Kirk Franklin Joins All-Black Leadership Team to Launch Bold New Entertainment Venture

Grammy-winning gospel legend Kirk Franklin is turning his vision for Black-owned media into reality with a new business move aimed at reshaping the entertainment landscape from within.

On June 2, Franklin announced a groundbreaking partnership with Insignia Assets, an all-Black-owned entertainment company founded by Norman Gyam and Jonathan Jay.

The venture brings together Franklin’s acclaimed Fo Yo Soul Recordings and his creative hub, CLTRE Lab, with Insignia’s wide-reaching portfolio, which spans music, publishing, TV, film, live events, and touring.

As part of the alliance, Kirk Franklin will take the helm as Chief of Creative Services for Insignia, shaping the creative direction of the growing enterprise.

“It’s Black-owned. It’s Black business,” Franklin told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “It’s from the culture for the culture. We’re uniting our gifts and resources to move the agenda of inspiration and aspiration forward through entertainment.”

Kirk Franklin emphasized that this venture isn’t just about business—it’s about impact: “We want to engage and transform. We want to communicate the bigger purpose of life and point people upward, while creating and curating stories that bring us together.”

A New Chapter for Gospel and Black-Owned Media

The new partnership kicks off with Franklin’s upcoming single, “Do It Again,” dropping June 6, just days before he’s set to receive the BET Ultimate Icon Award at the 2025 BET Awards.

The collaboration will also debut Den of Kings, a dinner conversation series hosted by Franklin and produced by CLTRE Lab and Insignia’s 3 Diamonds Entertainment.

The show’s first episode, premiering June 15 on Franklin’s YouTube channel in honor of Father’s Day, focuses on “fatherhood,” and features guests D.C. Young Fly, Kountry Wayne, Lou Young, and Devale Ellis in a candid, roundtable conversation.

“It’s funny, it’s engaging. And we’re not there to preach,” Franklin says. “We’re listening, we’re laughing, we’re crying, we’re struggling, we’re debating. It’s a beautiful moment to see Black men show vulnerability. The level you’ll see in this conversation is going to be impressive.”

Insignia Assets, which also owns Tribl Records, Maverick City Music, and R&B label Platform Sounds, has made waves as a self-funded, Black-owned powerhouse across music, touring, TV, and film. Through divisions like Undivided Entertainment and 3 Diamonds Entertainment, the company is building an integrated media empire.

As part of the deal, 3 Diamonds will partner on scripted and unscripted projects from Franklin’s CLTRE Lab, providing both production muscle and funding to bring original stories to life across multiple platforms.

“We’ve worked with Kirk for years, from multi-GRAMMY®-winning albums to sold-out tours,” says Norman Gyam, co-founder and CEO of Insignia Assets. “Now, we’re deepening that partnership by bringing Kirk into our executive team and mapping out the future—across music, touring, film, and digital media. We’re collectively proud of this moment.”