Before the world learned that Kirk Franklin and Kanye West would collaborate on Kanye's record, Kirk's protégé, Christon Gray, was praying for the situation.
Franklin surprised people by appearing on Kanye West's album The Life Of Pablo, where he is heard praying on the song "Ultra Light Beams," earlier this year. However, before the gospel musician Kirk Franklin entered the studio with West, he called on his mentee to pray for the project.
"He just hit me up and just asked for prayer that if it was an environment that did not really fit what he's trying to do, that he would have the strength to say no," Gray told Hip Hop DX. "'Cause it is Kanye and they had legends in the room. I wanted to be in the room. Andre 3000 was in there and I was like, 'bruh, can we meet?'"
Franklin and West were first pictured in a studio when an image on Instagram surfaced on Jan. 29. Since then, West has spoken highly of Franklin in interviews and featured the gospel producer, songwriter and artist on his latest album.
In an interview with Hip Hollywood, Franklin revealed how he got involved in the project.
"He asked me to be a part of this one song and it's very clear what I represent. No profanity, or something that is outside of my faith or what I preach," Franklin said. "I'm just here to walk out life with people, and whoever. I'm not a pastor to the stars, I ain't trying to be all that, My job is to just win people to God."
Franklin appeared on "Saturday Night Live" to perform the song with West, singers Kelly Price
and the Dream. For the gospel artist, West is not beyond God's grace.
"As a Christian I'm trying to be what God wants me to be to whoever, and nobody is beyond receiving Him," he said. "Nobody's unforgivable, or unredeemable."
Read full article
