Kirk Franklin‘s hair has been a hot topic for decades, facing accusations he wore makeup over his hairline or even photoshopped his images. Some even suggested the gospel singer tattooed his hairline. Now, a viral clip from his old show has sparked more discourse about his hair.
“The Kirk Franklin Show” sitcom starred him, Brian Hooks, Jenifer Lewis, Vanessa Bell Calloway, and featured cameos of Pastor John Gray and gospel artist Tina Campbell from Mary Mary. The 1998 pilot was never aired and only has been introduced to the public after Rare Gems published it on its YouTube channel on June 16.
The sitcom seems to feature Franklin as a Grammy Award-winning artist that came back to his hometown to help his old church choir get back on track. The project would have come five years after he burst on the scene with 1992’s “Kirk Franklin & The Family (Live),” an album that won a GMA Dove Award for Traditional Gospel Album of the Year at the 24th GMA Dove Awards that same year.
The show was also sandwiched between 1997 “God’s Property from Kirk Franklin’s Nu Nation,” which featured the hit song “Stomp” with Salt from Salt-N-Pepa. The album won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Gospel Artist, the Soul Train Music Award for Best Gospel Album and the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Choir Album the same year and his 1998 “The Nu Nation” which is heralded as one of the best-selling gospel albums of all times at 3 million units sold. However, it is not known why the show was not picked up.
The Real Tea TV published a clip on the show on its Instagram page, and people were shocked at all of the special guests, Franklin’s comedic timing, but most of all his very different hairline.
“His hairline is completely different now,” one person said about the “Sunday’s Best” host.
Another joked, “He looked 50 then” while others asked, “So what happened to his hairline?.It was a W now it’s a U.”
Another asked, “How did he fix his hairline? Asking for a friend.”
People have been joking on the Texas native’s hairline for years.
“I feel like I can wipe Kirk Franklin hair line off lol lord forgive me haha,” someone tweeted in 2013.
In 2019, someone else posted, “My dude Kirk Franklin went from having little to no hair with a fading hair line I just seen this n—a in a commercial with a fade with a part new hair line this s–t getting crazy out here lol.”
During his “Verzuz” competition against Fred Hammond the following year, one X user wrote, “I’m mad Kirk Franklin got a line all the way to the back of his head as if he parted his hair.”
im mad kirk franklin got a line all the way to the back of his head as if he parted his hair😭 https://t.co/eBZklGh9AN
— Booka. (@Kvngleo__) August 30, 2020
When it comes to addressing an uneven hairline, Black celebrities now have a variety of advanced options, including hair transplants and hair plugs.
This cutting-edge procedure, as broken down by the Better Health Channel, involves meticulously harvesting donor hair from the back or other hair-rich areas of the scalp and grafting it onto thinning or bald regions. For some, this even includes placing the new grafts along the forehead to restore a more even hairline.
Some people are opting to get a very specific transplant called FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction).
The “Revolution” singer is not the only one who has turned to science or cosmetic surgery for a sleeker appearance.
Several Black male celebrities have openly discussed or are believed to have undergone hair transplants or hair restoration procedures to combat hair loss and to keep a certain look.
Coach Deion “Prime Time” Sanders has been candid about his hair transplant, sharing how the procedure positively impacted his confidence. Similarly, Kanye West is believed to have undergone a subtle FUE hair transplant to address his thinning hairline, a procedure also rumored to have been done on Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, according to Heva Clinic.
Other celebrities like LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Tory Lanez, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Safaree Samuels, and Tyga have also turned to hair restoration techniques. Samuels confirmed his hair transplant on social media after being outed by his ex-girlfriend Nicki Minaj. He also revealed that he and rapper Tyga had their procedures on the same day.
“1st off Me and tyga didn’t go to the same dr. We did it the same day. Diff doctors,” he tweeted, “Listen I don’t know if this has to do with 1st week sales but you need to finish your zen. And don’t talk about vh1 checks cuz the way you’re acting it’s like your auditioning to be on LHH.”
1st off Me and tyga didn’t go to the same dr. We did it the same day. Diff doctors . Listen I don’t know if this has to do with 1st week sales but you need to finish your zen. And don’t talk about vh1 checks cuz the way you’re acting it’s like your auditioning to be on LHH
— @IAMSAFAREE (@IAMSAFAREE) August 14, 2018
Franklin has never admitted to having a procedure, but fans are pretty convinced he did.