Kirk Franklin's journey to success is by no means an easy one. Having been abandoned by his own mother and getting expelled from school, Franklin did not give up and continued pursuing his career in the music industry. Now, he has become one of the most successful gospel singers, with the media dubbing him a "Reigning King of Urban Gospel."

His title, obviously, isn't just for show. Beginning his career as a member of choir group Kirk Franklin & The Family before going solo, Kirk has collected numerous awards, including thirteen Grammy Awards, and broken numerous records. For instance, his self-titled debut album with his choir group became the first gospel music album to sell over a million units, while their second album "Whatcha Lookin' 4" earned him his first Grammy Award.

Most recently, the singer broke another record on Billboard's Hot Gospel Songs chart after "Love Theory", the lead single off his new album "Long Live Love", remained atop the chart for 25 weeks. It became his second song to top the chart for at least 25 weeks, following "Wanna Be Happy?", which reigned for 45 weeks beginning in September 2015.

"Long Live Love" itself was also successful, topping Billboard's Top Gospel Albums and peaking at No. 20 on Billboard 200. Timothy Yap additionally gave the album a positive review as saying, "It canvasses a plethora of topics from social hatred to idolatry to the Cross. It exposes us to all sub-genres of Gospel music, from old school choir to soul-massaging ballads. In shorts, this album contains everything we love about Franklin."

Known for mixing hip-hop beats and contemporary urban sounds into his song of praise, Franklin is currently on the road in support of the album. Beginning on July 11, the trek is scheduled to wrap up on August 15 in Los Angeles.

© AceShowbiz.com