R. Kelly The Gift and The Curse

Shaneen Murray CNW Staff Writer

R.Kelly hasn’t hit a high note since his last album in 2016 due to various sexual allegations and lawsuits he has faced over the years. The Guilty Until Proven Innocent singer is in fact not innocent and has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for child pornography and sex abuse. For years, R. Kelly has been known for sexually charged song lyrics and his preference for young women. My question to you is: Are we really surprised? Let’s explore the ugly truth about this musical genius.

I first learned of R. Kelly in 1991 at Kenwood Academy. I was 15 years old and had a 10th-period music class taught by Reverend Dr. Lena McLin, R. Kelly’s mentor. R. Kelly and his then bandmates, MGM, used to perform for my class regularly and everything seemed harmless; just a group of talented guys in their early to mid 20’s getting students excited about music. However, rumors floated around that R. Kelly used to hang out at the McDonald’s in Hyde Park to talk to high school girls.

After MGM, R. Kelly formed the group Public Announcement and his fame started to rise. When he went solo, he became a household name and everyone wanted a piece of Kellz. In 1994, his debut solo album 12 Play included hit songs “Bump ‘n Grind”, “Sex Me, and “Your Body’s Callin”’, his sexually explicit lyrics told us exactly what was on his mind, nevertheless they were hits and we all knew the song lyrics word for word. We even ignored Aaliyah’s song Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number, written and produced by R. Kelly. Respectfully, her parents allowed this grown man to mentor their 14-year-old daughter. Honestly, he’s been telling us for years but we didn’t listen until the scandals came out.

In the 2000s, Chicago nightlife was something spectacular, if you were there, you know exactly what I mean! The clubs were celebrity-filled and R. Kelly’s music was often on the soundtrack, from “Fiesta” to “Thoia Thong” to “Ignition”. Not only was Kellz hot in the clubs, every artist wanted to collaborate because they knew it would be a hit, despite the ugly rumors. When Kellz was in Chicago, he was always on the scene in VIP. You may remember the women in the Lifetime documentary, “Surviving R. Kelly”, talking about how his security guards selected women and gave them a tiny piece of paper with a phone number on it and it’s true. How do I know? I received one of those pieces of paper at the club. His security guards were also his enablers.

You may have heard about parties at his home in Olympia Fields, if you were an attendee you had to sign an NDA, leave your cell phone behind, park in a lot, and ride a shuttle bus to his home. That is also true. How do I know? I attended several of those epic parties. I noticed how everyone wanted to be in his presence. At his studio, there used to be lines of people waiting to meet the superstar.

Unpopular Opinion: When I think about the women in Surviving R. Kelly, I believe there was a mix- those who were victims and those who wanted to be there. Don’t get me wrong, the self-proclaimed Pied Piper of R&B is without a doubt a predator, let’s just consid- pensions being less prevalent, you have to save more to make up for the income that pensions don’t provide. er his backstory of molestation and abuse; hurt people hurt people, it’s a vicious cycle and his fame only made the access easier. Can you imagine constantly seeking sexual pleasure to fill a void? I think there was something missing that R. Kelly and those women were seeking. Not saying it’s right, just saying.

What if you discover this information later in your working years? What if you can’t save enough fast enough to meet your retirement income goal? The answer is, focus on income. First, decide how much income you need or want. Second, conservatively estimate your retirement income sources. The difference between your goal and your actual income is the gap that you will need to fill with savings or other passive income endeavors. Passive income sources like real estate, or passive business ideas are a good start. No matter how you slice it, the pursuit of retirement starts with the pursuit of income that requires minimal or no work.

Unpopular Opinion: It is okay to separate the man from the music. R. Kelly gave us special songs such as I Believe I Can Fly, Prayer Changes, Happy People, and Chicago Stepper’s anthem Step In the Name of Love. His music is a gift that has appeared on the soundtrack of many of our lives. His actions are his curse and he has to live with the judge’s decision. Unmuting R. Kelly’s music does not mean he is absolved from his crimes.