R. Kelly
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Robert Sylvester Kelly (or "Kells") is a Chicago-born R&B, Hip-Hop and Gospel musician, active since 1989. Known for, among other things, the song "I Believe I Can Fly" on the Space Jam soundtrack and being the most successful R&B male artist of The Nineties. With talent and style (including impeccable white suits), he earned his name in the genre.
Then the twentieth century hit, and he became known for a couple other things. One of these was an ambitious, if odd, musical effort, the "Hip-Hopera" known as "Trapped in the Closet". The other was his court case for allegedly engaging in urine-based sexual activity with a minor. This case ran near simultaneously with allegations aimed at Michael Jackson, prompting some comparisons. Besides the urination incident, Kelly's extensive history of sex crimes involving minors has gotten the better of him, and on September 2021 he was found guilty on nine counts including racketeering, sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping, bribery, sex trafficking, and a violation of the Mann Act. The impact of R. Kelly's crimes caused his record label, RCA Records, to drop him from their roster and for his former collaborators such as Lady Gaga, Jay-Z and Céline Dion publicly denouncing him and expressing regret over having collaborated with the now-disgraced singer.
While still a success, his reputation hasn't quite been the same.
- 12 Play (1993)
- R. Kelly (1995)
- R. (1998)
- TP-2.com (2000)
- Chocolate Factory (2003)
- Happy People/U Saved Me (2004)
- TP.3 Reloaded (2005)
- Double Up (2007)
- Untitled (2009)
- Love Letter (2010)
- Write Me Back (2012)
- Black Panties (2013)
- The Buffet (2015)
- 12 Nights of Christmas (2016)
- Controversy-Proof Image: See above. He still has number 1 albums after the allegations of rape. This eventually soured up once said allegations were proven and Kelly was convicted of numerous sex charges involving minors.
- Epic Rocking: "I Admit", a response song to controversies surrounding him and accusations of sexual abuse and kidnapping, among other things, lasts 19 minutes.
- Incredibly Long Note: "I Believe I Can Fly".
- Retraux: His album Love Letter has a some Motown style songs.
Live-Action Television
- Chappelle's Show featured a parody of the song "Ignition", and its remix, titled "Piss on U", featuring Dave exemplifying Kelly's waste-based recreation. Chappelle joked that Kelly approached him between episodes, saying "How you gonna make a video about peeing on somebody?", to which Chappelle responded "How you gonna make a video about peeing on somebody?".
- The Boondocks tv series featured the trial of Kelly (in Woodcrest, as opposed to his and the Freemans' native Chicago) as the setting for its first episode.
- South Park featured an episode with Kelly, Tom Cruise, and other celebrities, figuratively and literally Trapped in the Closet. As per the music video, Kelly seems a bit trigger happy.
Music
- "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis includes the line
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Probably shoulda washed this, smells like R. Kelly sheets |
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