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Kirk Franklin explains why I Am What I Am represents his ongoing dedication to being a voice for faith-based music and honest spiritual dialogue.
Kirk Franklin walked into the “Posted on the Corner” studio with three decades of gospel history behind him and a new project to share. In a lively conversation with hosts Incognito and DJ Misses, the gospel icon moved easily between punchlines and preaching. It was a clear reminder of why he remains one of the most influential voices in Black music.
Franklin came to talk about I Am What I Am, his first-ever double album. The project is split into two experiences. One side holds seven tracks recorded live in church, carrying the Sunday-morning energy longtime fans know well. The other side offers seven studio tracks with guest features, including GloRilla on “Glow” and Tobe Nwigwe.
Working with secular artists has never meant compromise, Franklin said. He called himself “the Jesus guy,” past, present, and future, and said he does not change who he is to fit anyone’s sound. He looked back on his youth, when he rapped as “Kid Fresh” and lived a wild life outside the church. Even then, gospel was the only music he ever wanted to make.
DJ Misses asked what he had finally stopped apologizing for. His answer centered on embracing imperfection and serving a God who meets people as they are. “Let me love you where you are to where I’m taking you,” he said.
The mood turned serious when Franklin spoke about forgiveness. “Forgiveness is free, but trust is earned,” he said. Forgiveness is a commandment, he explained, but forgetting runs on its own timeline. The person who caused the hurt cannot rush that process, especially if they are not doing the work.
He summed up his outlook plainly: “Jesus didn’t die for religion. He died so we got relationship with him.”
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The laughs came often. Franklin and the hosts traded stories about old-school church rules with no biblical basis, like no baseball caps in the pulpit and shutting off the TV and lights whenever it thundered. Anyone raised in the Black church likely recognized every one. Franklin also joked that he and gospel legend Shirley Caesar used to date, then told the crew to “clip that.” He admitted his younger self should have let the S-curl go much sooner.
When Incognito asked which secular artist he would love to executive produce, Franklin named Jazmine Sullivan and Beyoncé.
Near the end, Incognito and DJ Misses gave Franklin his flowers. They thanked him for his transparency, for music that has saved lives, and for openly sharing his platform and his family’s struggles.
It was a fitting close to a conversation built on honesty. With I Am What I Am, Franklin is offering his community the same thing he offered on the Corner: faith, laughter, and the freedom to show up exactly as you are.
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