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: