R. Kelly

About R. Kelly

Freaky R&B pretty boy R. Kelly has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately. Lurid allegations of kinky underage sex and child pornography have made the superstar singer a punch-line on the late-night circuit, while his bizarre, ongoing mini-opera "Trapped In the Closet" has fans and critics giggling nervously. But freak-show has not always been the talented Illinois singer's lot in life. Robert Kelly was the best selling male solo artist in the 1990's, releasing a series of #1 steamy bedroom ballads chronicling his sexual prowess. His breakout album 12-Play was a wall-to-wall collection of top singles. The jams included "Honey Love," "Slow Dance," "Sex Me Pts. 1-2" and "Bump n' Grind." Perhaps owing to his alleged early career as a professional stripper, Kelly knows what gets the ladies' motors purring. R.Kelly also produced and helped pen the rising R&B/hip hop chanteuse Aaliyah's debut, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number. Things got strange when rumors started flying that Kelly and the underage Aaliyah had been secretly and illegally married (she was only 15 at the time.) What actually happened remains a mystery, but the two parted company both romantically and professionally. But Kelly's hugest hit actually has nothing to do with his bedroom skills�_"in 1996 he released "I Believe I Can Fly" on the soundtrack to Michael Jordan's Space Jam. The single charted at #2 and won three Grammys including Best R&B Song. In 2002, Kelly teamed up with Jay-Z on the tantalizing Best of Both Worlds collaboration album. However, the album was poorly promoted and overshadowed by Kelly's developing legal woes. R. Kelly's 2003 release Chocolate Factory yielded the hit "Ignition."