The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Kirk Franklin On Kevin Hart Jokes, Representing Faith, Being Imperfect, New Podcast + More

Episode Date: June 19, 2025

Today on The Show, Kirk Franklin Discuss Kevin Hart Jokes, Representing Faith, Being Imperfect, New Podcast. Listen For More!YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Listen to we need to talk from the black effect podcast network on the iheart radio at apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast Wake that ass up early in the morning the breakfast club Morning everybody is d e j envy just hilarious charlomane theious, Charlamagne the Guy, we are the Breakfast Club, Lauren LaRosa 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.

That's good. I feel like I live here. What is this, what is this, like the 20,000th time? I'm good with it. I'm just humbled by that. I'm glad you're 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 the performance. 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? We talked about it. It's about at the media room. Yeah, 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. We took it right at the media room. Yeah, I'm always nervous.

If I go to a nursing home and perform, I'm nervous. If I go speak to kids, I'm like, yeah, I always have, yeah, I'm over it. 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. It's 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. Got you. You know, like everything for me is my first. Every project, every album, every song, every moment is my first. Like I'm a new artist, I'm a new, I'm a struggling artist every time. And I think a lot of it, and you know, y''all probably even attest to all 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 those. You're always looking for that good job baby that mama didn't give you, that you didn't have in those formative years. So yeah, every moment is nerves and new. And so at the B2 Awards, I'm about to lose it backstage, I'm about to pass. I'm like, wow. 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 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 not 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 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 them go. Gas. Oh, so Teyana Taylor and Aaron Pierre was smelling the lul. And I lied, I was like, oh man, who did that? Oh wow. Kirk Franklin, the gassy one.

Wait. The gassy one. Cause did you have gas when you were sitting next to me? I didn't smell nothing. Well, I wasn't nervous talking to you. Oh, OK. Oh, that's good. Because I'm not going to lie.

I've been telling people since I met you, it was my first time meeting you. It threw me off. I didn't know you were so like just normal. Cool. Yeah, like so normal. She didn't say that, though. What does that mean? I said you a real inward.

She was like, he's a real n***a. I said, yeah. 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. That's a real nigga. I said, yeah, that's why I love him. He's the way he is. I never felt like that about somebody who- But what do you think people like? What are people expecting from me to come in floating on clouds? Yes, a little bit.

That's what people- And I think that's unfortunate. And I think that we gotta 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? Like, everybody can pull me in

and be part of this God love wagon. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like everybody can pull me and be part of this God love wagon. You know what I'm saying? 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 also riding together, man.

We don't always know where we're going, but we ride. Now during the BET Awards, they kept showing you when Kevin Hart was doing comedy. And then the whole twist was Kirk Franklin was upset with all the Kevin Hart jokes. And I'm like, they must not know Kirk. So I was, it was so good. He's good.

But then I'll also give you this side and you know, and I, and, and I want him cap, right? It's, 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? 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.

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. Until then, I live in this broken house and I live in a world where things are gonna be funny. I'm gonna stub my toe and I'm not gonna speak a tongue in the middle of the night, I'm gonna cuss. You know what I'm saying?

You push me too hard, it's gonna be hands. I am not a perfect person and so when something's funny and it's good and funny, I wanna laugh. How did you stop yourself from laughing? Because he kept going and you know Kev, Kev is gonna keep going till he gets, I'm not a perfect person and so when something's funny and it's good and funny, I wanna laugh. How do you stop yourself from laughing? Because he kept going and you know Kev, Kev is gonna keep going till he get, and you was holding that laugh.

I know. I felt like I was laughing. You and wifey, you were but it was like, you still was trying to keep that sense of like, all right, like you was like, it's like you were cracking, but you were like still containing yourself, you know? 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, we not supposed to be perfect, that's why he made us in his image,

but it's like, if he put us here, and he knew, he knew 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. 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. 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 new digital series I have called Den of Kings is that we have to understand, man, that we are patients. We're not doctors. 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 supposed to be a place where people

that don't have it together could come and everybody can feel comfortable that they know that they don't have it together. 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. It's because if I don't look the way

that you think I should look soon, then now I gotta fake it till I make it. And then you never, and then what happens then, you become a human doing and never a 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 at every, I was about to say that like, every. 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 piracy. Oh no, that was piracy. That was another. We talked about that too at the media room, but.

Why, what, they mad at the outfit. I mean, it wasn't Poon Poon shorts. You didn't have a thong on it. It's so annoying. It wasn't nothing like that. Cause they tried to say bro was twerking. Oh sorry, they mean Kirk Franklin. They tried to say Kirk Franklin was twerking.

You said bro? She definitely told you bro. Yeah, sorry. They said bro? No, I don't think I can address you like that. He a little too comfortable now. Yeah, sorry. Hold up, pause, pause. They try to say Kirk Franklin was You just feel like they so crazy how like naturally you just feel like the homie and I'm like it's Kirk Franklin Like watching you at the BET Awards and seeing the energy. Your mic went out. See, God damn it, when we call you bro. That's what I'm saying.

That's what happened when you called Kirk Friesland 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 go 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,

and like, bro was cool, and my mother, here she go, cause you know, she a deacon in the church, and she, you don't refer to no Kirk Franklin. I said, Ma, no, like, Kirk is really cool, like, relaxed and chill. When I just said it. And we get outside, my son like, he 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

and be like, you dare not, a man in a pulpit, you better not. See, that's too much pressure. That's too much pressure. That's a lot and I'm gonna tell you I I can be candid I don't think we're ever going to deconstruct a lot of that is because for a lot of people they need that to be able to be connected to their faith they need the stained glass windows they need the pastor to look us away they 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. All I need is Jesus. And again, I ain't talking about the European version

with the blue eyes. I'm talking about the Jesus that died, but everybody sins at any moment. Everybody can come to the table. Everybody is to put it across because we all stank in. Well, that's what I mean. Yeah. No, we ask more. I was going to say talking about the award show, though,

there were a couple of things. So first, we 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 I have a quote here. I think people, I think it just goes to like the people that you bring onto stage and how you, I have a quote here, I think it was Deidre Caden was upset about Glover Lerwin and 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, it's whatever? Be real, bro. Gang gang. Gang gang, gang gang. Gang gang. Gang gang, gang gang, gang gang. On everything I love, right? It is what it is. It is what it is.

God bless him and God bless them. How did you feel about that? Because some people were mad that in the gospel category, it 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 Glorilla won her first BET Award was a gospel record? What are your thoughts on it, primarily gospel artists?

I'm trying to keep my eyes on the prize. Trying to keep my focus on the things that really matter. I'm trying to tell the world about Jesus. I'm trying to tell the world that God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, whoever believes in him should not perish and have everlasting life. That's what I meant. That's what I meant. Everything else is just noise. That's what I meant. I feel like you meet people where they are.

You've been doing that since I was a little girl. I feel like there has been like, when you say you meet people where you are, it's always been said, you meet people where they are, right? Christ and Christianity and church don't look the same for everybody. So if like a Glorilla 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 she, because she is the bridge, you know what I mean? Like she would be the bridge for that, and God uses everybody, like he can use anybody,

he can use a bum on the street, he can use a homeless person, he can use anybody to lead, you know, so you can pay attention to bring you to God and Jesus. I feel like it's not, why is that frowned upon? You know what so you can pay attention to bring you to you know to God and Jesus I feel like it's not it's not why is that frowned upon? You know what I mean? There's a text in In scripture there's this moment where the disciples were talking to Jesus about people that were not part of their crew That was also using his name and trying to do things in his name And they were upset about it

because they were not part of the crew. And so they came to Jesus, they pulled him, it's like, yo man, you need to go pull up on a boy name. They over there saying your name and trying to do woo woo woo in your name. And we really need to squash that. And Jesus was like, yo, if they over there and they are still trying to do good things in my name,

even though they're not part of our crew, I'm not gonna squash that. It's because they're still trying to do good things in my name, even though they're not part of our crew. I'm not gonna squash that. It's because they're still telling people my name. 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. You've had to look a certain way. Like, let me tell you one thing that's funny to me,

is that people always say to me, and even Tammy sometimes, it's like, y'all look younger now than y'all did when y'all first started. Let me tell you 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. They didn't take you serious if you did not look a certain way. So you dressed up, you had the long jackets, the square toe gaiters.

And Tammy probably had the long jackets, you know, the square toe gaiters. Yeah. And Tammy probably had the big lamp shade hats. Big lamp shade hats. You know. First time I took her to Kojic convention, we were 25 years old and I, 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. Tammy, 25 years old, got a big old hat on, gloves.

And she said, she said, I felt like Trick and Treat. Because we were trying to assimilate, 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 matters. That's right. Now, what was the concept of Den of Kings? What inspired that? Bro, first of all, you gotta talk to the mic. Bro, first of all, I'm bro, bro, bro, bro, bro. Don't give me trouble, they're already gonna drag me for saying it once. That's the motif of the show, right? 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 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 chop, you know, we're going to chop about politics, you know, we will talk about religion, sex, we're going to talk about whatever and get it in. And so during my birthday, I came to Atlanta while I went to Atlanta had dinner with some of my good God friends. And they were like, you're broke, you need to turn this into something. This is, 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, I did in Atlanta, great food, chef, beautiful house.

You know, you had Country Wayne, you had Lou. Shotted in Atlanta, great food chef, beautiful house. You know, you had Country Wayne, you had Lou, you had Deval, you had DC. 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, hasn't it? Like, were you shocked at the response? Yes, especially with DC and how it gets deep

and how y'all, man, I love that, because that's my brother. I know, I know, especially with DC and how it gets deep and how y'all man, I love that because that's my brother. I know, I know, I know. And he loves you. Yes, yes, yes, yes. 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 talk about, but they don't go in depth with it. You know what I mean? Like you provide that. And I love to see that. And it has been, I mean, the response has been overwhelming. It has been so, so we've got another one on deck coming up soon. And it's just dinner conversations with men, with black men, and I'm humbled,

and I wanna thank everybody that's been tuning in and watching it and it's just been amazing." Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts.

Every week I sit down with your favorite book lovers, authors, celebrities, book talkers, and more to explore the stories that shape us, on the page and off. I've been reading every Reese's Book Club pick, deep-diving book talk theories, and obsessing over book-to-screen casts for years. And now, I get to talk theories, and obsessing over book to screen casts for years. And now I get to talk to the people making the magic. So if you've ever fallen in love with a fictional character or cried at the last chapter or passed a book to a friend saying, you have to read this, this podcast is for you. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or

wherever you get your podcasts. This week on Dear Chelsea with me, Chelsea Handler, Sophia Bush is here. Tell me how that feels to be considered a hot lesbian. Quite an honor. You know what's funny is you do this weird math. If you're a woman dating men, nobody wants to talk to you about your sexuality. They just want to either say like you're a prude or a slut, you know, if you date too much, they criticize you. If you don't date, you must be frigid, whatever. And then the thing that gets added when you're actually more fluid with your sexuality is the swing goes to you better identify exactly who you are so we can figure out what name

to call you. And it's like, okay. And you know, I sort of looked around and was like, has nobody been paying attention to like all the hot girls I've been kissing on camera? You know, maybe not in front of you off camera, but hi, I've always been here. Listen to Dear Chelsea on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Don't miss the You vs. You podcast. Join Lex Borrero every week as he sits down with some or wherever you get your podcasts. childhood trauma, family, overcoming loss, and the moments that shape their journey. These honest conversations are meant to take the cape off our heroes with the hope that their humanity inspires you to become a better you and therefore set you free to live the life of your dreams. Here's a sneak peek.

I'm trained to go compete. I'm trained to be like harder but sometimes that mentality stops you from stopping and smelling the flowers in your own garden. Is it wrong to want more? We migrated, our family migrated here. I'm like second generation. Listen to You Versus You as part of My Kultura podcast network, available on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Show me how good it can get today, God, and show the rest of the world what we already know. It can't get no better than being Hella Black, Hella Queer, and Hella Christian. My name is Joseph Rees. I am the creator and host of Hella Black, Hella Queer, Hella Christian,

a fully Black, fully Queer, fully human, fully divine podcast that explores society, culture, and the intersections of faith and identity. Listen to Hella Black, Hella Queer, Hella Christian to hear conversations about what it means to sound the way you look. I think what I've had to make peace with is that every iteration of my voice is given to me by God and I love it. Books that validated our identity. The library now for me is a safe space as someone who is writing books that they're trying to take off of shelves. And how we as black queer folks relate to our Christianity.

Listen to Hella Black, Hella Queer, Hella Christian on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. It's a moment. And it's like men's therapy. It's like watching a men's therapy session. It's crazy. Yeah. wherever you get your podcast. 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 it gonna be different things that men do? Different conversations. Next one is about being a boss. Okay. And you know, we are gonna have so many conversations

that are just really, just kind of peeling back and just having a really, really, really great conversation. You gonna pull up on one. Of course. Don't play. I think Envy and Charlamagne, I think y'all be so amazing in the sit down. It would be. It'd be fire. Cause 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 comfortable. 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 because it's still a work in progress. I would want there to be real healing in his life before there is anything that puts a spotlight that could even be more damaging to his process. I want him whole. I don't give a heck about ratings, you know, I was gonna say something else, but I just want him whole. And so whatever is gonna be for his best healing. And a lot of times that happens when the cameras are whole. What's your relationship now with him? It's still work. It's still work. Now the beautiful thing that has happened is,

you know, I ran into my biological father. Of course. And here's what's the most incredible thing about God. Everything that my oldest son needs, that's his profession. Your dad's profession. Wow., that's his profession. Mm-hmm. Your dad's profession. Wow. Biological father's profession.

And I think you can impact that. Yeah. Right, right? Everything that my oldest needs. So my biological has come in, because that's his grandson now. So he has a personal interest in him being whole. And it's been amazing. It's been,. 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 has that been? Let me say this. 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. 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 woman who has been single for a long time.

And if the guy said, don't get that door, and you're kinda like, what? You know, you've got to kinda process, okay, I ain't gotta get my door no more. What does that look like? You know, it's all like, what does that look like? I don't understand. No, I do understand.

She don't have a man. But even, first of all, 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, sorta. Why y'all? I'm skipping past it. No, no, she's here. She doesn't know.

But it's so good how you did that. It's so good how you did that. God loves the truth. And I'm letting it, she don't have a man She don't have the best relationship with a dad. So she loved Would you like me bad a man or dad I don't I'm 33. Okay, I'm 55. So I'm so a man a dad if I find anyone it may be a sad But she doesn't have the 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 takes happy father day Oh, 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 be forgetting his father's name, and it's no shade to him. It's just-

No, no, no, I understand. I've always been full to the point where I wasn't looking for it. So when he got introduced into my life, I was like, oh, okay, so this is my dad. I've got to call him. I got to talk to him. I got to, 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 mine wasn't that I was full. Mine was that I was numb. Oh, maybe I was numb.

Maybe so. But you know, 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. And I think that because of where we come from as people of color, we've had to live so much of our lives with limps 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, 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 foreign. It's so foreign and I'm not, you know, I'm not proud of these things, but I'm not going gonna get a pair and cap with y'all like, you know and give y'all the 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 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 dance and the word,

but you might've hurt a couple in the family because you weren't there. So how does that balance out? And as a father that works a lot, I feel that sometimes. It's like, damn, should I be home during this time? But I gotta get bills. See, Denny King's, because y'all talked about this on the show.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ooh, boy. You know, you have many regrets. Yeah, you have many regrets. And you have confusion. It's because 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 kind of dichotomy, is because you also don't want to, you don't want the kids' faith to be, I don't want to have nothing 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 nuanced space in that too. Now the beauty of my children is their mother. My children are great because of their mama. Tammy has, Tammy is like, she just just that Midas touch.

You know, but then her mama was that. Tammy's mama was that. Tammy's mama's like that with me. You know, just that Midas touch. She knew I didn't have a mama, so bam, just that Midas 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 have been more like for you to be at home. But then at the same time, you're also that dude that wakes up in the middle of the night with dreams and ideas and ambitions and songs. You know, like I wake up in the middle of the night with songs and I'm at a basketball game and I I gotta step outside to put something in my phone because a 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 new car you want after you graduate. It's like you know there's that tension. It's because people are blessed by your sacrifice but then they're also hurt by your sacrifice. And I don't know all the answers. I just try to show up and be honest. Got you. What's your mentorship to other people look like these days? Because I know Denny King's, 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 in 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. Mm-hmm. It's I just try, whenever 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. performance 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 well. 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 did this Enzi, 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 so Curry can do a basketball camp and, you know, show love, give out some treats, whatever. But a daddy is not pulling him 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 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 me. That, you know, 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 at all? Yeah, it can. Oh yeah. Yeah. And I think anybody would be lying if they say that. And I think that we all try to do our social media fast. We try to pull back. Like after the B2 Wars, I was like, I'm not reading nothing. I don't want to read nothing.

I don't want to have it. I don't want nothing. And then a few days later, you find yourself. And look in and be, yeah. I'm pleased with my Jesus. Right, right, right. Yeah. I'm pleased about Jesus. Yeah. Right, right, right. So you know, you find that tension

and you try to do the best. I really believe, y'all, and I know y'all gotta wrap me up, Rasoon, man, I gotta 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. If you are on an island and that 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 tight rope. Now, mind you, they're walking over water that is shark-infested, right? So if you fall off that tight rope,

but that's the only way to get off this island, is this tight rope. Everybody that is getting on that tight rope, if you're sitting there or standing there watching them because you know your turn is coming up next, you're not gonna be sitting there criticizing how they're getting off on that tight rope. You not going to be going, look at her feet. She's not even walking on it right. 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 sitting there going, please man. Oh God, please let her make it. Please. She made it. She made it. But 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 this sinking island

is this damn difficult way. We should be praying people make it instead of complaining how they walk it. Because you next. And the church said. Amen. Dang. Wow. Dang, I was, let me just go one more question. Sure.

No, no, no. Go, go, go. How did you, 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. Yeah, yeah. 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. Individually. As I go after artists. Yeah. As I look at people that I see an artist in them.

Come rock with me. And that's what I do. And that's why they're so amazing. Yeah. Yeah. But that's dope that you caught that. Since I was little, I'm like, yo, 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's gonna had Uh, 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. You 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. Wow. You know? This is so crazy, this is the first time you met him because he's here. No, second time I've ever been with my son.

Kirk's always up there. No, I met him before. Kirk's the only one I ain't got a key to, just walk right in. But it is kind of crazy me and Kirk, frankly, because you've mean are in our household are literally in my house where 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 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 in my end To gospel the word of God everything. Thank you Well, then the Kings you can check it out on YouTube new single do it again we about to play that

First of all, he pray for me at the media room as well, too. Okay, I am always covered in prayer. Thank you. Alright. You're always covered in your wig, too, but let's go. This is a quick question. You see Shay, I need you to pray for him. And that's not even a wig. Exactly.

That's why she don't wear wigs. She don't wear wigs no more because they talked about him. Somebody didn't talk to him right off the bat. Are we including praying for Zaddy or are we not? Yeah, please, please. She needs a Zaddy, too. If you allowed to say that to God, go ahead. I can't answer. I can't say it. I'm being funny. Man, Father, wow man. Thank you so much that you are just the most kindest, most patient, creative of them all. Thank you Lord that you constantly just forgive us when we mess up and that you always warning us to win because when we win, it makes you look great. Father 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 amen all right well there you have it.

It's Kirk Franklin. It's The Breakfast Club. Good morning. Hmm. Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies.

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