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Kirk Franklin

November 5, 2026 · 2 h 15 min

Show notes

Kirk Franklin pulls up to the R&B Money Podcast and Tank and J. Valentine take church all the way back.

From making $25 a Sunday as a church musician in Fort Worth to plugging a jam box into a hotel bathroom to get his demo heard, Kirk breaks down the hustle behind one of the most important careers in gospel music. He opens up about being adopted by Gertrude, giving his life to Christ in 1985, signing away 100% of his publishing for a $7,000 deal, and why he didn't start making real money until his late 40s.

Kirk also tells the real story behind "Stomp" and the Jimmy Iovine remix, why churches banned his music, the "Imagine Me" moment that changed how he sees worship, and why he refuses to water down the Black gospel experience. Plus the new album with GloRilla, praying with Chris Brown, Usher and Mario, his Top 5, his R&B Voltron, and an "I Ain't Saying No Names" story you have to hear to believe.

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