R. Kelly (born Robert Sylvester Kelly on January 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former recording artist whose career combined major commercial success with an extensive record of criminal convictions for sexual exploitation and abuse. His music helped shape mainstream R&B in the 1990s and 2000s, while his later legal downfall made him one of the most controversial figures in popular music.
Kelly began performing in Chicago and developed a reputation as a singer and composer before signing with Jive Records. His first major release, Born into the 90's (1992), was credited to R. Kelly and Public Announcement. The album introduced his polished blend of contemporary R&B, new jack swing, gospel-influenced vocals, and sexually explicit songwriting. Songs such as "She's Got That Vibe," "Honey Love," and "Slow Dance (Hey Mr. DJ)" established him as both a performer and a songwriter with strong control over his production.
He launched his solo career with 12 Play in 1993. The album became a major success and produced "Bump N' Grind," a chart-topping R&B single that helped define Kelly's early image. His self-titled album, R. Kelly (1995), expanded that formula with ballads, slow jams, and more elaborate arrangements. In the same period, he wrote and produced for other performers, becoming a prolific behind-the-scenes figure in R&B. His work for artists including Aaliyah, Michael Jackson, the Isley Brothers, Toni Braxton, and others strengthened his influence beyond his own records.
Kelly's broadest mainstream breakthrough came with "I Believe I Can Fly," written for the 1996 film Space Jam. The inspirational ballad became an international hit and earned three Grammy Awards. It was included on his double album R. (1998), which reached the top of the US R&B album chart and further established his ability to move between explicit urban material, gospel-inflected songs, and pop-oriented balladry.
During the 2000s, Kelly continued releasing successful albums, including TP-2.com (2000), Chocolate Factory (2003), Happy People/U Saved Me (2004), and TP.3 Reloaded (2005). He also collaborated with Jay-Z on The Best of Both Worlds (2002) and Unfinished Business (2004), although the partnership ended amid professional disputes. Another distinctive project was Trapped in the Closet, an extended series of connected songs and videos built around melodramatic characters and recurring plot twists. The project became a notable example of long-form music video storytelling, while also illustrating Kelly's tendency toward extravagant, self-contained concepts.
His later albums included Double Up (2007), Untitled (2009), Love Letter (2010), Write Me Back (2012), Black Panties (2013), The Buffet (2015), and 12 Nights of Christmas (2016). However, renewed public scrutiny of allegations concerning sexual abuse and exploitation increasingly overshadowed his music career. His record contract was terminated after the allegations gained renewed attention.
In September 2021, a federal jury in New York convicted Kelly of racketeering and violations of the Mann Act. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison on June 29, 2022. A separate Chicago federal jury convicted him in September 2022 of producing child sexual abuse material and enticing minors to engage in sexual activity. He received a 20-year sentence in February 2023, with most of that term ordered to run concurrently with the New York sentence. The US Supreme Court denied his appeal in the New York case on June 23, 2025. His criminal convictions have fundamentally reshaped the public assessment of a once highly influential R&B career.