R Kelly: The Story
Robert Sylvester Kelly was born on January 8, 1967, in Chicago as one of the four children to a single mother. He spent his childhood in the Ida B. Wells Homes housing project and started singing in the local church at the age of eight. When Kelly enrolled in Kenwood Academy, he started playing for the basketball team, but his music teacher encouraged him to pursue singing, as he showed great talent. R Kelly’s net worth began to grow when he formed the MGM group with his friends. After releasing their first single ‘Why You Wanna Play Me’ the group disbanded. However, Kelly got his big break and landed a recording deal with Jive Records.
After that, he teamed up with Public Announcement as his backup group and released the album ‘Born into the 90s.’ It spawned the number one hit ‘Honey Love’ and ‘Slow Dance (Hey Mr. DJ).’ Continuing his meteoric rise to the top, R Kelly released his first solo album ’12 Play’, scoring his first number one single ‘Bump N’ Grind.’ The album topped the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and eventually went six times platinum.
A man of many talents
The rapper started writing and producing for other artists, most notably for Michael Jackson’s ‘You Are Not Alone.’ Kelly continued his great success releasing the eponymous album, which showed a departure from his sexually charged lyrics. The album topped the Billboard 200 and generated three platinum hits. After success with this album, R Kelly went on to receive three Grammys for ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ from the Michael Jordan’s movie Space Jam soundtrack.
Before releasing his fourth album, Kelly signed a two-year contract with Atlantic City, New Jersey Seagulls, of the United States Basketball League. In 1998, he released a new album simply named ‘R.’ This album was a mix of street rap, blues, and pop, and his best-selling one to date. His fifth album ‘TP-2.com’ came in the late 2000 and reached the number one spot on the Billboard 200. In the same year, the rapper received a Grammy for the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for his collaboration with P Diddy on ‘Satisfy You.’
The next significant milestone in his career came in 2001 when the joint album by R. Kelly and Jay-Z saw the light of the day. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. Receiving critical praise, the album sold 285,000 copies in its opening week. Its follow up, ‘Unfinished Business’ was equally successful but resulted in a beef between the two artists.
Kelly’s next album, ‘Chocolate Factory’ achieved huge international success and produced the chart-topping singles ‘Snake’, ‘Ignition’ and ‘Step in the Name of Love.’ During this period, R Kelly was on a tear, and there were no signs of him slowing down. In a short time frame, the rapper released a two-disc set, ‘Happy People/U Saved Me’ that featured feel-good songs and gospel tracks, as well as his seventh album, ‘TP.3 Reloaded.’
More albums & collaborations
Kelly collaborated with Usher, T.I., T-Pain, Ludacris, and Snoop Dogg on his eighth album ‘Double Up.’ Meanwhile, he featured on Mariah Carey ‘Touch My Body’, Beyonce ‘If I Were a Boy’, and Kanye West ‘Love Lockdown’ remixes. He also released the single ‘I Believe’ inspired by Obama.
Kelly’s very first mixtape, ‘The Demo Tape (Gangsta Grillz)’ came in 2009, followed by albums ‘Untitled’, ‘Epic’, and ‘Love Letter.’ Having scored 35 top 10 hits and 11 number one tracks on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, in 2011 R Kelly received the title of the number one R&B artist of the last 25 years.
Albums ‘Write Me Back’, ‘Black Panties’, ‘The Buffet’, and the holiday-themed ’12 Nights of Christmas’ were released between 2012 – 2016. Meanwhile, the rapper collaborated with Lady Gaga, Birdman, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Bruno Mars, Pharrell Williams, and Justin Bieber.
As for his earnings, R Kelly net worth in 2016 continued to grow and now is estimated to be $150 million. That number would surely be larger if he avoided legal problems. The rapper paid tens of millions of dollars to settle lawsuits made by women he allegedly abused. In 2017 R Kelly’s net worth and popularity noted a slow down due to new abuse allegations. While we know how much is R Kelly worth at the moment, it’s uncertain whether his fortune will continue to rise.
R Kelly Net Worth & Spending Habits
Having discovered how much is R Kelly’s worth, it’s safe to say that a significant portion of riches went on R Kelly’s cars. Maybach 62S, LF-LC Lexus, CL500 Mercedes, Mercedes E Class, and a custom-made Zoragy Sylvester are just some of the many R Kelly’s luxury cars.
Two rental properties in the John Creek neighborhood served as R Kelly’s house. Recently, pictures inside R Kelly’s house emerged, as the rapper was burglarized. After this incident, he is facing eviction due to unpaid rent. This is not the first time for Kelly to have troubles with the IRS – he suffered a foreclosure lawsuit back in 2011 on his Olympia Fields mansion in Chicago.
The rapper-producer may not be the best friend to the IRS, but he sure is to the community. Kelly has been supporting numerous charities and causes ranging from Special Olympics to African charities. One of his most remarkable philanthropic deeds is his donation of $50,000 to the Texas Military Family Foundation.
R Kelly Net Worth: CelebJury Ruling
With 12 solo albums and numerous accolades behind his name, Kelly has redefined the hip-hop, proving that he is one of the greatest rappers of the 90s. R Kelly’s net worth has come a long way up, but he can lose a significant portion of it because controversy once again overshadows his fame. Make sure to check back at CelebJury to stay up to date with the latest celebrity net worth news.
