Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond battled it out in a gospel edition of Verzuz that paid tribute to George Floyd.<\/b>
\nKirk Franklin,50, and Fred Hammond,59, were the latest duo to face off in Swizz Beatz and Timbaland\u2018s Verzuz battles! The two gospel icons were announced via the official Verzuz Instagram account on Friday, May 29, dubbing the event \u201cThe Healing.\u201d Bishop T. D. Jakes,62, kicked off the event with some opening words, where he addressed the death of George Floyd. \u201cToday, we pray for light because we have seen too much darkness \u2014 from Trayvon Martin to George Floyd,\u201d The Potter\u2019s House Bishop said in his powerful sermon.
\u201cThere are some of us who realize that darkness is not a thing\u2026it has no metrics, no distance,\u201d he continued. \u201cWith 100,000 people dead from COVID-19, Lord knows we have seen too much darkness. Sometimes I feel like that knee is on my neck and I can\u2019t breathe,\u201d he went on, poignantly referencing the way in which George lost his life, urging followers to \u201cnot allow darkness to possess your soul.\u201d
Celebrities flooded the comments section with prayers of their very own, including Snoop Dogg, Real Housewives of Atlanta\u2018s Kandi Burruss, and Ludacris. Kandi and Snoop added several prayer emojis for George, with Snoop writing \u201cPraise God.\u201d Ludacris dubbed the emotionally charged event \u201cuplifting Sunday Soul Food,\u201d which left many of the A-List attendees begging for longer songs due to Instagram\u2019s time limits.
\u201cY\u2019all gotta let it play a little longer,\u201d Kandi urged, as Kerry Washington backed her up. \u201cRun it!!!!!!!!!!\u201d the Scandal star begged, commenting throughout the stream. \u201cThis is my SONG!!!!\u201d Kerry wrote later during the battle. \u201cWe mad like you mad. I cried,\u201d Fred said during the battle, referencing George Floyd. \u201cOn that call with me, you, Swizz and Tim \u2014 we were in tears talking about this. We\u2019re in the furnace right now\u2026we in the lions den right now,\u201d he added, becoming emotional as he talked about his 22 year old son.
\u201cJoin Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond and Bishop T. D. Jakes for this Sunday\u2019s special edition of VERZUZ \u2013 THE HEALING\u2026 Everyone needs a hug\u2026,\u201d the original Verzuz announcement read, set to a soon by Keedron Bryant.
The pair are both at the top of their game when it comes to gospel music, with Kirk putting out hits like \u201cThe Storm Is Over Now,\u201d \u201cWhy We Sing,\u201d and \u201cI Smile.\u201d The Fort Worth, Texas native has 16 Grammy wins under his belt, dating back to 1996\u2019s Whatcha Lookin\u2019 4. Fred is best known for his smash singles like \u201cYou Are The Living Word,\u201d and \u201cNo Weapon,\u201d and also earned himself a Grammy in 2007 for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album.
Verzuz battles have become a viral sensation since quarantine began, starting off with Babyface and Teddy Riley back in March! The R&B producers unfortunately had to reschedule due to technical difficulties on round one, which have plagued some of the later live events, as well. Nelly and Ludacris later faced off, followed by 112 and Jagged Edge, Bounty Killer and Beenie Man, and Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. Michelle Obama couldn\u2019t get enough of Erykah and Jill\u2019s battle, and even popped into the comments with a song request of her very own (Erykah\u2019s iconic \u201cGreen Eyes\u201d).<\/p>\n