Kelly, R.

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R. KELLY

Born: Robert S. Kelly; Chicago, Illinois, 8 January 1967

Genre: R&B, Pop

Best-selling album since 1990: R. Kelly (1995)

Hit songs since 1990: "Bump N Grind," "I Believe I Can Fly," "Ignition"

R. Kelly is frequently cited by critics as one of the most talented hip-hop and R&B artists of the 1990s, his work informed with intelligence and breadth of vision. Excelling as a producer, arranger, and instrumentalist, Kelly creates deep, supple music with dense rhythmic grooves. Although his skills as a vocalist are arguably less impressive, he possesses the taste and ability to imbue his performances with a range of influences—notably great R&B singers of the 1960s and 1970s such as Al Green and Marvin Gaye. Like these vocalists, Kelly infuses his material with sexual and religious imagery, emphasizing the carnal and spiritual in equal measure. Attracting controversy during the early 1990s for explicit hits such as "Bump n' Grind," Kelly toned down his image in the mid-1990s to record his best-known song, the inspirational "I Believe I Can Fly." By the early 2000s, Kelly's artistic achievements were overshadowed by a sex-related scandal that threatened to topple his career. Fortunately, he rebounded with Chocolate Factory (2003), viewed by critics as one of his finest albums.

Commercial Breakthroughs

Raised in a tough neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Kelly was no stranger to violence, having been shot during a mugging at an early age. With the support of his mother and a sympathetic teacher, Kelly developed a love for basketball and music, spending his free time performing for money on the streets of Chicago. By 1990 he had put together an R&B group, MGM, and won a talent contest on the television program Big Break, hosted by pop and R&B singer Natalie Cole. MGM having disbanded, Kelly met manager Barry Hankerson while auditioning for a play in Chicago. With Hankerson's assistance, Kelly signed with Jive Records in 1991, working initially with the supporting band Public Announcement. After Kelly's first album, Born into the 90s (1992), scored with the R&B smash hits, "Honey Love" and "Slow Dance (Hey Mr. DJ)," Kelly returned with his commercial breakthrough, 12 Play (1993). On the album's biggest hits, "Bump n' Grind" and "Sex Me (Parts I & II)," he cultivated his reputation for erotic themes that pushed boundaries of acceptability within mainstream radio. On "Bump n' Grind," Kelly's gruff, full-bodied vocals—recalling the spirit and tradition of gospel music—are set against a relaxed, seductive groove and lyrics that promote a guilt-free attitude toward sex.

By the mid-1990s, Kelly had also established a reputation as a skilled producer for other artists, including the gospel group the Winans and R&B singers Janet Jackson and Aaliyah. In 1994 Kelly experienced his first taste of controversy when it was revealed that he had married fifteen-year-old Aaliyah, although the union was quickly annulled. In 1995 he returned to his solo career with R. Kelly, which tones down the explicit nature of his previous album in favor of "slow jams" that emphasize the romantic side of sex. On the album's opening track, "The Sermon," Kelly depicts himself as a gospel preacher, defending himself against accusations that his music is excessively lascivious. Elsewhere, he appeals to past musical styles by performing the hit duet, "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)" with R&B legends the Isley Brothers. Like many contemporary R&B singers, Kelly's singing tends to sound thin, sometimes wavering off-pitch; at the same time, his assured phrasing successfully captures the gentle, pleading style of his R&B forebears. The same deep understanding of R&B and gospel tradition informs his most famous recording, the 1996 smash hit, "I Believe I Can Fly."

Artistic Triumph and Personal Trouble

On the heels of the success of "I Believe I Can Fly," Kelly released R. (1998), a two-CD set that stands as one of his most ambitious albums. Ranging from slick pop to gritty R&B—and including a short track where Kelly mimics operatic vocalizing—R. is the first album to present Kelly's musical vision in its entirety. In 2000 he returned to more traditional musical territory with TP-2.Com, an album composed largely of up-tempo party anthems and ballads. While the album's smooth sound, however, is meant to recall 12 Play, Kelly takes risks with lyric and theme. Defying traditional hip-hop standards of masculinity, "A Woman's Threat" is a biting track sung from a female point of view: "My man, my lover, my king . . . if you don't stop, someone's gonna lay in your bed." On "I Wish," Kelly struggles with the death of his mother and a close friend, imbuing the song with a sense of loss and conscience. At the same time, songs such as "Feelin' on Yo Booty" threaten to turn his sex-god persona into caricature.

Kelly's career derailed in early 2002, when videotapes surfaced that purportedly depict him engaging in sexual activity with a fourteen-year-old girl. Soon, reports of past settlements for similar suits with underage girls, as well as additional videotapes, came to the fore, prompting a ban by some radio stations on Kelly's music. In June 2002, Kelly was charged with twenty-one counts of child pornography after the girl on the tape was identified as the niece of his former protégée, singer Sparkle. Kelly's career was dealt further blows when his duet album, The Best of Both Worlds (2002), recorded with rapper Jay-Z, sold poorly, and his attempts to release another solo recording—to be titled Loveland —were hampered by Internet piracy and bootlegging.

Spot Light: "I Believe I Can Fly"

By 1996 R. Kelly had established a reputation as an R&B craftsperson of the highest order, producing hits for himself as well as for other performers; however, he had yet to fully cross over into the lucrative pop market. The success of "I Believe I Can Fly," recorded as part of the soundtrack for the film Space Jam (1996), changed the course of Kelly's career, transforming him from a raunchy specialist in erotic-tinged R&B into a family-friendly balladeer. The song's overwhelming success—it hit number two on the pop and number one on the R&B charts—is due to its uplifting approach, using a surging choir to incorporate the sound of gospel music without making specific reference to divinity. Building upon a long tradition in pop music of "inspirational" songs—"You'll Never Walk Alone," from the 1945 Broadway musical Carousel, stands as one example—Kelly emphasizes strength and triumph over challenge: "I was on the verge of breaking down . . . if I can see it, then I can be it / If I just believe it, there's nothing to it." What makes "I Believe I Can Fly" truly memorable, however, is the sincerity of Kelly's singing, which elevates the lyrics into the realm of personal experience. Writing in rock magazine Rolling Stone, Rob Sheffield attested, "For the five minutes of 'I Believe,' you hear seasons change, tides turn, and colts grow into stallions." By 1998 when the song won three Grammy Awards, Kelly had not only solidified his career he had created one of the few popular song "standards" of the hip-hop era.

In 2003 Kelly regained his reputation and commercial footing with Chocolate Factory, an album that hit the top position on both the R&B and pop charts. Hailed by critics as one of his strongest works, the album features "Ignition," a hit that creates an erotic atmosphere through a seductive rhythm and aggressive, full-voiced backup vocalists. Like many of Kelly's best records, "Ignition" stirs a dollop of sexuality into a brew of traditional R&B, capturing a warmth and personality absent from the work of many of his hip-hop peers. Certain editions of Chocolate Factory feature a bonus compact disc of selections scrapped from the Loveland project. Of these songs, "Heaven I Need a Hug" is a compelling response to the sex allegations Kelly was facing. Singing against a delicate, flowing string arrangement, Kelly captures a disarming poignancy: "Heaven I need a hug / Is there anybody out there willing to embrace a thug?" The song stands out within Kelly's body of work as a striking moment of vulnerability, rare in contemporary R&B.

A multitalented artist who received both acclaim and criticism for his forays into sexual explicitness, Kelly modified his style in the mid-1990s, creating an inspirational, accessible sound with the hit ballad, "I Believe I Can Fly." Exploring many different channels for his talent—production, songwriting, arranging, singing—Kelly maintained his popularity during the 1990s and early 2000s. In the process, he proved his capacity to withstand scandals that would have ended the careers of lesser performers.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

12 Play (Jive, 1993); R. Kelly (Jive, 1995); R. (Jive, 1998); TP-2.Com (Jive, 2000); Chocolate Factory (Jive, 2003). Soundtracks: Space Jam (Atlantic, 1996).