R. Kelly - Blender

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R. Kelly

R&B singer-songwriter-producer R. Kelly (born Steven Williams) recorded his debut album, Born Into the 90's (1992), with the backing group Public Announcement. It was a hit on the R&B charts and produced the Top 40 single "Dedicated." His follow-up, 12 Play (1993), did even better, producing the No. 1 pop single "Bump n' Grind" and eventually selling over five million copies. In 1994 Kelly produced then-unknown 15-year-old Aaliyah's debut album. It was revealed soon after that Kelly had married the underage singer, then had the union quickly annulled. He increased his crossover appeal in 1995 with his self-titled third album, which included the chart-topping singles "You Remind Me of Something," "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)" and "I Can't Sleep Baby (If I)." His 1996 single "I Believe I Can Fly," recorded for the movie Space Jam, won Kelly a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best Song for a movie. In 2002, right before the release of a heavily hyped collaborative album with Jay-Z, Best of Both Worlds, a scandal broke out when a videotape surfaced that allegedly depicted Kelly having sex with a 14-year-old girl. Though he faced 21 counts of child pornography in Chicago stemming from that tape and a number of civil suits related to sexual relations with underage girls, Kelly managed to release the smash hit album Chocolate Factory in 2003.

R. Kelly: Trapped in the Courtroom
R. Kelly Trial Coverage

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