Clear Scope Media
Kirk Franklin performing "Love Theory" and "I Smile" at Black Coffee
A Fort Worth coffee shop got some national attention over the weekend when it appeared in a music video starring a notable local — gospel singer Kirk Franklin.
Black Coffee, located in East Fort Worth at 1417 Vaughn Blvd., served as the setting for Franklin’s performance of “Love Theory” and “I Smile" — a medley that debuted on iHeartRadio's "Living Black!" show, celebrating Black culture. The show premiered Saturday on iHeartRadio's YouTube channel and Facebook page.
For Black Coffee owner Mia Moss, the video's premiere was a much-needed morale boost after last week's snowstorm.
"It really came at the right time," she says. "The night before, we were just exhausted, tired, stressed, everything ... [the video was] just a reminder that we're still here, we're still going, and it just meant everything to me."
Clear Scope Media
Kirk Franklin and Black Coffee owner Mia Moss
The music video was filmed in early February. COVID-19 testing took place onsite (thankfully, everyone involved tested negative, Moss says), and filming took about a day. Friends and family got to participate as extras; and while the shop closed for the shoot, some customers still came by — unaware of what was going on — and got a chance to watch the performance from the street.
"They did various takes. They got takes of us actually working the equipment and making drinks; they filmed the extras singing and vibing to the song; they also got a shot of Kirk Franklin on top of the roof," Moss says. "They actually performed it backwards. They started on the inside with the extras, and then they went outside, and then we came back inside, and at the beginning when you see him coming in talking to me, that was the last thing that we did ... it was really neat."
So what was it like meeting the gospel music superstar? "Everyone was so welcoming. [Franklin and his wife, who surprised him on the set] were just sweet," she says.
Black Coffee's segment begins at 2:43 in the video below. (We've cued it up right on the spot.)
