Though Kirk Franklin looks like he’s getting ready for his freshman year in college now that prom week has come and gone, he’s been dropping faith inspired tunes for two decades now and given the current social-political climate, his latest offering couldn’t have come at a better time.
Today the Texas man of God graced The Breakfast Club with his presence to speak his gospel and give listeners some insight into how deep and similar his struggles in life have been thus far.
Opening up about being abandoned by both his biological parents to his opinion on the abortion issue that’s been making headlines across the board as of late, Kirk Franklin proves he’s not afraid to keep it real while explaining where that realness is coming from.
Here are the 6 things we learned from Kirk Franklin on The Breakfast Club.
1. Christianity in 2019
Kirk says he named his latest album Long Live Love because he was inspired by the current climate we’re living in which his Christian brothers “across the isle” have demonstrated their “lack of empathy for Black and Brown people and not being able to understand that the creator of love is challenging us to learn how to love people that are not always the most lovable. Because we’re at times not always the most lovable.” He’s also on a mission to “make God fresh” again. He has his work cut out for him, that’s for sure.
2. Adoption & Abortion
Kirk reveals that at the age of 4 he was adopted by a 64-year-old lady who interestingly enough knew his biological mother. At one point his adopted mother reached out to his biological mother for financial help only to get spurned and told that “I didn’t want him. I wanted an abortion and you wouldn’t let me.” With that being the case Mr. Franklin says he’s a pro-life person but also admits “but at the same time it would be hypocritical to not also tell you that when I was a teenager I paid for an abortion.” Still he acknowledges it’s no man’s place to tell a woman what to do with her body.
3. Papaz Song
As early as last year, Kirk’s biological father reached out to him to let him know he was dying of cancer. Though he was conflicted about speaking to the man he never really knew, Kirk says his faith pushed him to contact him to see what’s what. Unfortunately Kirk didn’t get that loving “This Is Us” moment he was hoping for and simply explained to his father how his absence effects his being to this day.
4. Therapy
While many people still have qualms about admitting to needing therapy to deal with life issues, Kirk says he’s been doing therapy since he was 18-years-old. He even credits it for saving his marriage as “I didn’t know how to be no husband.”
5. Kanye Canceling
Speaking on Kanye West, Kirk says his conversations with Ye are “beautiful” and for people to allow the music to “heal” Kanye. He also has an issue with how quick the culture is to “cancel” people in this day and age and wants people to give others time to pick themselves back up.
6. The Comeback
Responding to why he took four years to getting around to dropping this latest album, Kirk simply says that it was “insecurities.” He wasn’t sure if anyone wanted to hear what he had to say in this day and age and even wondered if he had anything left to say. After going back to his old hood and taking in that nostalgia along with where we are today as a society he decided to get back in the studio to craft his latest project.
