Kirk Franklin Discusses Kanye West And His Place On The Mount Rushmore Of Gospel

BYKeenan Higgins2.3K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Jemal Countess/WireImage/Getty
Kirk Franklin Kanye West Mount Rushmore Gospel Music
Kirk Franklin took a second to give props to his "brother" in praise music, Kanye West, but also made it clear whose face is the only one that should be on the proverbial "Mount Rushmore of Gospel."

It goes without saying that Kirk Franklin is one of the kings of contemporary gospel music if you're familiar with the genre, so his opinion is widely regarded when it comes to holy hits. That's why many felt his approval was necessary when Kanye West took a shift away from secular and put his musical focus into writing songs more in tune with his Christian values.  

TMZ was able to catch up with the "Stomp" soul legend to get his opinion on whether or not West has what it takes to be considered one of the greatest in the genre, or if his status is so high already that he deserves a place on the proverbial "Mount Rushmore Of Gospel."

You might be surprised with Kirk's answer!

Image: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET 

If you thought Franklin was about to go against his faith to shade Kanye, well, think again! Actually, he showed his fellow GRAMMY-winning music friend nothing but respect, telling TMZ, "I think he's one of the greatest artists of all time," and doubling down by adding, "I think he's an incredible artist." 

In terms of the "Mount Rushmore of Gospel" question, the ordained OG told TMZ, "There shouldn't be no Mount Rushmore of Gospel music — there really should be only one face on the Mount Rushmore of Gospel music," making it clear that he truly puts God first when it comes to everything.

Here's what he said in terms of ranking Kanye West in gospel music, or any gospel artist for that matter via TMZ:

"Well first of all, anybody can do gospel music. It's because gospel music is for any of God's children, man. Anybody that think's there's a monopoly on the gospel, that's a very arrogant mindset."

 

Peep the praise Kirk Franklin gave to Kanye West below, and let us know down below in the comments if you can think of any other rap artists that might one day make a shift to Gospel music:

 


About The Author
<b>Staff Writer</b> <!--BR--> NYC-based photojournalist, self-proclaimed sneakerhead, and fiend for legit streetwear — #nohypebeast though! — that works daily to seamlessly link style, art, urban culture and music on a common platform. Likes: Jay-Z, Aaliyah, Kendrick Lamar/TDE, Curren$y and anything '90s/early 2000s across all genres. Dislikes: Chr*s Br**n, K*nye W*st...yeah, just those two.
...