Kirk Franklin says he won’t apologize for GloRilla feature

Kirk Franklin says he will not apologize for bringing GloRilla onto “This Time,” the collaboration on his album “I Am What I Am.” In an Associated Press interview published October 30, he addressed criticism tied to working with rappers whose catalogs include explicit material. His answer puts a familiar gospel-and-rap argument inside the project instead of treating the feature as a side note.

“This Time” turns a boundary question into part of the music

The 14-track record moves between contemporary songs and live-recorded traditional selections, AP reports. That split gives the album room to hold both Franklin’s current collaborations and the live gospel tradition that shaped his career. The guest list also includes Davido, Jelly Roll and Karen Clark Sheard, so “This Time” is one part of a broader set of crossings.

Franklin told AP that collaborators from mainstream music feel “a deeper reason” to join him. The point is not that every artist makes the same kind of music; it is that a guest verse can carry an invitation beyond genre branding. AP reports that “This Time” extended Franklin’s record to 10 No. 1s on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart, a track-level milestone for a song featuring a Memphis rapper.

The interview also revisits the scrutiny Franklin has faced for working across gospel, rap and R&B. He told AP that believers can lose sight of reaching people when they appoint themselves judge and jury. “I Am What I Am” puts that position beside the music itself: a contemporary collaboration and live traditional performances share the same album, leaving listeners to decide where they draw the line.