| Show Music r’ —i R Kelly: The"R" must stand for "rich With a new CD out R&B singer-produc- er R Kelly trades his smooth sultry '90s persona for an image that reflects the reality of the streets brother down the block Only the “bling” stud earring) gives it away (his I He doesn’t smoke drink take aspirin or travel by air: This is the same man who in 1996 won three Grammys for I Believe I Can Fly fiend in dimly lit rooms He’d write sing and play the inspirational Space Jam theme “I don’t every instrument himself He struggled to get “put use pen and pad” he says “I just go up to the on” A few months ago well he bought the place mike after I finish the music and do what I feeL” “I love challenges" says the sultry singer Writer’s block? “Never had it Tm too busy “When I first started my manager asked if I promaking music I get world block” duce I said “Man hell yeah’ The truth is I didn’t Robert Kelly grew up on Chicago’s South d even know what he meant And here I am now Side His family moved from one public-housihigh-ris- e That’s pretty much how it’s gone for me because to another Though known for blunt come-on- s I believe I can do anything” and nouveau-rich- e ’90s 31 the the Kelly Throughout reigned as braggadocio Kelly says he was shy as a kid soul Producing and He sang in the church choir and got bullied unchallenged king of hip-ho-p for artists school His dream was to play pro ball at (Puff Daddy Mary writing songs huge J Blige Whitney Houston) he topped both the Then in 1986 he performed in a talent show “The girls went crazy” says pop and R&B charts several times Singing vs basketball: Kelly After that “it was like In 1995 he penned Michael Jackson’s You Are Not Alone the first "On the court you ‘Oh man hell with basketball I single ever to debut at No 1 Then got an game but they gotta score points for don’t be hooping and hollerthere are his solo records ft his All I last took home this year’s Soul them to holler ing like that On the court you Train award for best R&B album gotta do onstage is gotta score points for them to And he hasn’t quit yet holler AQ I gotta do onstage is mouth" open my With TP2 his new CD Kelly is open my mouth’ Since his debut in 1991 Kelly had sold creating “a new sound for the millennium” one that speaks to the passions and struggles ofurban more than 30 million albums Most life in the digital age TP2 is the sequel to 12 Play important he began building his his 1993 album featuring the salacious superhit own empire Rock Land Records which produced the hit soundBump N’ Grind That song the longest-runnin- g No 1 R&B single in more than 30 years introtrack to Life and is now getduced him as a cleanshaven smooth-talkin- g urban ting into movies “We’re going love man women could dream of and ghetto kids to spread out” he says could identify with “ TP2 is sexual and thuggish” “but it’s the music that’s he says “It’s where I come from: the streets” going to lead us there is a large part of Kelly’s appeal That “real-nesI appreciate Motown When he steps into the studio control room he and the way they is tailed by a small group of homies “What up came up Start small with big ideas dog?” is followed by some quick d with and stay consisdap He’s handsome and thick black comrows He comes off less like the tent at making R&B star of his generation than like them come that true” say ' BY CRAIGH BARBOZA n EARLY EVERY night for 10 years R Kelly has slid into Chicago Thix an inconspicuous recording studio downtown It was here he worked like a at roach-infeste- all-rig- ht s” hand-stingi- brown-skinne- nt dice-shooti- 14 USA WEEKEND-Ma- Jeep-pushi- y 7 1999 beat-blasti- n’ His His ride: Lincoln Navigator jeep with 'the loudest sound system you ever heard other ride: A legitimate competition-spee- d race car made by Corvette His crib: An airy converted church on the North Side of Chicago with an indoor basketball court and a pool with the Batman logo projected on the bottom 20-fo- His other crib: A villa with asharktankandrain natatorium suburban forest-styl- e |
