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African American Christian
Oct 15, 20260 views2 min read

Kirk Franklin's Double Album 'I Am What I Am' Set for October 30 Release

Kirk Franklin will release his 14th studio album, 'I Am What I Am,' on October 30, 2026, through Fo Yo Soul Entertainment, TRIBL Music Group, and Uptown Records. The 14-track double album features a collaboration with rapper GloRilla and a song with Karen Clark Sheard.

Kirk Franklin's Double Album 'I Am What I Am' Set for October 30 Release
Source:uGospel

Kirk Franklin will release his 14th studio album, 'I Am What I Am,' on October 30, 2026. The project is distributed through a partnership between his labels, Fo Yo Soul Entertainment and TRIBL Music Group, and Uptown Records.

The album is structured as a double album with 14 tracks. It features the single 'This Time,' a collaboration with Memphis rapper GloRilla that interpolates Mandrill's 'Children Of The Sun.' Franklin also debuted the song 'Thank You For Everything,' featuring Karen Clark Sheard, at the 41st Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards.

Franklin has described the album as a purposeful, conclusive work, calling it a 'mic drop' that represents the 'finality of the conversation' about his career and his commitment to sharing his faith in Jesus Christ.

In promotional interviews, Franklin spoke about his ongoing effort to blend gospel with hip-hop, classical music, and Afrobeat, despite pushback from some in the religious community. He said the creative battle has been a commitment he made more than three decades ago.

The album arrives as Franklin continues to hold records on gospel music charts. He previously set a Billboard record with his 10th number one on the Hot Gospel Songs chart.

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