Badu under fire for R Kelly comments

SINGER-songwriter Erykah Badu received mixed reactions on Saturday after bringing up R Kelly during a concert in his hometown, Chicago.

Badu took a break from her set to talk to the crowd about Kelly and the controversy following the Lifetime documentary series, Surviving R Kelly, that spotlighted decades of abuse allegations against the R&B singer.

“I’m sending out a prayer right now, for R. I hope he sees the light of day if he’s done all those things that we’ve seen on TV and heard those ladies talk about. I hope he sees the light of day and comes forward.”

She called for “peace” and “healing for those who were hurt, because everybody involved has been hurt and victimised in some kind of way”.

Badu faced a backlash on social media following her comments, as Twitter called for her show to be “cancelled”.

@LoneArtistW said, “I’m finally understanding why so many hotep men who project toxic masculinity look to Erykah Badu cuz sis doesn’t speak for women, she speaks for them.

“She’s a false intellectual that’s hidden behind ditzy words and chakra crystals. If you not for black girls, I’m not for you.(sic)”

@Ronse325 said: “Like many fakedeep artists, she is quite stupid. And whenever she has the floor to speak at length about any given topic, she exposes her stupidity.”

While most were disappointed, some fans felt that the message had been lost in translation. “I was at this concert last night… The people writing the blogs and the people upset weren’t there and are completely taking what she said out of context,” said @ JonelleGlori.

Badu responded: “I love you… That doesn’t mean I support your poor choices... Anything else has been fabricated or taken out of context. I want healing for you and anyone you have hurt as a result of you being hurt.”