. Remember, I thought I knew who my father was.

And he died of cancer back in 17. So now it's me, like when you live your life so long on your own, it's almost like a, it's almost like a woman who has been single for a long time. And if the guy said, don't get that door. And you kind of like, what? You know, you've got to kind of process, okay, I ain't got to get my door no more. What does that look? You know, it's something like, oh, what does that look like?

No, I do understand what. She's saying she don't have a man. No, but even, first of all. She understands. That's what I said she understands. Even before the single thing, I was talking more about your dad and you not feeling like you were missing out on anything kind of, kind of sort of. I'm skipping past it. No, no, she's not.

It's a liar. It's so good how you did that. Yeah, you love the truth. And I'm letting me, she don't have a man. She don't have the best relationship with her dad. So she loved me. That's another thing. Okay.

Would you like me bad? Would you like me bad? I mean or dad. I don't, I'm not trying to be found a. I'm 33. Okay, I'm 55, so I'm so a man or dad, if I thought anyone, it may be a Zad. I mean, ooh, you might need a Zane. But she doesn't have necessarily the best relationship with her father as well.

So how did you get to the point where you can have that relationship? I mean, she texts Happy Father's Day, but she doesn't have that relationship. That's not true. Me and my dad have built a relationship, but I met him at 14. But to your point, because I was so full with what I had, I had my stepdad. my mom, my grandmother, I didn't know, and like still now, I don't, like, I'll be forgetting his father's day. And it's no shade to him. It's just, I understand. I've always been full to the point where I wasn't looking for. So when he got introduced into my life, I was like,

oh, okay, so this is my dad. I got to call him. I got to talk to him. And it don't always be that all the time. It's not a natural thing for me to do. So you're the first person I ever heard explain it where it made sense to me of like, you just weren't looking for it because you didn't know you needed it. And mom wasn't that I was full. Mom said I was numb. Oh, maybe I was numb. Maybe so. You know, and I don't know, like, I'm not a professional, but I do know that sometimes you do learn how to live with limbs. Yeah.

You learn how to live with limbs to the point that you forget it's broken. Yeah. And I think that because of where we come from as people of color, we've had to live so much of our lives as people, with limbs as people, just because of just the deconstruction of our homes and families and backgrounds that a lot of times we don't even know often what healthy is. It's because we've had to just live okay. We've never really lived well.

We just live okay. Have you had those moments with your biological dad where, like, y'all are talking or y'all in the midst of something, and you're like, oh, man, like, I feel it. This is what was missing at some point, or I could have used this at some point. Have you had that?

No, no, I have lived so much with deficiencies that I'm still just trying to figure out. So a lot of times, if I'm around him, I'm just trying to figure out how to be, Sometimes I'm even sitting there having to just breathe just to keep my anxiety. But, you know, because it's so far. Yeah.

It's so far. And I'm not, you know, I'm not proud of these things. Yeah. But I'm not going to get up here and cap with y'all, like, you know, and give you all the, you know, the little house on the prayer, fairy tale. Oh man, God has blessed us and we're all together. It's like, my God, I'm still trying to figure life out. Like, like, it's a new addition that I'm still trying to figure out.

the space for it. Do you regret what you've done in gospel music because it took so much time away from your family? That's an incredible question. I think that any man, in my humble opinion, that is ambitious and driven will always look back and have regrets on how

the people around them have had to suffer because of that. Because you, yeah, your family suffered, but you brought joy to people. You probably saved a million and one lives with your music. and your dancing and the word, but you might have hurt a couple in the family because you weren't there.

So how does that balance out? And, you know, as a father that works a lot, I feel that sometimes. It's like, damn, should I be home during this time? But I got to get bills. See, Denne Keynes, because y'all talked about this on the show. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ooh, boy, you know, you have many regrets.

You have many regrets. many regrets and and you have confusion is because it's it's almost like if you were not driven if you were not a dog if you didn't have that attitude then you wouldn't have been what you are but you also know that many around you whether it's your wife or your kids that they've suffered a lot that they've gone through a lot because it comes with a heavy price and I think that for me mine also has another level of of kind of dichotomy is because you also don't want to you don't want their kids faith to be I don't want having to do with Jesus because Jesus was the dude that kept my daddy away so I'm trying you know you've

also tried to have that new on space and that too now the beauty of my children is their mother it my my my children are are are great because of their mama Tammy Tammy has Tammy is like she's just that midas touch you know she but then her mama was that Tammy's mom was that Tammy's mama's like that with me you know just that might as touch

she knew I didn't have a mama so Pam just a minus touch but yeah you live with a lot of regret you live with a lot of guilt you live with a lot of questions you live with that internal war of missing things and wondering what it would

what it would have been more like for you to be at home. But then at the same time, you also, that dude that wakes up in the middle of night with dreams and ideas and ambitions and songs. You know, like I wake up in the middle with songs and, you know, I'm at a basketball game and I got to step outside to put something in my phone

because of song, because if that song don't work, then I can't pay for that school. And I can't pay for that college. I can't pay for that your new car you want after you graduate. It's like, you know, there's that tension. Right. It's because people are blessed by your sacrifice,

but then they're also hurt by your sacrifice. Yeah, and I don't know all the answers I just try to show up and be honest What's your mentorship to other people look like these days Because I know Dinah Kings I felt like when I was watching it It was that like you were mentoring these men But they just came together randomly Do you have like a set group of people that you're mentoring

And do you take the time to do that? Maybe mentoring right now And these days and times does look more like that Maybe it doesn't look as traditional Okay You know, it's I don't know I just try whatever I try to show up wherever I am. I'm always trying to be the book that people need to read. And so whatever that looks like,

I'm always available to do it. It may not always look in the traditional form. It's because sometimes in traditional forms, like I remember doing a youth camp. I did a youth music camp for the hood back a few years ago. And it just didn't go with. And the reason why is because what I noticed is that if Steph Curry does a camp, if Steph Curry does a basketball camp, and you can figure, you probably and did this entity. Kids that come to a basketball camp, they're not looking for Steph Curry to get them in the NBA

because they know that it's still a process. They know a coach and a team. So Curry can do a basketball camp and show love, give out some treats, whatever. But a daddy is not pulling them to the side going, you know, man, you think you could talk to a team from a boy where when I do a music camp, demo tapes and everybody, you know,

it's like they see my word. world more accessible. So I'm not getting a chance to really mentor. I got a whole bunch of people just kind of want to be put on. Right. Right. And so that didn't go well for them. I want to be able to plant seeds and help you, but I'm not here trying to put you on. Yeah. What I love, I love that you said social media is not evil. You know, it's broken people that use it as a tool of evil. Yeah. Right. So does commentary on social media affect you a little? Yeah, it can. Yeah, and I think anybody would be lying at this thing.

And I think that we all try to do our social media ass and we try to pull back, you know, like after the beat two wars, I was like, I'm not reading nothing. I don't want to read nothing. I want to read nothing. I want to read nothing, you know. And then, you know, a few days later, you find yourself. And look in and be, yeah.

My man, please, it's by Jesus. Yeah, right, right, right. You know, so, you know, yeah, you find that attention and you try to do the best. I really believe, y'all, and I know y'all got to wrap me up with so, man. I got to believe, I believe that everything that we discuss can be summarized in these major points of. Humans have to be more kind to humans. That we, here's the illustration before I go, right?

If you are on an island and the island is now slowly sinking into the water, and the only way off that island to the other piece of bigger land is, this rope, this tight rope, and everybody has to walk across that tightrope. Now, why remind you, they're walking over water that is shark-infested, right? So if you fall off that tightrope, but that's the only way to get off this island is this tightrope. Everybody that is getting on that type rope, if you're sitting there or standing there watching them because, you know, your turn is coming up next, you're not going to be sitting there criticizing how they're getting off on that type rope.

You're not going to be going, look at the feet. Look at the feet. She's not even walking on it, right? Look at it, look at that. You're not doing it, because you know what you're not doing that? Because you know you next. So you're saying and going, please, may. Ah, oh, God, please let her make it.

Please. She made it. She made. Because that gives you hope that you can make it. That's what life is. It's sinking. And we're trying to get off. And there's only one way.

But we're criticizing each other while we're trying to get off. That's the only way. There's no boat. There's nothing. The only way off the sinking island is this thin, difficult. We should be praying people make it instead of complaining how they walk it. Wow. Because you next.

And the church said. Amen. Dang. Well. Dang. I was, let me do one more question. Go. How did you feel, listen, you got some of the strongest pipes coming up out of your choir.

Like, I'm talking about, like, everybody was like a lead singer. Like everybody. How did you find these people? That's how I do it. That's how you do it. I do it, is I look for lead singers. Individual. is I go after artists.

Yeah. If I look at people that I see an artist, come rock with you. And that's what I do. And that's why they're so amazing. Yeah. Yeah. So, but that's dope that you caught that.

Since I was little, I'm like, yo, how everybody can not just sing, but say everybody can sing. Like, he could have had, like, everybody do their own solo. Yeah. Crazy, man. No, no, no. Thank you for that. But I want to say, I love you so much.

Love you, too. I've been inspired since I was. like just so young, just those long mornings, my mother pop your CDs and for every CD we hit, you know, I grew up on you and I love you and I'm so happy that I got to meet you. Oh, you know. This is so crazy, this is the first time

you met him because he's here. No, no, no, but it's just, 90 times. Oh, no, I met him before. I met him before. But it is kind of crazy me and Kirk Franklin because you've been in our household are literally, I know half for work. I know that like everything yeah my whole life so meeting you was just like so I'm happy

it's Kirk Franklin like okay and it is your presence though so I thank you so much just for all of your work and everything that you that you've done you've contributed to just to my household and my and to gospel the word of God everything thank you that's kind of yeah thank you up well dinner Kings you can check it out on YouTube new single do it again we're about to play that right again hey you're on and we have to leave with a What's wrong with you? Can you call your ass bro to pray for you? First of all, he prayed for me at the media room as well, too.

Okay, I am always covered in prayer. Thank you. All right. You know, what's covering your week, too, but that's what? That you see, Shay, I need you to pray for him. And that's not even a wig. Exactly. She doesn't wear wigs no more because they talked about them.

So my didn't talk them right off of the room. Are we including prayer for a zaddy or are we not? Yeah, yeah, yeah. She needs a daddy too. If you allowed to say that to God go here, I can't, I can't say it. I'm been funny. Man, Father, wow, man, thank you so much that you are just the most kindest, the most patient, creative of them all.

Thank you, Lord, that you constantly just forgive us when we mess up and that you are always warning us to win because when we win, it makes you look great. Father, we know that the world is crazy. And, Father, I want to thank you for these three soldiers, for the four soldiers, and how they are doing their best to try to plant seeds of goodness in the earth. Just watch over their families, watch over their lives. if we've ever needed you before we need you in the world now please break down the walls of religion

so that we can be able to see the light of your son and i'm talking about your son s o n and father we want him to be glorified in our lives we are far from perfect messed up and we love the fact that you take the lemons and make lemonade in our lives every day thank you for not giving up on us we want to make you proud want to make you happy in your name jesus amen all right well there you have it It's Kirk Franklin. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. Wake that ass up.

Earl, in the morning. The Breakfast Club. I'm investigative journalist Melissa Jeltson. My new podcast, What Happened in Nashville, tells the story of an IVF clinic's catastrophic collapse and the patients who banded together in the chaos that followed. It doesn't matter how much I fight. It doesn't matter how much I cry over all of this.

It doesn't matter how much I cry over all of this. how much justice we get. None of it's going to get me pregnant. Listen to what happened in Nashville on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael Florio, and together we host the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season?

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and he said, there's a line in there about your mother. And I said, what? What I would do if I didn't feel like I was being accepted is choose an identity that other people can't have. I knew something had happened to me in the middle of the night, but I couldn't hold on to what had happened. These are just a few of the moving and important stories on my 13th season of Family Secrets. Listen to Family Secrets on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're looking for another heavy podcast about trauma, the saying it, this is for the ones who had to survive and still show up as brilliant, loud, soft, and whole.

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