R. Kelly stopped by the studios of Atlanta’s V-103 (a Radio.com station) today (Dec. 16) to talk about his new album, Black Panties. During the interview, Kelly was also asked to address a recent story in The Village Voice, which focuses on past allegations of sexual assault by numerous minors.
In an interview that went up this morning, The Voice spoke at length with Jim DeRogatis, the music journalist who broke the R. Kelly assault story nearly 15 years ago when he was working at the Chicago Sun-Times. Since breaking the story, which included the infamous incident of Kelly urinating on a young girl, DeRogatis has spoken out about the many disturbing charges that have been filed against Kelly by hundreds of women, including dozens of underage girls.
With the sexual nature of Kelly’s latest release, the allegations have once again become a topic of conversation, with DeRogatis questioning publications like Pitchfork who have aligned themselves with the singer.
When asked about the story, Kelly chose to brush it off. “Well I feel like I got the football man, and I’m running towards the touchdown and if I stop and look back or mess around, I’ll get tackled,” he explained.
Kelly said he appreciates all of his fans who have been supporting him since the beginning of his career, but knows it’s on him to stay strong when stories like this come out. “When you get on top of anything, it’s very windy,” he said. “It’s about holding your balance once you get up there…Spiritually, I’m a climber.”
The singer squashed the conversation by simply saying those who want to talk bad about him should just listen to the final track on his new album, aptly titled “Shut Up.”
The rest of the interview focused on Kelly’s music with him explaining that his return to his R&B roots was like going home. “I’m just thankful I can go anywhere musically, any genre I want to go to, I can do that,” he said. “But R&B is my home, my mansion. I’m in my living room right now, metaphorically. It feels good. I can always go home.”
When it comes to his song “Sex Genius,” Kelly says it’s a title you shouldn’t throw around if you can’t back it up.
“First of all, you don’t label yourself a genius,” Kelly explained, perhaps poking a little fun at self-described genius, Kanye West. “You quote it…Let the ladies say it. I’m just quoting what the people saying, musically.”
Kelly not only told fans that they will find out what is in that package in the upcoming installment of Trapped in the Closet, but that they should expect a new album in the next six months. Kelly says the record will not be a direct sequel to Black Panties, but unfortunately gave no other details of what fans can expect from the new record.
[via Radio.com]
