R. Kelly Releases Surprise Album From Prison, Which Is Immediately Pulled
It’s only been a few months since R. Kelly faced the full weight of the justice system, was found guilty of sex trafficking and was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for his crimes, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping the disgraced singer from putting out an album. That’s right, even locking him behind bars won’t stop R. Kelly from writing, recording, and producing as the convicted sex offender found a way to get his latest record, I Admit It, onto music platforms. Luckily for us, even if R. Kelly still has folks backing him from his prison cell and helping him sneak his music out of jail, Spotify and iTunes are having none of that and immediately pulled the latest tracks.
We’re applauding the efforts put forth by the streaming services who made several quick decisions to prevent R. Kelly from sharing new songs. One of the biggest mysteries behind the release, beyond how he was able to put it all together in the first place, is that somehow the copyright line still reads “Legacy Recordings,” noting Sony Music’s catalog division. According to Variety, Sony Music reps are saying that they never gave the “Ignition” singer rights to release any other music, making I Admit It an unofficial release.
If you’re wondering if the singer comes clean and makes statements surrounding the crimes he was convicted of in each song on I Admit It, think again. It’s more of the same sounds coming from the R&B performer, with the title track including lyrics like “I admit that I dropped out of school” and “I admit that I don’t go to church,” further rubbing salt in the wounds of his victims. If you’re a true crime fan, the sentiment of R. Kelly’s album is coming off a lot like O.J. Simpson’s book, If I Did It, which he wrote around a decade after being acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
It’s been a major year for celebrities in the headlines for a slew of alleged crimes with R. Kelly’s name being up there alongside Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Danny Masterson, Kevin Spacey, and Bill Cosby. While Kelly’s day in court may have come and gone, with the singer ending up behind bars and found guilty, many of the other cases are still carrying on. Kevin Spacey was ultimately acquitted of his sexual assault charges, while Bill Cosby was also found not guilty, but will be heading back to the courthouse sometime soon as a new slew of allegations have come out against The Cosby Show actor.
Like R. Kelly, That ‘70s Show star Danny Masterson was at the center of a sexual assault trial in Los Angeles over the last several weeks that recently ended in the judge declaring a mistrial. Meanwhile, there’s the ongoing court battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard that was first carried out last spring in Fairfax, Virginia, with the jury swaying in favor of Depp. Months down the line, both parties are unhappy with the way the verdict played out with Depp believing he shouldn’t owe Heard any money and Heard believing that the trial was a sham. Both have filed appeals.
