Multi-platinum producer Timbaland recently shared that R. Kelly is still the R&B G.O.A.T., despite being convicted of sex-trafficking women.
“R. Kelly’s the king of R&B. We all know that, man,” the award-winning music producer said during a recent appearance on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast while discussing with host Shannon Sharpe whether it’s possible to separate Kelly’s art from his crimes.
In June 2022, Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a New York Court after being found guilty on nine counts of racketeering and sex-trafficking charges related to Kelly’s decades-long practice of grooming women and girls for illegal sex.
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In February of this year, the 56-year-old was then sentenced by a Chicago court to an additional 20 years in prison after being found guilty of producing child pornography and abusing minors.
“Everybody jump when you say R. Kelly,” Timbaland said. “I’m like, so we just gonna ignore his music that he gave us, that we all jam to?”
“No, we can’t do that. His art is his art, I ain’t gonna bash the man’s art,” he added. “Don’t mix music up with personal. Music is a feeling, it stands alone. Music is something that don’t have no race, it brings people together. It don’t have no drama with it. It is a place of enjoyment; a feeling, so don’t bring drama into music. Leave that outside.”
Thoughts?