R. Kelly's Latest Song News
 

A week before his arraignment, R. Kelly has already entered a plea, an emotional plea for the support of his fans.

His latest song, "Heaven, I Need a Hug," finds the R&B singer currently facing 21 counts of child pornography-related charges (see "R. Kelly Free On Bail As Detailed Charges Emerge") reaching out to his hometown of Chicago, where the song debuted Tuesday night on WGCI-FM.

"Heaven, I Need a Hug" is the only legit track from the Loveland sessions to be released, as the rest have since been scrapped because of bootlegging (see "Kelly Vows To Clamp Down As New Bootleg Hits Streets").

The song was written in response to the current scandal, according to WGCI Program Director Elroy Smith, who said he met with Kelly and waited until he got permission from Kelly's label before airing the track.

In the mid-tempo ballad, Kelly accuses his detractors of rushing to judgement, criticizes women for dependence on men, asks the media to give him a break, and begs for a little human tenderness ("Heaven, I need a hug/ Would anyone out there like to hug a thug?" goes the chorus).

Kelly sings, "I gave 13 years of my life to this industry/ Hit song or not, I've given all of me/ You smile in my face and tell me you love me/ But then before you know the truth you're so quick to judge me."

Kelly goes on to blame his current troubles on his celebrity, a belief he also put forth in his May interview with MTV News (see "R . Kelly: In His Own Words"). He sings, "It's all because I'm famous/ You know what I'm sayin'/ I mean if I wasn't famous/ Then all this wouldn't be happening/ I'm just being real."

So far the song has been getting a good reaction in Chicago. WGCI reports that within 90 minutes of adding the song to the playlist Tuesday evening, "Heaven, I Need a Hug" became one of the station's most requested songs.

Rival Chicago station WBBM-FM has banned Kelly's music because of the charges against him. WGCI, which has been supportive of Kelly's career since his days in Public Announcement and was the focal point of a community protest (see "Kelly Settles Civil Suit, Defends Himself On Radio"), takes the position that the station won't condemn the singer unless the courts do, Smith said. However, WGCI has stopped playing some of Kelly's more innuendo-laden songs, such as "Feelin' on Yo Booty."

I heard the song yesterday and I can't lie it had me in deep thought and I was about to shed some tears. I guess you have to realize through all of the wrong and right he is still human and has human feelings. The song definitely made me feel sorry for him.

Do not get caught up...
 

All of GC, well SOME maybe, not all are laying hands on Tanzanite saying a special, special prayer for her in her hour of need

:o

I do not think I can feel sorry for him.

Well, I don't feel sorry for him about this particular situation, especially after seeing the video for myself. He can make as many teary-eyed-feel-sorry-for-me-I'm-only-human-it's-only-because-I'm-rich-and-famous-I-grew-up-in-the-church type of songs that he wants. Nothing, I mean NOTHING, is going to change the fact that he had sex and did sexual things with a lot of young girls. NOTHING can change the fact that the video is out. I think that the only thing that R. Kelly is really seeing is the fact that he was BETRAYED (by Aliyah's uncle, Sparkle, or whoever) and that he GOT CAUGHT. Now, I do understand his need for COMPASSION, but not SYMPATHY. I'm not saying that he won't make some changes in his life because of what's happened. And I'm not saying that he won't turn out to be a better man because of this. All I'm saying is that he needs to stop blaming everyone else, accept responsibility for this mess that he's gotten himself into, deal with his punishment like a man, be a good example to others, LEAVE THEM YOUNG GIRLS ALONE, and go on with his life.

There it is...PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!

Thank you, Korkscru, thank you.

As a Chicago person, I am actually INSULTED by the song. And the fact that WGCI is playing it so much. HOW DARE he say in the sonfg...women stop depending on men when you very openly handed this young CHILD money before you began to degrade her little underdeveloped body!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think that a lot of people are capitaliyzing and PROFITING off of his demise. And he is still to blind to realize it. Most of the major stations in the area stopped playing his music. WGCI was getting major competition from a new station in the area. THIER RATINGS are probably off the chain now that they have premiered the "exclusive" R Kelly song.

First you need to understand the Demographics of the station and the time slot that they played the song in. WGCI and the "Bad Boy" show's audience primarily consists of the age range of roughly12-25 and that is not an exageration. KIDS!
I am not asaying that he should be abandoned but STOP BLAMING everyone else.

Stop coming out with these big sympathy songs with these long run-on sentences about what you feel. WAKE UP! Honestly, the media did not have sex with a minor, your brothers and sister did not make you urinate on her, your "crew" did not adjust the video camera before the encounter, the industry did not have that little girl walking around dancing and urinating on the floor for your pleasure. REALLY! How long will we tolerate deviant behavior and pass it off as entertainment???????????? (Queer as Folk UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

1. Rev. Meeks is probably a good man, but it just LOOKS bad to be all up in the media trying to excuse R. Kelly.

2. Reports on the radio say that this tape has been circling around the music community for a LONG TIME. As in most of them had seen it! It only got sent in because he messed with the wrong one. All those hypocritical artists backing away from Kelly NOW make me sick, especially because I am sure many of them do the same stuff, and just don't get caught.

3. Do you know what they do to child molesters in jail? Believe me, NO ONE wants to be known as a molester. Even murderers feel justified in looking down on them.....

I have yet to hear the song but I've heard many people say that it was a good song.

As far as R. Kelly blaming others for his own wrong doings, I disagree. However, I do believe that the media has helped in perpetuating the situation with interviews and constant media coverage. "R. Kelly was singing to some kids, R. Kelly is in Florida." Quite frankly I don't think its any of our business. This has allowed us as human beings to pass judgement on someone when we don't have a heaven or hell to put them in. Yes are R. Kelly is a freak and he's had sex with minors. I've said it before, I really don't believe these girls were forced to do anything they didn't want to do. Yes he's the "Adult" but we all make mistakes. Everybody's so concerned with R. Kelly that they don't recognize the wrong doings of those hot a$$ girls or their parents for not teaching them to stay away from men almost twice their age.

R. Kelly is going to get his, whether it be from our legal system or St. Peter when he reaches the heavenly gates. He doesn't need all the extra B.S. Although I haven't heard the song, I surmise from previous post that his point was just that. He doesn't need all the extra B.S.

What?????

ok, i know it's almost 2am and my eyes are blurry, but i'm having a hard time understanding your statements. it's almost like you're simultaneously defending and comdemnig him.

i first heard the song about 10 minutes ago. i personally didn't get any inspiration out of it. instead, it's almost as if he's taking thinly veiled "shots" at others, i.e. the media and others(w/out mentioning specific names).

Now Candygirl, you KNOW we've discussed this mess before. I CLEARLY understand what you're saying. BUT... this mess is R. KELLY'S doing...NO ONE ELSE'S. The MEDIA is to blame for PERPETUATING the situation???? NO, NO, NO, I don't think so. R. KELLY is to blame for PERPETUATING the situation by TAPING HIMSELF WITH THESE GIRLS. What kind of ATTENTION did you think that he was going to get once that tape came out??? He's rich, famous, young, and African-American. But even more so, he has an ENOROMOUS amount of INFLUENCE on the young people (male and female) in the African-American community. R. KELLY has SERIOUSLY ABUSED his fame, fortune, and influence and it's now caught up with him.

Now as far as these young girls go...yeah, we all know that there are PLENTY of young, eager, over-developed, "fast" young girls out there who would READILY sleep with men who are rich, famous, and/or much older than them. THAT'S a given. But...let's put it like this...does that EXCUSE his behavior. You're d*mn right...HE is the ADULT. Where was his MORAL CONVICTION? It's not like R. Kelly DIDN'T KNOW that he was doing wrong. This man KNEW. It's the same for anyone who robs a bank... when they do it, they ALREADY know that it's wrong. And when they get caught, WHO can they blame except THEMSELVES? Yes, I agree that WE ALL make mistakes. But just because we REALIZE that our mistakes are mistakes does not mean that we won't be held accountable or punished for them. Remember I said in a previous post that I understand his need for COMPASSION, but not SYMPATHY. He's not retarded. He's not from another country. He's not stupid. And, get this, he wasn't ignorant to the facts. HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING. And I'll say it again...I think that R. Kelly is upset with the fact that he was BETRAYED and that he GOT CAUGHT. Now if there was NO video, then he probably wouldn't have written this "feel-sorry-for-me" song that he now has out. Heck, if there was NO video, then I probably would be inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. But let's face it. Let's call a spade a spade. There IS a video (with R. KELLY DEFINITELY on it). HE was the dummy to RECORD his "play sessions" with these girls. He can't blame his boys, the media, the fact that he's rich and famous, Sparkle, Aliyah's uncle, the African-American community, the "White" man, or ANYONE else for THAT. HE DID THAT. And you're right. He may NOT need the extra B.S.. But that came along with the territory. He shouldn't have messed with, let alone TAPE himself with, those young girls. On top of that he continues to LIE about it when he KNOWS that almost the whole WORLD knows that it IS him on that tape.

COME ON NOW CANDYGIRL!!! Let's see this situation for what it REALLY and TRULY IS!!!!! What R. Kelly has done is VERY, VERY SERIOUS!!! Let's stop making excuses for him, forgive him, and go on.

Again, thank you Korkscru. The ultimate responsibilty belongs to the adult men, and in this case, it was R Kelly. "Fastness" just does not cut it as an excuse.

You all make it seem like I'm justifying the man's actions. I understand that this a very serious matter and R. Kelly is definitely a guilty party. I'm by know means making excuses. I have forgiven him and there no way to move on because we have constant media coverage of his demise.

I agree with you, Candygirl about the barrage of news, but I think the publicity is deserved. I think the issue is not so much forgiveness, as much as responsibilty. Much as we want to forgive, we have an accused felon, who, in the face of pretty damning evidence, continues to stutter about his innocence. A family man who seemingly destroys girls he is old enough to father. As I have said before, our women have enough to be worried about without being molested by our own. Thus, I guess that is why there are people less willingly to be so quick with forgiveness. We are yet to see a sincerity on his part. What can you say about his stunt with the kindergarten kids? Now, that performance, goaded on by Pastor Meeks, was self-serving and aimed at publicity.
He single-handedly built this edifice to his own shame, and thus has to live with it. In some ways, us forgiving him or not is pointless. What I refuse to believe is that he was the victim, and sometimes, I have heard our women imply that. That is not fair to our children. If we made allowances for every man who has been "approached" by a "fast" child, we'd have serious problems with figuring out who is leading who in this society.