- 2 days ago
R. Kelly was once one of the biggest names in R&B music — a Grammy-winning superstar who shaped an entire era. But behind the fame and hit records was a darker story that would eventually lead to his downfall.
In this video, we break down R. Kelly’s troubled childhood, his rise to global stardom, the allegations that followed him for decades, and the federal conviction that ended his career.
How did one of the most successful artists of the 90s lose everything? This is the full story of R. Kelly’s rise and fall.
0:00 Intro
0:36 Talent
2:20 Music Career
5:13 Scandal
8:27 Downfall
10:44 Jail
12:33 Outro
In this video, we break down R. Kelly’s troubled childhood, his rise to global stardom, the allegations that followed him for decades, and the federal conviction that ended his career.
How did one of the most successful artists of the 90s lose everything? This is the full story of R. Kelly’s rise and fall.
0:00 Intro
0:36 Talent
2:20 Music Career
5:13 Scandal
8:27 Downfall
10:44 Jail
12:33 Outro
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:06he was one of the most accomplished recording artist of all time his singing and songwriting
00:12skills were unmatched when it came to producing great music his voice was smooth his lyrics were
00:17seductive but he could also uplift millions with his motivational tunes but behind the supreme
00:23hit maker's public persona lied skeletons that were trapped in his closet let's take a look
00:29back at the former music icon that was our kelly and find out what actually happened growing up in
00:37the slums of the south side of chicago the odds were truly stacked against kelly but he wouldn't fall
00:43victim to the less than ideal circumstances to his benefit kelly had a religious mother that kept him
00:50in church and off the streets in his formative years his family would discover he had some serious
00:56talent while singing in the church choir a music teacher at his high school also recognized his
01:03powerful and heartwarming voice in class and i saw a light inside of it a glow a gift in a
01:13spirit
01:13being guided from above
01:27i taught him how to play piano worked with his singing taught him how to write and made him participate
01:36in producing
01:37a writing a musical every year and also taught him how to sing you know in the operatic spirit
01:58she pushed him to enter an annual talent show and showcase his gift to the entire school after performing a
02:06stevie wonder classic
02:07in front of hundreds of students in attendance kelly would come out victorious among his peers
02:12this would be his first taste of success through music and he quickly realized how far his talent could actually
02:19take him going forward kelly later linked up with a few other local singers and they formed a r&b
02:25group
02:25with him of course being the lead vocalist we have just two finalists left and only one of them can
02:31be a big break artist of the year
02:33and win a hundred thousand dollars in cash and prizes will it be the current leader altrina grayson with 255
02:40points
02:41or will our last contestant r kelly and mgm manage to unseat her and get the grand prize
02:47well it's too cruel to wait any longer to find out what happened so let's get to it remember
02:53altrina has 255 points and unless r kelly and mgm score higher than that
02:58altrina will be the champion okay for r kelly and mgm they receive
03:05280 points
03:06r kelly and mgm is the champion a hundred thousand dollars in cash and prizes
03:12thank you altrina you made it you made it thus far good luck to you i'm sure we'll see more
03:17of you
03:18all right kelly and mgm
03:20but like most talented frontmen r kelly envisioned a solo career and the band would be just another
03:26stepping stone on his journey rob signed with a major music label shortly after going solo and began
03:33recording for his first standalone project the introductory album featured a number of future
03:39classics that music listeners gravitated to not only was he singing extremely well throughout the album
03:45he also showcased his supreme skill as a great songwriter as well for the following years
03:51he went on to amass quite a stellar catalogue in the music world kelly was able to masterfully mash
03:57together hip-hop and r&b like no other had done before his mainstream crossover appeal led to collaborations
04:04the who's who of pop culture's biggest artist from working with global sensations like the king of pop
04:11all the way to fan favorites like celine dion
04:14not only was he making music that older listeners could share romance to
04:18you
04:20he also wrote songs that inspired millions to saw the skies
04:23the iconic singer won billboard awards grammys and american music awards and many other notable trophies too
04:31earned a spot on his mantle
04:33robert was sitting on top of the world for nearly a decade thanks to his successful music career
04:39but in the early 2000s his larger-than-life image would be put in question by the public
05:00of the world for nearly a decade
05:04and you can come home with me
05:12while r kelly was indeed
05:14first accused of sexual relationships involving minors very early in his career
05:19the stories would fly under the radar in the media and things were handled quietly behind the scenes
05:26but in the 2000s things wouldn't be so easily brushed under the rug
05:30in the summer of 2002 a leaked video titled a kelly triple x began to surface on the streets of
05:37chicago
05:42the explicit recording was said to feature the adult singer engaging in very lewd acts with younger women
05:48the film was sent anonymously to the chicago suntime newspaper then given to the local pd
05:54with the police in possession of the highly inappropriate video
05:58r kelly was charged with multiple criminal counts involving the child sexual abuse footage
06:04he was arrested the following day in his florida home
06:07the detectives on the scene while conducting the arrest
06:11also seized other images from separate encounters
06:14which he had stored on a digital camera
06:17after posting seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars for bail
06:20kelly pleaded not guilty in the court hearing
06:23the pop star was still allowed to operate as a free man
06:26while the legal matter was being handled behind the scenes
06:30in the public eye r kelly would continue to deny the allegations
06:33when asked questions surrounding the case
06:37it would take years for the trial to actually take place
06:40but in the meantime
06:43r kelly continued to make hit songs
06:45and tore the world as if the matter was resolved
06:47and he was one hundred percent innocent in the scandal
06:51rarely a radio host or tv personality
06:54bring up the elephant in the room
06:56when he was out promoting his latest projects
06:59when the trial finally began six years after the charges were pursued
07:03many people had already moved on from the scandal
07:06some assumed kelly was innocent all along
07:09others still were uncertain
07:11but the initial outrage and interest pertaining to the case
07:15had subsided a substantial amount
07:17as the trial was underway
07:20the jury deemed the video evidence that was presented in court
07:23could not clearly confirm if the person in question was a minor or not
07:28because of this reasonable doubt
07:30kelly was acquitted of all the charges
07:32that had cast a dark shadow over his career
07:35once his name was finally cleared of any wrongdoing
07:39bigger musical artists decided to work with him again
07:42despite his very shady history
07:44but as time went on
07:46and the internet became very relevant with the masses
07:50more and more details that weren't so well known before
07:53began to resurface and spread online
07:56one of the biggest controversies that was rediscovered
07:59was his marriage to the singer alia
08:02she was just 15 years old
08:04and he was nine years her senior when they illegally tied the knot
08:08the general public had also learned more about the stars past civil lawsuits
08:13regarding minors
08:14over time a newer generation of artists emerged in the r&b genre
08:19and began to take over the music scene
08:21the music legend would slowly fade into obscurity for the following years
08:26but his name would emerge in the headlines once again
08:29after the lifetime network released a miniseries titled
08:33surviving r kelly
08:35the documentary would go into depth analyzing the former stars relationships
08:39his past behaviors
08:41and bring forth new accusations
08:43from the people that knew him best
08:45the traction gained from the miniseries
08:48created a large media storm that no one could have predicted
08:52with today's social climate being vastly different than what he dealt with in the past
08:56he was essentially cancelled by the public
08:59they carry almost everything
09:01but you won't find r&b singer r kelly's music here at sonic boom in toronto
09:05and now over a decade later of facing sexual misconduct allegations
09:09sony music has dropped the singer as well
09:12this move comes weeks after the documentary surviving r kelly aired
09:16where multiple women came forward accusing the singer of sexual misconduct allegations
09:21his upcoming tours were scrapped and most radio stations opted to remove all of his classic songs from their rotation
09:29law enforcement's pursuit of kelly was also reignited
09:32a credible source came forward and alleged he had obtained a tape of kelly with a 14 year old
09:38engaging in very adult activities
09:41the aging star was already down on his luck
09:44and facing public backlash and intense scrutiny
09:48what do you say to the multiple fans
09:52the many fans who are watching and listening
09:55that say there have been multiple accusations against you
09:59against young women in chicago
10:01and they are concerned about your past
10:03and that's impacting them from purchasing your music sales
10:06i love them all
10:06it doesn't matter who they are
10:08if they hate me they love me they want to destroy me whatever
10:11i love them all
10:12and i love you too
10:14you don't need to give me any of your love sir
10:16i love everybody
10:17you really don't need to give me your love
10:18i just wanted to ask the question
10:19what do you say to the
10:20what do you say to the fans
10:22your fans who don't want to buy your music
10:24yeah i'm not going to allow you to do that
10:26but i love you
10:27i love my fans
10:28okay i have a video question for you from a fan
10:30i have no video questions for me
10:31because this interview is over
10:33okay well mr k
10:34thank you very much for coming to us
10:35i'm not asking you answering my questions
10:38thank you so much
10:38but thank you for being here
10:40you don't have to comment on my appearance sir
10:43kelly was later charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse
10:47following the recent police investigation
10:50more charges would be added
10:52when another alleged incident involving a minor emerged in the media
10:56against his advisor's wishes
10:58kelly decided to speak out about the matter on national television
11:02but the sit down interview did not help his image much at all
11:07what how stupid would i be to do that
11:10i didn't say that's stupid guys
11:12i didn't is this camera on me
11:14yes that's stupid
11:16use your common sense
11:18i didn't do this stuff
11:20this is not me y'all
11:22i'm fighting for my life
11:24y'all killing me with this
11:26i gave you 30 years of my career
11:30robert
11:3130 years of my career
11:34and y'all trying to kill me
11:37you killing me man
11:39this is not about music
11:41i'm trying to have a relationship with my kids
11:44and i can't do it
11:47y'all just don't want to believe the truth
11:49you don't want to believe it
11:51kelly now faced criminal cases in three u.s states
11:55pertaining to his dealings with underage girls
11:58he was on trial once again
12:00but no longer did he have his superstar status
12:03as a protective shield
12:05the music industry had already moved on entirely from the singer
12:09and his fans could no longer support the fallen star
12:13he was tried and convicted in two major federal trials
12:17he was sentenced to serve 30 years in federal prison for the crimes
12:22many point to the odd fetish stemming from childhood trauma
12:26it has been rumored kelly also was taken advantage of by an adult
12:30when he was only eight years old
12:33but what are your thoughts on this story
12:36do you still think he is an innocent man despite the conviction
12:40do you think 30 years in prison is a reasonable sentence
12:43for the crimes committed
12:45leave a comment below and let me know
13:05you
Comments