R. Kelly has taught me a lot of things over the years.
On his song, “I Believe I Can Fly,” he taught me “if I can see it, I can do it.” Then on his alleged sex tape, he also taught me that rule only applies to women over the age of 18.
On, “Ignition,” R. Kelly taught me the value of enjoying my freakin’ weekend and how crucial a minuscule “toot, toot” and “beep, beep” can be to hooking up with the honeys.
But the most important thing R. Kelly has taught me over the years, is to never — and I mean never — go into a closet without a well-thought out escape plan. Apparently those things are all like Narnia without the wholesome Christian undertones. (The latest chapter of Trapped in the Closet is set to air on IFC on Nov. 23.)
Yet, no matter how many life lessons I’ve acquired from R. Kelly, one thing’s certain — he is the most celebrated R&B artist since Marvin Gaye or Al Green. His sweet and sultry voice pays homage to greats like the Green, Gaye and even Sam Cooke, while still adding Hip Hop flavoring and a sensuality only comparable to an artist such as Prince. His rare vocal style has garnered him 23 Grammy nominations (three wins) and 38.5 million albums sold in the U.S., making R. Kelly the indisputable king of R&B over the last 30 years.
R. KELLY performs Sunday, Nov. 11 at the Aronoff Center downtown. Buy tickets, check out performance times and get venue details here.
