NEW YORK & ST. JOHN'S, Antigua and Barbuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 30, 2026--
HAMILTON RESERVE BANK ( HRB ), the largest global bank headquartered in the Caribbean with worldwide offices and US $25+ billion in custodial assets and deposits, serving clients from 150 countries in 126 currencies, 15 languages, announces cricket legends Sir Curtly Ambrose, Sir Andy Roberts will join Hamilton Reserve Bank’s VIP box at the “ CHOGM 2026 Cricket Showcase presented by Hamilton Reserve Bank ” on November 1, 2026, together with Prime Ministers, VIP guests from 56 Commonwealth nations and 13,000 attendees.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261030321394/en/
His Majesty King Charles III will open the cricket match, joined by HRB Chairman the Rt. Hon Sir Tony Baldry, barrister, member of the UK Privy Counsel whose Judicial Committee (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for several Eastern Caribbean countries. The match will be broadcast on ESPN, Skystar, others: https://youtu.be/23icYuum6KE
Powered by Temenos Swiss fintech as a global success story, featuring real-time transaction monitoring through HRB’s US$100 million IT budget, Hamilton Reserve Bank opens bank accounts 100% online in as little as 10 minutes, executing multicurrency bank wires with 180+ countries in one day.
The CHOGM 2026 cricket event is sponsored by Hamilton Reserve Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility program, an annual spend of US$1 million dedicated to Caribbean youth development.
About Hamilton Reserve Bank
HAMILTON RESERVE BANK (SWIFT: NIBTKNNE) is the award-winning hometown bank of America's founding father, Alexander Hamilton and the largest global bank in the Caribbean with US $25+ billion in custodial assets and deposits, providing fast, safe, compliant, and private banking solutions for governments, individuals, and businesses across 150 countries in 126 currencies and 15 languages. Powered by Temenos Swiss fintech with real-time transaction monitoring, Hamilton Reserve Bank has established a pristine compliance history since inception, 24/7 new client onboarding 100% online, same-day multicurrency bank wires, and real-time cryptos on-off ramp integration. Hamilton Reserve Bank affiliate AAA Global Incorporation & Trust is the largest Registered Agent and Trust Company in Nevis since 1994, registering new entities plus opening new bank accounts in one day.
Cricket legends Sir Curtly Ambrose, Sir Andy Roberts will join Hamilton Reserve Bank’s VIP box at the “CHOGM 2026 Cricket Showcase presented by Hamilton Reserve Bank”
NEW YORK (AP) — Gospel legend Kirk Franklin is getting tired of defending his musical decisions.
He isn’t apologetic for praying with Chris Brown and Usher before a recent concert, a moment that drew social media criticism.
He isn’t sorry for teaming up with GloRilla for his 14th studio album, “I Am What I Am," despite the explicit content of her music catalog.
What Franklin is is a 56-year-old, 20-time Grammy winner who overcame a tumultuous childhood after being adopted at 4 to achieve a rarefied fame in music and collaborate with a mix of artists — whether they’re associated with piety or not.
“Why do you think historically there’s always this challenge with what I do and who I am?” asked Franklin, questioning what he describes as an elitist, holier-than-thou attitude among some gospel music fans. “It's far beyond my understanding.”
Franklin says his decision to pray for Usher and Brown, R&B megastars known for their sexually charged music and performances, was a simple one: because they asked him to.
“We as believers sometimes become judge and jury,” the “He's Able” artist told The Associated Press. “The decision to determine what needs to have the harder penance is where we find ourselves lost in how we miss reaching those that need us.”
That message permeates throughout “I Am What I Am,” Franklin's first double album, out Friday. Its 14 tracks are divided between contemporary songs and live-recorded traditional selections.
Karen Clark Sheard of the legendary Clark Sisters is featured, along with popular mainstream artists like Afrobeats superstar Davido, Jelly Roll, and GloRilla, who's on "This Time.” That single extended Franklin’s record-holding mark to 10 No. 1s on Billboard’s hot gospel songs chart.
Franklin's musical relationship with rappers has always ruffled feathers, resurfacing a debate about working with artists whose music frequently comes with parental advisory labels.
“You start trying to play in other people’s sandboxes, it is going to come with scrutiny,” said Franklin, who’s worked with rappers like Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West) and Lil Baby. “There’s no way I can pay these artists what they normally get in these mainstream spaces, so why are they doing it? There’s a deeper reason that they feel pulled and called to want to do it.”
“I Am What I Am” is among the most introspective works from Franklin, who’s not a traditional lead vocalist, but mainly a songwriter, producer and musician. Honored with the icon award by the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective last year alongside Pharrell Williams and Brandy, album standouts include “Hope in You” with Davido and “Welcome In — Live,” which finds him feeling forgotten by God at times, but expressing gratitude for God's steadfast presence.
But the most compelling song may be “Free Me Tonight” with Jelly Roll, referencing Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” Performing spoken word, Franklin reflects introspectively while acknowledging his imperfections and public criticisms. He even mentions his 2021 controversy in which his estranged son Kerrion leaked a recording of his father threatening him and cursing.
“The Bible is a collection of these horrible, beautiful, painful, inspiring, challenging stories of people’s lives and journeys,” said Franklin, who found creating the song cathartic, once worrying the recording would end his career. “Gospel music is able to handle the raw, unfiltered truth about how ugly and difficult life can be.”
The Texas native is known for gospel classics like “Melodies From Heaven” and “Something About the Name Jesus,” along with crossover hits like “I Smile” and “Looking For You.” But it was 1997's “Stomp (Remix)” featuring Salt of the legendary rap duo Salt-N-Pepa that catapulted him into the mainstream. The smash found heavy rotation on radio and music video networks, propelling the “God’s Property from Kirk Franklin’s Nu Nation” album to No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and topping the R&B albums chart — a first for a gospel project.
Franklin, once a rebellious high school dropout and teen father, has no plans to slow down. Within the industry's atmosphere of glitz and glamour, he says his art is not just entertainment, but a lifelong calling.
“The hole that I came from was so deep that whenever I’m around light, I never get tired of feeling the sunlight,” said Franklin. “That makes me very proud that when the question or the conversation of the bigger purpose of life, and does God really exist, I’ve been able to be included somewhere in keeping that a relevant conversation.”
Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.
Gospel singer Kirk Franklin poses for a portrait on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Gospel singer Kirk Franklin poses for a portrait on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Gospel singer Kirk Franklin poses for a portrait on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
