Latest news with #withA&P
Express Tribune
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
R Kelly birthday serenade video from prison sparks disbelief and debate on social media
A viral video has stirred a wave of online reactions after reportedly showing R&B artist R. Kelly singing 'Happy Birthday' to a woman over the phone from prison. Shared on April 25 via X (formerly Twitter), the clip features the woman on speakerphone, seemingly serenaded by Kelly's voice, sparking disbelief and mixed emotions from viewers. Currently serving a 30-year sentence for sex trafficking and racketeering, the 58-year-old singer has remained musically active during his incarceration at FCI Butner Medium I in North Carolina. In January, Kelly appeared on the Inmate Tea with A&P podcast, where he claimed to have written 25 new albums in prison and sang parts of his older hits. Despite his legal status, the video reignited interest in Kelly's talent, with some users expressing astonishment and nostalgia, while others criticized the attention he continues to receive. 'Y'all got to be kidding me,' one X user exclaimed in disbelief. Others questioned how Kelly still has the platform to connect with fans, even jokingly asking how much it would cost for a prison performance. The renewed attention has also revived previous misinformation. A viral hoax in early April 2025 claimed he had been pardoned by former President Trump. The claim was swiftly debunked by a White House spokesperson and confirmed false by Check Your Fact. In 2024, Kelly contributed vocals to Chris Brown's track 'Residuals,' which was verified as genuine and not AI-generated. His longtime collaborator Rodney East confirmed the remix's authenticity via Instagram. Kelly's appeal for early release was denied last month, per Reuters, and he remains committed to creating music while serving concurrent 30- and 20-year sentences. Despite speculation and occasional misinformation, there is no indication of an early release.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
R Kelly reveals he's written 25 new albums in jail
R Kelly has revealed he's written 25 albums and has continued singing and making music while in prison. The singer recently appeared on an episode of the Inmate Tea with A&P podcast, where he was asked if he'd continued his music practice while incarcerated. "Well, singing is a beautiful disease that's incurable," Kelly answered. "That's not gonna happen, stopping singing. I don't care where I'm at. I'm always singing, I'm always writing. I've written, like, 25 albums since I been in here, and right now I'm just working on getting out. I'm using patience as a tactic right now." During the episode, he sang his tracks When a Woman's Fed Up and Step in the Name of Love. Kelly is serving 31 years in prison. The disgraced singer was found guilty of six of 13 counts of owning and producing child pornography and enticing a minor back in September 2022. He was also found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking in 2021. In October 2024, his daughter Buku Abi came forward about the alleged sexual abuse she suffered during her childhood. "I didn't know that even if he was a bad person, that he would do something to me. I was too scared to tell anybody," she shared. "I was too scared to tell my mom." In a statement to People, Kelly's attorney reported that Kelly "vehemently denies" the allegations.
