R. Kelly

 

Urban R&B producer/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter R. Kelly and his supporting band Public
Announcement began recording in 1992 at the tail end of the new jack swing era, yet he was able to keep
much of its sound alive while remaining commercially successful. While he's created a smooth, professional
mixture of hip-hop beats, soul-man crooning, and funk, the most distinctive element of Kelly's music is its
explicit carnality. Over the course of two albums, the singer has been able to make songs like "Sex Me,"
Bump n' Grind," and "Your Body's Callin'" into hits because his production has been seductive enough to
sell such blatant come-ons.
Kelly and Public Announcement released their debut album, Born Into the '90's, at the beginning of 1992. It
was an instant R&B smash, while earning a fair amount of pop airplay; "Honey Love" and "Slow Dance
(Hey Mr. DJ)" were number one R&B hits, while "Dedicated" was his biggest pop hit at number 31. 12 Play,
released in the fall of 1993, established R. Kelly as an R&B superstar, eventually selling over five million
copies. The first single, "Sex Me (Parts I & II)," went gold, and the second, "Bump n' Grind," hit number one
on both the pop and R&B charts in 1994; it stayed on the top of the R&B charts for an astonishing 12
weeks, while it logged four weeks at the top of the pop charts. The follow-up, "Your Body's Callin'," was
another gold single, peaking at number 13 pop. Also in 1994, he produced Age Ain't Nothin' but a Number,
the hit debut album for then-15-year-old Detroit R&B singer Aaliyah. Late in the year, it was revealed that
Kelly and Aaliyah had wed in August. The news sparked a small storm of controversy in the media, yet it
didn't hurt the careers of either singer. Kelly next wrote and co-produced "You Are Not Alone," the second
single from Michael Jackson's HIStory album, which was released in the summer of 1995. Later that year,
Kelly released a self-titled album which became his first to top the pop charts. R. Kelly sold four million
copies and produced three platinum singles, all of which hit number one R&B and reached the pop Top Ten.
Kelly truly consolidated his crossover success with the 1996 single "I Believe I Can Fly," which he recorded
for the Michael Jordan movie Space Jam. The song won Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal
Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television.
Kelly remained in the public eye in 1997 with another Top Ten soundtrack tune, Batman & Robin's "Gotham
City." The two-disc R. followed in 1998 and became Kelly's biggest-selling album yet, going platinum six
times over. Its first single, a duet with Celine Dion titled "I'm Your Angel," became Kelly's second number
one pop hit with a six-week run on top; even though subsequent singles were more successful on the R&B
charts, Kelly was well on his way to landing more Top 40 hits in the '90s than any other male solo artist.
Moving his blockbuster success into a new decade, Kelly returned in 2000 with TP-2.com which is actually a
sequel to his 12 Play album. The album spawned several hits, the lead single "I Wish" being the most
successful.
Less successful was his collaboration with rapper Jaz-Z early 2002 - The Best of Both Worlds - especially
when a video tape surfaced that showed R. Kelly having sex with an underaged girl.

 

Year of release Album title
1992 Born into the 90's
1993 12 Play
1995 R. Kelly
1998 R
2000 TP-2.com
2002 The Best of Both Worlds