R. Kelly: The Rise, The Music, and The Crimes of the "Pied Piper"
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Show Notes
In this episode, we examine the life of Robert Sylvester Kelly, the Chicago-born singer and producer who rose from busking under the "L" tracks to becoming the "King of R&B". We discuss his massive commercial success, selling over 75 million records worldwide with hits like "Bump N' Grind," "Ignition (Remix)," and the Grammy-winning "I Believe I Can Fly". We also cover his prolific songwriting career, which included penning Michael Jackson’s number-one hit "You Are Not Alone".
However, the episode also details the accusations of sexual abuse involving minors that shadowed Kelly dating back to the 1990s. We explore the legal timeline that shifted from his 2008 acquittal to the renewed investigations following the documentary Surviving R. Kelly. Finally, we look at his 2021 and 2022 convictions for racketeering, sex trafficking, and child sexual abuse, which resulted in a 31-year prison sentence and effectively ended his career.