Kelly, R. 1968(?)–

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R. Kelly 1968(?)–

Singer songwriter, producer

An all-around talent of the sort not seen since the early days of Prince’s career, R. Kelly dominated R&B charts in the early and middle 1990s with a series of impeccably arranged recordings that were frankly sexual in nature. The explicit nature of his lyrics pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable on the radio airwaves, and on stage Kelly was known to drop his pants, to the delight of his throngs of young female fans. Yet this icon of sexuality was inwardly conflicted about his status due to his religious upbringing. He insightfully identified the points at which secular R&B drew on black gospel music, and began to move in the direction of a more inspirational musical language. In 1997 Kelly surprised the musical world by announcing a full-scale commitment to the Christian faith.

Born Robert Kelly in Chicago, Kelly was raised by his mother, Joann, a single parent struggling to make a living on the city’s South Side. The date of his birth is uncertain. An article in Ebony published in June of 1997 referred to Kelly as a 29-year-old singer, but the Dallas Morning News had him turning 29 on January 8, 1998. Perhaps Kelly became secretive about his age after the media began to romantically link him with a teenaged female vocalist.

Enrolled at Top High School

Kelly’s singing career began in a storefront church choir when he was a boy. He stayed clear of the city’s growing gang scene, and along with his four siblings gained admission to the Kenwood Academy, a top-quality high school operated by the Chicago Public Schools in the Hyde Park neighborhood, in the shadow of the prestigious University of Chicago. The same school also produced 1970s diva Chaka Khan and rapper Da Brat. At Kenwood, Kelly received a thorough grounding in classical vocal technique from teacher Lena McLin. “She was my second mother,” Kelly told Ebony McLin, interviewed by Vibe magazine, recalled the broad musical studies that helped Kelly accomplish so much so quickly when he reached adulthood: “Music history, theory, piano, choir, opera workshop, jazz workshop—Robert took it all.” He also accompanied her to a music educators’ conference in Austria.

Kelly quickly directed his ambitions toward a musical career. A single afternoon spent playing and singing

At a Glance…

Born Robert Kelly in Chicago, c. January 8, 1968; mother Joann (died 1993), a schoolteacher. Education: Attended Kenwood Academy, Chicago; received training in classical music. Religion: Baptist

Career: Recording and performing artist, 1989-; USBL, Atlantic City Seagulls, pro basketball player, Í997; formed R&B group MGM, late 1980s; auditioned for executive Barry Hankerson, 1989; signed to jive label; 1990; producer of albums for self and other artists, 1990-; released debut album Borm into the 90$, 1991; 12 Play, 1993; R. Kelly, 1995; contributed hit song “l Believe I Can Fly” to Space Jam soundtrack, 1997; Rated R, 1998.

Awards: Grammy Awards for “I Believe I Can Fly,” Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or for Televison, and Best R&B Song, 1998; NAACP Image Award for” Believe I Can Fly” Outstanding Song, 1997.

Addresses: Management —Barry Hankerson, Midwest Management, 15250 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403. Public Relations— Levine Publications, 433 N. Camden Dr., Suite 400, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

under Chicago’s elevated railroad tracks around the time of his graduation netted him $400 and gave the young singer an indication of his ability to move a crowd. He formed an R&B group called MGM, which took home a $100,000 grand prize on a television talent-search program. His breakthrough came when he auditioned for a gospel musical directed by Robert Hankerson, a well-connected impresario who had earlier been married to vocalist Gladys Knight. Kelly showed up late, and Hankerson had left the audition area. But Kelly sang for some of the director’s assistants, who insisted that Hankerson return and hear the latecomer. Kelly not only landed a role but also gained a manager; with Hankerson’s help, Kelly was signed to the New York-based Jive label in 1990.

Kelly’s first release, 1991’s Born into the 90s, was certified platinum for sales of over a million copies. Two years later, the multiplatinum smash 12 Play put the artist in Billboard magazine’s top ten for over three months, several of its singles topping the R&B charts. “Bump ’n’ Grind” remained at number one for longer than any other R&B single of the previous 30 years. The music on 12 Play fixed Kelly’s style in the public mind. He became known for self-composed and self-produced recordings like “Sex Me,” uninhibited, explicitly erotic odes with intense rhythm tracks and a distinctive tension-filled vocal style. On stage, recalled a writer for Ebony, Kelly was “the ’Prince of Pillowtalk,’ who dropped his pants during his concerts to the delight of thousands of screaming women.”

Produced Own Recordings

No matter how raunchy Kelly’s lyrics became, his arrangements and compositions were always varied and full of interesting musical detail—possibly as a result of his classical training. Kelly has produced all of his own recordings, and other artists have sought him out as a producer and songwriter, intrigued by the palette of sounds he seemed to have at his command. Kelly has worked with Whitney Houston, Quincy Jones, Toni Braxton, Gladys Knight, and, most famously, Michael Jackson, as composer of the Number One hit “You Are Not Alone,” released on Jackson’s HIStory album. Another creative collaboration made headlines in the nation’s music press: Kelly’s stint as producer of the 16-year-old vocalist Aaliyah. Rumors linked the two, peaking in 1994 with speculations that they had married. But Kelly always denied that the relationship was nothing more than platonic, and when he moved into his new mansion—a spectacularly renovated Near North Side Chicago church—he lived there alone.

Meanwhile, Kelly’s music began to move in a new stylistic direction. Like many other black musicians, Kelly had made no secret of the fact that he drew heavily on the gospel music that he had sung as a youth. He stated in Ebony, “Take away the sexy bump and grind, and you can easily put in gospel lyrics.” Possibly as a result of his mother’s death from cancer in 1993, Kelly began making music that connected with gospel more directly. His third album, R. Kelly, included several gospel tunes, and he broke through to a wider pop audience than he had ever previously reached with his huge 1996 hit “I Believe I Can Fly,” from the soundtrack of the film “Space Jam.” Although not strictly a religious song, “I Believe I Can Fly” bowed toward gospel in its quotation of the turn-of-the-century revival hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” and in the swelling choral lines that generated its glorious climax. The song deftly fused gospel with a Disneyesque language of inspiration, and soon became a fixture of high-school choir presentations all over the country.

Embraced Christianity

Thus it should not have come as a complete surprise that Kelly, making a guest appearance at a 1997 concert by the young gospel phenomenon Kirk Franklin, was quoted by Ebony as making this proclamation: “I used to be flying in sin—now I’m flying in Jesus.” According to Ebony, Kelly told Franklin, “You know I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I really want to get some things in my life right with the Lord,” and it became clear that Kelly was considering a switch to gospel music himself. If he made the switch, he would follow in the footsteps of some illustrious predecessors—Al Green and Little Richard being the best known. The influential R&B critic Nelson George, quoted in Ebony, pointed out that Kelly had several options open: “He could do gospel and R&B, or he could simply write love songs with less explicit language … It will all depend on whether he plans to sing true gospel, R&B, or that funny thing in the middle.”

After making his announcement, Kelly fulfilled another one of his dreams: playing professional basketball. Though it was not with the world renowned NBA, he played a full eight-week season in the summer of 1997 for the Atlantic City Seagulls of the United States Basketball League. Fans wondering whether Kelly will go either full gospel or a cleaner, more gentler version of R&B will get their answer soon. Kelly’s next release, titled Rated R, will hit stores in 1998. Kelly, quoted in the Chicago Tribune, said his latest will include “a few dance tracks, love ballads. The different thing about this album is you’re going to hear a lot of real-life situations.”

What seemed clear by the late 1990s was that R. Kelly had the talent, training, and depth to make powerful music in a variety of styles. His former teacher McLin offered this prediction in an interview with Vibe: “We’ve not yet seen the heights to which Robert can go…. Robert is an immense talent. I don’t say that to build him up, I say it because I know what’s there. Where he chooses to go with it is his decision.”