R. Kelly

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  • 2000
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About R. Kelly

Official Site: r-kelly.com | @rkelly


R&B producer/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter R. Kelly and his supporting band Public Announcement began recording in 1992 at the tail-end of the new jack swing era, yet he was able to keep much of its sound alive while remaining commercially successful. While he created a smooth, professional mixture of hip-hop beats, soul-man crooning, and funk, the most distinctive element of Kelly's music is its explicit carnality. He was able to make songs like "Sex Me," "Bump n' Grind," "Your Body's Callin'," and "Feelin' on Yo Booty" into hits because his production was seductive enough to sell such blatant come-ons. As his crossover success broadened, Kelly also developed a flair for pop balladry that helped cement his status as one of the biggest-selling male artists of the '90s and 2000s.

Kelly and Public Announcement released their debut album, Born into the 90's, at the beginning of 1992. It was an instant R&B smash, while earning a fair amount of pop airplay; "Honey Love" and "Slow Dance (Hey Mr. DJ)" were number one R&B hits, while "Dedicated" was his biggest pop hit at number 31. 12 Play, released in the fall of 1993, established Kelly as an R&B superstar, eventually selling over five million copies. The first single, "Sex Me, Pts. 1-2," went gold, and the second, "Bump n' Grind," hit number one on both the pop and R&B charts in 1994; it stayed on top of the R&B charts for an astonishing 12 weeks, while logging four weeks at number one on the pop charts. The follow-up, "Your Body's Callin'," was another gold single, peaking at number 13 pop.

Also in 1994, he produced Age Ain't Nothing But a Number, the hit debut album for then-15-year-old Detroit R&B singer Aaliyah. Late in the year, it was revealed that Kelly and Aaliyah had wed in August and gotten an annulment shortly thereafter. The news sparked a small storm of controversy in the media, yet it didn't hurt the careers of either singer. Kelly next wrote and co-produced "You Are Not Alone," the second single from Michael Jackson's HIStory album, which was released in the summer of 1995. Later that year, Kelly released a self-titled album that became his first to top the pop charts. R. Kelly sold four million copies and produced three platinum singles -- "You Remind Me of Something," "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)," and "I Can't Sleep Baby (If I)" -- all of which hit number one R&B and reached the pop Top Ten.

Kelly truly consolidated his crossover success with the 1996 single "I Believe I Can Fly," which he recorded for the Michael Jordan movie Space Jam. Transcending Kelly's prior sexed-up image, the song reached number two on the pop charts and won Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television. Kelly remained in the public eye in 1997 with another Top Ten soundtrack tune, Batman & Robin's "Gotham City."

The ambitious two-disc R. followed in 1998, and even though it downplayed the explicit loverman routine that had made him a star, it became Kelly's biggest-selling album yet, going platinum seven times over. Its first single, a duet with Celine Dion titled "I'm Your Angel," became Kelly's second number one pop hit with a six-week run on top. Even though subsequent singles "When a Woman's Fed Up" and "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" were more successful on the R&B charts, Kelly was well on his way to landing more Top 40 hits in the '90s than any other male solo artist, and notched another with his guest appearance on Puff Daddy's R&B chart-topper "Satisfy You." Moving his blockbuster success into a new decade, Kelly returned in 2000 with TP-2.com, which spent three weeks at number one on the album charts and scaled back the ambition of R. to return to familiar lyrical themes. He scored two more R&B number ones with "I Wish" and "Fiesta" (the latter featuring guest Jay-Z), and had further hits with "Feelin' on Yo Booty" and "The World's Greatest," the latter from the soundtrack of the Will Smith film Ali.

In the wake of "Fiesta," Kelly and Jay-Z teamed up to record an entire album together. The Best of Both Worlds was heavily hyped and even more heavily bootlegged, but problems of a much more serious nature arose in February 2002, when The Chicago Sun-Times reported that it had been given a videotape showing Kelly having sex with a 14-year-old girl. When the scandal broke, other reports surfaced that Kelly had settled a civil suit in 1998 involving a sexual relationship with a then-underage girl, and that he was in the process of settling another suit brought by an Epic Records intern making similar allegations. Copies of the tape in question were sold as bootlegs and on the Internet, and while there was some question as to whether the man was really Kelly, and whether the girl really was underage, Kelly's past history seemed to lend credence to the charge. Some radio stations dropped him from their playlists, and anti-Kelly protests were staged in Chicago. Meanwhile, The Best of Both Worlds entered the charts at number two, but sold disappointingly; some blamed the scandal, others the extensive pre-release bootlegging, although the generally unfavorable reviews suggested that the record's overall quality might also have been to blame.

Following the initial sex-tape scandal, Kelly was dogged by numerous civil suits, including one from a girl who alleged that during her relationship with Kelly (which occurred while she was underage), she had become pregnant and gotten an abortion at the singer's urging. A variety of other sex videos purporting to feature Kelly appeared as bootlegs, and a one-time Kelly protégée, a singer called Sparkle, stepped forward to identify the girl on the original tape as her then-14-year-old niece. In June, Chicago police officially charged Kelly with 21 counts of child pornography-related offenses, all related to the original tape. Kelly pleaded not guilty and released a new song, "Heaven, I Need a Hug," which got extensive airplay for a brief period.

Meanwhile, work on his next album, Loveland, stalled amid more heavy bootlegging. Kelly eventually scrapped some of the most pirated tracks, recorded some new songs, and reassembled the album as Chocolate Factory (which was slated to include a bonus disc with some of the deleted material). Released in advance of the album, lead single "Ignition" shot to number one on the R&B charts in late 2002. Chocolate Factory itself was released in early 2003, and was followed in 2004 by Happy People/U Saved Me. Surprisingly, despite reports of a feud with Jay-Z, later in 2004 another album was released from The Best of Both Worlds sessions.

Weeks before his child pornography trial in 2005, TP.3 Reloaded was released, featuring the first five chapters of his soapy "Trapped in the Closet" saga. The relatively uneventful eighth and ninth studio albums Double Up (2007) and Untitled (2009) followed. In 2010, Kelly's activity included Epic -- a European release combining some of his widescreen hits with a handful of new "inspirational" songs, including "Sign of a Victory," the anthem he recorded for the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The second release was the world-wide studio album Love Letter, a classy and retro-minded affair issued only a couple months later. After undergoing emergency throat surgery in July 2011, Kelly returned in June of 2012 with a memoir written with David Ritz -- Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me -- as well as Write Me Back, his twelfth studio album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Steve Huey, Rovi

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Music

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  • I Believe I Can Fly
    r-kelly
    Video
    I Believe I Can Fly
  • Trapped In The Closet - The Confessionals Part 3
    r-kelly
    Video
    Trapped In The Closet - The Confessionals Part 3
  • Trapped In The Closet - The Confessionals Part 4
    r-kelly
    Video
    Trapped In The Closet - The Confessionals Part 4
  • Trapped In The Closet - The Confessionals Part 2
    r-kelly
    Video
    Trapped In The Closet - The Confessionals Part 2
  • Trapped In The Closet - The Confessionals Part 1
    r-kelly
    Video
    Trapped In The Closet - The Confessionals Part 1
  • Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 23-33 Trailer
    r-kelly
    Video
    Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 23-33 Trailer
  • When A Man Lies
    r-kelly
    Video
    When A Man Lies
  • Feelin' Single Remix - Single Ladies
    r-kelly
    Video
    Feelin' Single Remix - Single Ladies
  • Feelin' Single
    r-kelly
    Video
    Feelin' Single
  • Feelin' Single (Audio)
    r-kelly
    Video
    Feelin' Single (Audio)

Interviews & Exclusives

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  • R. Kelly on Fellow Rappers and His Music Memoir
    r-kelly
    playlist
    R. Kelly on Fellow Rappers and His Music Memoir
  • Painting with R. Kelly
    r-kelly
    playlist
    Painting with R. Kelly
  • R. Kelly in the house
    r-kelly
    video
    R. Kelly in the house
  • R. Kelly Is Gearing Up For 'Sparkle'
    r-kelly
    video
    R. Kelly Is Gearing Up For 'Sparkle'
  • Is R. Kelly Listening To Jay-Z, Kanye West?
    r-kelly
    video
    Is R. Kelly Listening To Jay-Z, Kanye West?
  • R. Kelly On Growing Up In Chi-Town
    r-kelly
    video
    R. Kelly On Growing Up In Chi-Town

Photos

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  • A Chicago jury finds R. Kelly not guilty of child pornography on June 13.
    R. Kelly
    A Chicago jury finds R. Kelly not guilty of child pornography on June 13.
    Scott Olson/Getty Images
  • R. Kelly and Usher
    R. Kelly
    R. Kelly and Usher
  • R. Kelly arrives at the Cook County courthouse where jury selection is scheduled to begin for his child pronography trial May 9, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois.
    R. Kelly
    R. Kelly arrives at the Cook County courthouse where jury selection is scheduled to begin for his child pronography trial May 9, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois.
    Scott Olson/Getty Images
  • R. Kelly
    R. Kelly
    R. Kelly
    Jive Records
  • Singer R. Kelly attends the premiere of Chapters 13-22 of 'Trapped In The Closet' at the IFC Center, August 15, 2007 in New York City.
    R. Kelly
    Singer R. Kelly attends the premiere of Chapters 13-22 of 'Trapped In The Closet' at the IFC Center, August 15, 2007 in New York City.
    Evan Agostini/Getty Images
  • Florida attorney Diane Buerger (R) argues for bail for R&B singer R. Kelly (L) at the Polk County Courthouse on June 6, 2002 in Bartow, Florida
    R. Kelly
    Florida attorney Diane Buerger (R) argues for bail for R&B singer R. Kelly (L) at the Polk County Courthouse on June 6, 2002 in Bartow, Florida
    George McGinn/Getty Images
  • Singer R. Kelly arrives at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center on February 8, 2004 in Los Angeles, California.
    R. Kelly
    Singer R. Kelly arrives at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center on February 8, 2004 in Los Angeles, California.
    Kevin Winter/Getty Images
  • Singer R. Kelly performs during the 'Best of Both Worlds' tour with Jay-Z, September 30, 2004 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
    R. Kelly
    Singer R. Kelly performs during the 'Best of Both Worlds' tour with Jay-Z, September 30, 2004 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
    Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
  • Singer R. Kelly attends the premiere of Chapters 13-22 of "Trapped In The Closet" at the IFC Center, August 15, 2007 in New York City.
    R. Kelly
    Singer R. Kelly attends the premiere of Chapters 13-22 of "Trapped In The Closet" at the IFC Center, August 15, 2007 in New York City.
    Evan Agostini/Getty Images
  • R. Kelly
    R. Kelly
    R. Kelly
    Publicity

News

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  • R. Kelly
    French Montana Got All His Album Features -- For Free?
    MTV News
    May 23, 2013
    'The only person I paid was Max B,' French tells 'RapFix Live' of his debut album, Excuse My French.
    Read More
  • R. Kelly
    French Montana Got All His Album Features -- For Free?
    MTV News
    May 23, 2013
    'The only person I paid was Max B,' French tells 'RapFix Live' of his debut album, Excuse My French.
    Read More
  • R. Kelly
    Kelly Rowland And The Dream Perform Together On 'The Tonight Show'
    MTV RapFix
    May 21, 2013
    By Henna Kathiya, with reporting by Yardie/MrWorldPremiere Kelly Rowland and The Dream have joined forces to bring back that old school R&B vi...
    Read More
  • R. Kelly
    Stevie Wonder Cries, Flavor Flav Drums And 8 Other Reasons We Love Hangout Fest
    VH1 Tuner
    May 20, 2013
    Our sunburned skin is peeling and we've got a mix of sand, glitter and cake (we'll get to that) in our ears, but damnit if we don't miss Hangout Musi...
    Read More
  • R. Kelly
    R. Kelly Heading Out To Sea Via His Love Letter Cruise
    idolator.com
    Prepare to bump N' grind on the high seas, folks! Because R. Kelly may believe he can fly, but he can also apparently navigate the the ocean blue whil...
    Read More
  • R. Kelly
    Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morissette And R. Kelly Perform On ‘The X Factor’
    idolator.com
    Last night on the final performance night of The X Factor, the Top 3 -- Josh Krajcik, Melanie Amaro, and Chris Rene -- got some all-star support for o...
    Read More
  • R. Kelly
    Listen To Unreleased R. Kelly Tracks “I Quit You” And “Nothing On”
    idolator.com
    Hopefully this past year was a good one, but if not, a new R. Kelly song might just be the perfect anthem for you to send off 2011 -- "I Quit You," wh...
    Read More
  • R. Kelly
    R. Kelly Heads To The Disco On His New Single “Share My Love”
    idolator.com
    Maybe we've been watching too many Soul Train performances today, but when did disco make a definitive comeback? R. Kelly hops into his soula coasta a...
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  • R. Kelly
    R. Kelly Will Be ‘Trapped In The Closet’ Again This Fall
    idolator.com
    Were 22 episodes just not enough for you? Have you been trapped in a metaphorical closet of your own, dying to be set free with more episodes of the R...
    Read More
  • R. Kelly
    The BET Experience Revealed, ft. Beyonce, R. Kelly, Kendrick Lamar, and more
    Paste
    the first time, home of the Lakers, Clippers, Kings and multiple music venues. Already on the bill are four separate concerts over three days, includi...
    Read More
  • R. Kelly
    Sign This Petition To Make R. Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix)” Our National Anthem
    idolator.com
    been filed since the Obama administration launched its We the People online petition program (requests to build a Death Star and to fix My Bloody Vale...
    Read More
  • R. Kelly
    Action Bronson Ric Flairs, R. Kelly Croons at Coachella 2013
    www.xxlmag.com
    1 of 7 coachella-2013 2Chainz 2 Chainz. Photo: Erik Voake 1409462_et_0413_coachella_day2 Action Bronson. Photo: Bethany Mollenkof Kellz R. Kelly. Phot...
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  • R. Kelly
    Listen To Twista 'Throwin' My Money' F. R. Kelly (Stream) | Prefix
    www.prefixmag.com
    Tweet Why did it take this long for these two to get together? The fast tongue weilding rapper Twista teams up with the slow and smooth RnB master R. ...
    Read More
  • R. Kelly
    R. Kelly Tells Why He Nearly Quit Music, Talks Inspiration For 'Black Panties' LP
    www.vibe.com
    In 1998, R. Kelly was ready to walk away from it all. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter was coming off the immense success of his R. album, which w...
    Read More

Tour Dates

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  • Jun 13 Thursday
    Manchester, TN, US Great Stage Park
    Buy Ticket
  • Jun 30 Sunday
    Los Angeles, CA, US Staples Center
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 19 Friday
    Chicago, IL, US Union Park
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 26 Friday
    Cincinnati, OH, US Paul Brown Stadium
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 28 Sunday
    Rochester, NY, US Blue Cross Arena
    Buy Ticket

Discography

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  • Write Me Back (2012)
    R. Kelly
    Write Me Back (2012)
    Sony Music Distribution
  • Love Letter (2010)
    R. Kelly
    Love Letter (2010)
    Jive
  • Untitled (2009)
    R. Kelly
    Untitled (2009)
    Jive
  • 12 Play: 4th Quarter [Unreleased] (2008)
    R. Kelly
    12 Play: 4th Quarter [Unreleased] (2008)
    Jive
  • Double Up (2007)
    R. Kelly
    Double Up (2007)
    RCA
  • TP.3 Reloaded (2005)
    R. Kelly
    TP.3 Reloaded (2005)
    Zomba
  • Happy People/U Saved Me [BMG International] (2004)
    R. Kelly
    Happy People/U Saved Me [BMG International] (2004)
    BMG International
  • Happy People/U Saved Me (2004)
    R. Kelly
    Happy People/U Saved Me (2004)
    Jive/Zomba
  • Chocolate Factory (2003)
    R. Kelly
    Chocolate Factory (2003)
    Jive Records
  • TP-2.com (2000)
    R. Kelly
    TP-2.com (2000)
    Jive Records
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