Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
R. Kelly stages racy show amid protests
With demonstrators standing outside his concert protesting his presence, R. Kelly summoned his passionate fans to carry him through what had been a difficult week.
Interspersing references to God with his suggestive lyrics and salty language, Kelly stirred up a crowd in Greensboro, N.C., on Friday to buoy him as he encountered long-standing allegations of mistreatment of women and an effort to get coliseum officials to cancel the concert.
“Sometimes, some storms ain’t gonna stop,” Kelly told the audience. “As long as my fans are calling for me, I’m gonna be on that stage, singing these songs.”
Women’s groups had urged the Greensboro Coliseum to cancel, days after Kelly was disinvited from a concert in Chicago. Spotify announced it would no longer stream his music in its curated playlists.
Although it didn’t announce the move, Apple’s music-streaming service also has stopped promoting Kelly’s music on some of the featured playlists that it shows its 40 million subscribers. Like Spotify, Apple Music still carries an extensive selection of Kelly’s songs in its library.
Kelly took the stage Friday, inviting some audience members to join him. Stage hands also passed out T-shirts that read “Turn Up R. Kelly.” “I’ve been through a lot of (expletive)” this week, he said.