This article is about the singer. For his self-titled 1995 album, see
R. Kelly (album).
| R. Kelly |
|
| Born |
Robert Sylvester Kelly
January 8, 1967 (age 50)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active |
1989–present |
| Net worth |
US$150 million (2017)[1] |
| Spouse(s) |
Aaliyah
(m. 1994; annulled 1995)
Andrea Kelly
(m. 1996; div. 2009) |
| Children |
|
| Parent(s) |
Joanne Kelly |
| Website |
r-kelly.com |
| Musical career |
| Genres |
|
| Instruments |
- Vocals
- piano
- keyboard
- guitar
|
| Labels |
- Jive (1991–2011)
- RCA (2011–present)
|
| Associated acts |
|
| Basketball career |
| Atlantic City Seagulls (USBL)[4] |
| Personal information |
| Listed height |
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight |
200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information |
| Playing career |
1997–1999[5] |
| Position |
Shooting guard / Small forward[6] |
| Number |
12[7] |
| Career highlights and awards |
|
|
|
|
|
Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967),[8] known professionally as R. Kelly, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former professional basketball player. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play. He is known for a collection of major hit singles including "Bump N' Grind", "Your Body's Callin'", "I Believe I Can Fly", "Gotham City", "Ignition (Remix)", "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time", "The World's Greatest", "I'm a Flirt (Remix)", and thehip-hopera "Trapped in the Closet". In 1998, Kelly won three Grammy Awards for "I Believe I Can Fly". His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous hip hop andcontemporary R&B artists. Kelly became the first musician to play professional basketball, when he was signed in 1997.[7]
Kelly has written, produced, and remixedsongs and albums for many artists, includingAaliyah's 1994 debut album Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. In 1996, Kelly was nominated for a Grammy for writing Michael Jackson's song "You Are Not Alone". In 2002 and 2004, Kelly released collaboration albums with rapper Jay-Z and has been a guest vocalist for other hip hop artists like Nas, Sean Combs, and The Notorious B.I.G.
The Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA) has recognized R. Kelly as one of the best-selling music artists in the United States with 40 million albums sold as well as only the fifth black artist to crack the top 50 of the same list.[9] In March 2011, R. Kelly was named the most successful R&B artist of the last 25 years by Billboard.[10][11][12] Kelly has released 12 solo studio albums, and sold over 100 million records worldwide making him the most successful R&B male artist of the 1990s.[13][14][15] He has been credited for helping redefine R&B and hip hop, earning thenicknames "King of R&B" and "King of Pop-Soul".[16][17] He is listed by Billboard as the most successful R&B/Hip Hop artist of the past 25 years (1985-2010) and also the most successful R&B artist in history.[11] Throughout his career, Kelly has won numerous awards, including a Guinness World Records as well as countless other awards like Grammy, BET, Soul Train, Billboard, NAACP, and American Music Awards.
Artistry
Musical style and influences
Kelly's music took root in R&B, hip hop and soul. One of Kelly's earliest musical memories is listening to his mother, Joanne Kelly sing. As a young child, he was influenced by the work of musicians such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Al Green,Donny Hathaway, Sam Cooke, and The Isley Brothers. AlthoughStevie Wonder had a substantial influence on Kelly, Marvin Gaye, and Donny Hathaway are Kelly's greatest inspirations. In reference to Hathaway, Kelly declared: "A guy like Donny Hathaway had a focused, sexual texture in his voice that I always wanted in mine," Kelly said. "He had smooth, soulful tones, but he was spiritual at the same time."[114] Kelly was heavily influenced by Marvin Gaye's R&B Lothario image. "I had to make a baby-makin' album. If Marvin Gaye did it, I wanted to do it," Kelly said.[115] Public Announcement worked with Kelly during his debut at the tail-end of the new jack swing era, as they managed to further sustain its sound. While Kelly has created a smooth, professional mixture of hip-hop beats, soulman crooning, and funk, the most distinctive element of his music is its explicit carnality. "Sex Me", "Bump n' Grind", "Your Body's Callin'", and "Feelin' on Yo Booty" are considered examples, as their productions were seductive enough to sell such blatant come-ons. Kelly's crossover appeal was also sustained by his development of a flair for pop balladry.[116]
Vocal style and lyrical themes
Kelly's voice easily shifts from booming baritone to seductive alto.[117] Love and sex are the topics of the majority of Kelly's lyrical content, although he has written about a wide variety of themes such as inspiration and spirituality. Kelly has said that he writes from everyday experiences and prides himself in being versatile. Larry Khan, Senior VP of Jive's urban marketing/promotion has said that Kelly's musical compass is second to none.[118]
Kelly never writes any lyrics down; he freestyles everything in the studio. He states: "I never write anything down, since I've been in the song writing business – 20 years, I never write anything on paper, everything comes off the top of my head. I get in there, do the track, and whatever the track feels like, that's what I do."[119]
Other ventures
Rockland Records
Kelly launched his own label, the Interscope Records-distributed Rockland Records. The label's roster included artists Sparkle, Boo & Gotti, Talent, Vegas Cats, Lady, Frankie, Secret Weapon, and Rebecca F.[120][121]
In 1998, the label's first artist, Sparkle released her debut self-titled album, Sparkle. In addition to producing and writing the project, Kelly made vocal contribution to the hit duet "Be Careful," which contributed largely to the album's success. The album was certified platinum in December 2000.[38] In 1999, Kelly wrote and produced the soundtrack to theMartin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy movie Life, which features tracks from K-Ci & JoJo,Maxwell, Mýa, and Destiny's Child. The soundtrack was released on Rockland label.[122]Rockland artists Sparkle, Talent, and Vegas Cats all appeared on the Life soundtrack.
Boo & Gotti and Vegas Cats appeared on R. Kelly's albums, R. and TP-2.com, as well as afreestyle from Boo & Gotti on The Fast and the Furious soundtrack, making several references to Rockland.
The label is currently inactive but Kelly still owns the Rockland Records imprint.
Personal life
Beliefs and relationships
In 1996, Kelly married Andrea Kelly, his former backup dancer and mother to his three children. He built a house in Olympia Fields and moved in in 1997. In January 2009, it was reported that Kelly's divorce was finalized.[123] His Olympia Fields house became the subject of a foreclosure lawsuit in 2011, and has since been bought by Rudolph Isley.[124]
Philanthropy
Kelly has contributed to various charities throughout his career. In 1995, Kelly donated £20,000 to ex-footballer Garth Crooks representative for a UK charity.[125] In 2003, Kelly donated $50,000 to the Texas Military Family Foundation after the fund raising gig he staged for them.[126] Kelly has also been in charity events in efforts to bring awareness for the fight against breast cancer.[127] In 2003, Kelly released the single "Soldier's Heart" and donated all the proceeds of the song to the families of the American soldiers. In 2007, Kelly released the song "Rise Up" for Virginia Tech and 100% of the net proceeds went to families of the massacre's victims.[128]
In 2010, R. Kelly performed at a benefit concert for the Special Olympics of Angola and donated several specially-designed wheelchairs and the same year he also penned the song "Sign of a Victory" for the FIFA World Cup and all proceeds benefited African charities.[129] In 2011, R. Kelly performed at a charity event in Chicago benefiting Clara's House, a program designed to build employment, housing, health care, and education in the projects of Chicago.[130] In 2016, Kelly donated cases of water to the Flint water crisis.[131]
Legal issues
After a July 1996 brawl at a Lafayette, Louisiana health club involving Kelly and his entourage, Kelly was placed on a year's unsupervised probation starting August 13, 1997, after being found guilty of battery. One of the victims, Christopher Mahoney, needed 110 facial stitches.[132] Also that year, 20-year-old Tiffany Hawkins sued Kelly for $10 million and accused him of having sexual relations with her when he was 24 and she 15. Kelly settled the lawsuit in 1998 for $250,000, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.[133]
On April 8, 1998, Kelly was arrested on three misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct, including one charge on violating noise ordinance for playing his music extremely loud from his car.[134] Prosecutors from the district attorney's office dropped the first two charges on May 7 and the noise charge on July 22 that year.[135][136]
Illegal marriage
According to Vibe and the Chicago Sun-Times, Kelly and a then 15-year-old singer protegeAaliyah were illegally married in a secret wedding ceremony on August 31, 1994 in Cook County conducted by Reverend Nathan J. Edmond from Chicago.[133][137] Kelly was introduced to Aaliyah by her uncle, Barry Hankerson, just three years prior when she was 12 years old.[133] The marriage was annulled in February 1995 at the behest of Aaliyah's family by a Michigan judge.[60] Kelly and Aaliyah, however, both denied that the marriage occurred and even denied that their relationship had ever moved beyond friendship.[138]Despite denials of marriage, in May 1997 Aaliyah filed a lawsuit in Cook County to have the marriage records expunged. This action occurred in the midst of a suit filed by Tiffany Hawkins, who was seeking to use the marriage documents in her case. Aaliyah stated in court documents that she was underage at the time of marriage and, under Illinois state law, could not legally enter into marriage without parental consent.[133]
Sex tape allegations and acquittal
On February 3, 2002, a video surfaced allegedly showing Kelly engaging in sex with, and urinating on, an underagegirl. The story, which was released by an unknown source, was sent to the Chicago Sun-Times, the newspaper that broke the story on February 8, 2002.[139] This news surfaced as Kelly was to perform at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics. In interviews with WMAQtelevision of Chicago and MTV News, Kelly said that he was not the man in the video.[140][141] In June 2002, Kelly was indicted in Chicago on 21 counts of child pornography.[142] That same month, Kelly was apprehended by Miami Police Departmenton a Chicago arrest warrant, and Polk County Sheriff's Office conducted a search of Kelly's residence in Davenport, Florida. During the search, officers recovered 12 images of an alleged underage girl on a digital camera – wrapped in a towel in a duffel bag – which allegedly depicted Kelly "involved in sexual conduct with the female minor."[143] According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the girl in the images obtained from Kelly's Florida home also appears in the videotape which got Kelly indicted in Chicago.[144] Kelly was arrested in January 2003 on those charges. In March 2004, these charges were dropped due to a lack of probable cause for the search warrants.[145]
After a number of delays, on October 27, 2006, a Cook County, Illinois court hearing for pre-trial motions set the date of the actual trial to February 7, 2007.[146] On the date of the trial, Kelly's lawyer informed the court that his client was unable to attend because he was "undergoing surgery for a burst appendix". He also announced that Kelly was "in good condition and was expected to be released from the hospital later in the day." Kelly's attorney stated that Kelly (who pleaded not guilty) would be in attendance on the next trial date of February 21, 2007.[147] It had previously been announced by the court that the videotape that allegedly showed Kelly performing sex acts with an underage woman would be publicly shown as evidence in the trial. The trial, however, was delayed due to disputes over when the tape was made and to give medical recuperation time to the sitting judge following a fall resulting in broken bones. Later the case was set for a September 17 date.[148] It took more than six months for the case to go to trial. Jury selection began on May 9, 2008, and the trial officially started on May 20 with opening statements from the prosecution and defense. After two weeks, the prosecution's case wrapped on June 3 while the defense's wrapped on June 9. After less than a day of deliberations, on June 13, a Chicago jury found Kelly not guilty of all 14 counts.[149]
Allegations of cult leadership
On July 17, 2017, Jim DeRogatis reported in BuzzFeed that Kelly was accused by three sets of parents of holding their daughters in an "abusive cult".[150][151][152]
Legacy
Kelly is known for often wearing a
bandana.
Kelly is considered to be one of the most successful R&B artists of the last 25 years.[11] He is also one of the best-selling music artists in the United States with over 30 million albums sold as well as only the fifth black artist to enter the top 50 of the same list.[9] Rolling Stone magazine called him "arguably the most important R&B figure of the 1990s and 2000s."[153] Music executive Barry Weissdescribed Kelly as "the modern-day Prince, although there's a bit of Marvin Gaye in him, and a bit of Irving Berlin."[154] R. Kelly has released 12 solo studio albums and has sold over 40 million albums worldwide making him specifically the most successfulR&B male artist in the 1990s[15][155] and one of the best overall. He has been named byVIBE the number one musical genius in the past two decades in 2013. Kelly's work has influenced numerous artists including Chris Brown, Avant, Trey Songz, Bruno Mars, Joe,Tyrese, Ginuwine, Donnell Jones, The-Dream, The Weeknd, Ne-Yo, Tank, Teyana Taylor,Rico Love, Keke Palmer, Jeremih, Zayn Malik, and many more. Kelly has mentored and produced for the likes of Aaliyah, B2K, Changing Faces, Boo & Gotti, and K. Michelle, and reignited the careers of Toni Braxton, Luther Vandross, Charlie Wilson, Ron Isley, and more. Artists from many genres have covered Kelly's music.
In addition to his solo and collaboration success, Kelly has also written and produced several hit songs, such as "Fortunate" for Maxwell, "You Are Not Alone" for Michael Jackson, "G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T." for Changing Faces, "Bump, Bump, Bump" for B2K, and many more. R. Kelly has been compared to artists like Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye.[156]
Kelly's music has been used in numerous film soundtracks including American Reunion,The Hangover Part III, Ice Age: The Meltdown, and Fun with Dick and Jane. He has also been featured in video games, including Grand Theft Auto IV. Countless hip hop and R&B artists have sampled his music.
Honors and awards
Kelly has been awarded and nominated for countless awards during his career, as a songwriter, producer, and singer. His awards include a Guinness World Records, 3Grammy Awards, 2 American Music Awards, 1 BET Awards, 6 NAACP Image Awards, 11Soul Train Awards, and numerous Billboard Music Awards.
Discography
- Collaboration albums
Filmography
Books
Tours
- Headlining tours
- Co-headlining tours
- Promotional concerts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Kelly
