All About Laughs
R. Kelly has been almost universally muted, lost millions of fans, and is facing severe punishment after the decades of horrible allegations of abuse and misconduct has come to the light. Many no longer even feel comfortable hearing a song written by the singer for another artist. However, there are still those loyal and faithful supporters of the “When A Woman Loves” singer who are not afraid to speak up in his defense – some being his celebrity friends and previous collaborators. Added to the seemingly growing list of celebs who have publicly defended R. Kelly is former Disturbing Tha Peace artist, Chingy.
There have been those that have known Kelly from childhood while growing up in Chicago. Such was the case with rapper and Dish Nation personality, Da Brat, who felt the allegations were hard to believe. “I do think he needs help. I love him,” said the “Funkdafied” rapper on the 2019 Trumpet Awards red carpet. “I grew up with him. Ms. McLin – we had the same music teacher – we were around the same circles as kids.”
She’d further go on to admit that she “can’t stop listening to the music. Never will I stop listening to the music. I might not buy it no more, but it’s already in my playlist.” The rapper stated that she never saw the singer do anything wrong, but also questioned where the alleged victim’s parents were. Brat would later recant her statements after rewatching the documentary and after receiving backlash and offered a public on-air apology while on The Rickey Smiley Morning Show.
The support for the Chicago singer remains “Contagious” as his collaborator on their Isley Brothers’ helmed hit single, Chante Moore, While appearing on “Sister Circle Live”, she shared that it’s impossible to mute the singer as he continues to thrive by providing “hit after hit.”
“It’s easy to be in a position to judge when you’re not in the midst of what’s going on,” Moore said to the show’s hosts. Moore then spoke against the women that were over 21 who made the decision to get close to R. Kelly. Perhaps she forgot many of the alleged victims’ accounts, nevertheless, she shared, “If you don’t wanna be on R. Kelly’s [tour] bus, don’t get on the bus. It didn’t just start that R. Kelly had some sexual deviancies in there somewhere. We all understand that that is the truth of him.”
Singer Lil’ Mo claims that she refuses to participate in the blacklisting of the singer as he helped to make a dream of hers come true. “I refuse to allow this industry or anybody to taint his legacy. You mean to tell me that somebody is all of a sudden this monster? Don’t do that. If something happens to the head of the house, the rest of the family struggles and suffers.”
Just as well, singer K. Michelle, who was formerly mentored by R. Kelly, shared that it was hard to see the singer being crucified as her experience with him differs. “No one will ever understand how heavy it is watching the person who saved your life be crucified in front of the world for their sickness,” she tweeted.
Hopping in to perhaps “disturb the peace” is rapper Chingy, who shockingly claims that he can relate to his “Leave Wit Me” collaborator’s situation. If you recall, the “One Call Away” rapper was locked in a scandal after allegations that he had been involved with transgender model and reality star Sidney Starr
Speaking with TwoBees TV, Chingy stated, “Why I compare this false allegation with this person I didn’t know with R. Kelly and his situation is because I’ve been in a situation where somebody’s lying on me and it’s been presented—lying on me several times [with] no evidence—and it’s been presented to the public as I’ve done something. It’s been slammed into their heads that I’ve done something only in these ‘media outlets’ and only from these news sources that say, ‘Oh, Chingy did this,’” reports HotNewHipHop.com.
He added, “I relate to R. Kelly’s situation in that way. From the standpoint of the media is saying this, but there’s no evidence. I don’t know if he did it or not. I just know they’re trying to slander his name because he’s R. Kelly and they’re blowing the situation up very bid to do it. That’s the part I’m familiar with.”
He then mirrored the same sentiments that Chante Moore and Da Brat previously shared as far as the mothers of the alleged victims who brought their daughters around the singer, saying he’s had similar situations happen to him. “And also the part that they said about the mothers, the parents sold him the child…well, I’ve been in many situations where I’ve been at afterparties or gone to afterparties and mothers will come with they daughters and they little cousins, nieces or whatever,” the rapper expressed. “I’ve been on an elevator where a mother pushed their daughter on the elevator with me like, ‘You go with him.’ My security push them off and [the mother] will push them back on. So, I’ve seen that. That exists. It’s out there. But most of all…the destroying of the black male character.
Chingy then speaks on the media’s attempts at seemingly trying to destroy prominent controversial Black figures. “Right now this isn’t really about color,” the rapper said. “It’s about destroying the image and the character. Well, you can say it’s about color because it seems to be all Black men while your Harvey Weinstein’s get swept under the table. You’re hearing about that. ‘Cause his trial was this week and I think got delayed to May, but you’re not hearing about that…but you’re still hearing about Michael Jackson and R. Kelly.”
The former Love and Hip Hop: New York cast member did come forward to confess that she lied, detailing it in a VladTV interview. Interestingly enough, she also defended R. Kelly after receiving backlash for announcing she would be appearing in an upcoming music video of his. Starr writes in an Instagram post of her and the singer of how “disgusting” the amount of hate she was receiving was as she’s trying to advance her career and move “past the Chingy situation.”
“R Kelly is a talented , down to earth humble dude,” she writes. “It was a pleasure.. I have been in this industry for a very long time and I’ve worked very hard to get away from the negativity of the Chingy Situation and I’ve learned from my mistakes! So let me live people! Everyone has a past! Don’t judge them by that! Positivity is all I’m going for! I’m a openly transgender female and I don’t hide it!
