It's been just over a year since R. Kelly was accused of holding multiple young women in an abusive "cult." The explosive report not only dragged his past scandals and allegations back into the spotlight, but prompted multiple women to come forward to speak about alleged mental and physical abuse from the singer. Now, Kelly has addressed the allegations on record — literally.
Kelly has shared a new 19-minute song titled "I Admit," which finds him conceding that he "done made some mistakes" in life while vehemently denying allegations of mental and physical abuse, as well as sexual misconduct.
He sings, "How they gon' say I don't respect these women, when all I've done is represent (30 years) / Take my career and turn it upside down, 'cause you mad I've got some girlfriends (girlfriends)."
Kelly then sings about the "older and younger [ladies]" he calls his girlfriends, while also mentioning the Time's Up-led campaign to #MuteRKelly:
I admit I fuck with all the ladies, that's both older and young ladies (ladies, yeah) / But tell me how they call it pedophile because that shit is crazy (crazy) / You may have your opinions, entitled to your opinions (opinions) / But really am I supposed to go to jail or lose my career because of your opinion / Yeah, go ahead and stone me, point your finger at me (stone me, yeah, yeah) / Turn the world against me, but only god can mute me (against me, mute me)
Kelly also dedicates some lines to allegations from the parents of Jocelyn Savage, who claim that Kelly cut off all communications between them and their daughter after the two started dating in 2016. Savage told TMZ that she had "never been held hostage or anything of that nature."
Kelly sings:
Said I'm abusing these women, what the fuck that's some absurd shit (what?) / They're brainwashed, really? (really) / Kidnapped, really? (really) / Can't eat, really? (really) / Real talk, that shit sound silly (yeah) / And if you really, really wanna know (know) / Her father dropped her off at my show (show) / And told this boy to put her on stage (yeah)/ I admit that she was over age (age) / I admit that I was feelin' her and I admit that she was feelin' me (she was feelin' me) / I admit that that's the shit that comes with / being a celebrity (celebrity) / I ain't chasing these ladies, no (no, no) / These ladies are chasing me, yeah (chasing me)
Now I'm only saying all this shit, 'cause how they tryna play me, yeah (yeah, oh) / I admit that this is no disrespect to the parents (no disrespect) / But this is my advice to you 'cause I'm also a parent (parent) / Don't push your daughter in my face, and tell me that it's okay (my face, okay) / 'Cause your agenda is to get paid, and get mad when it don't go your way (yeah, go way)
Kelly also has words for Jim DeRogatis, whose body of reporting on the singer includes last year's BuzzFeed exposé. To the journalist, Kelly sings:
To Jim DeRogatis, whatever your name is (whatever your name is) / You been tryna destroy me for 25 whole years (25 whole years, yeah) / Writin' the same stories over and over against (stories, stories, yeah) / Off my name, you done went and made yourself a career (a whole career) / But guess what? I pray for you and family, and all my other enemies (prayed for you, enemies) / I'm not gonna let y'all steal my joy, I'm just gon' keep on doing me (my joy, doing me).
Outside the abuse allegations, Kelly also admits to being illiterate ("I admit I can't spell for shit...I admit that I couldn't read the teleprompter when the Grammy's asked me to present") and broke ("Said I had dyslexia, couldn't read all them contracts, yeah / Now the truth in this message, is I'm a broke ass legend").
Kelly also references his own history of being abused, singing, "From a child to the age 14, yeah / While I laid asleep, took my virginity (sleep, gini') / So scared to say something, so I just put the blame on me."
Hear "I Admit" for yourself down below.
Kelly has shared a new 19-minute song titled "I Admit," which finds him conceding that he "done made some mistakes" in life while vehemently denying allegations of mental and physical abuse, as well as sexual misconduct.
He sings, "How they gon' say I don't respect these women, when all I've done is represent (30 years) / Take my career and turn it upside down, 'cause you mad I've got some girlfriends (girlfriends)."
Kelly then sings about the "older and younger [ladies]" he calls his girlfriends, while also mentioning the Time's Up-led campaign to #MuteRKelly:
I admit I fuck with all the ladies, that's both older and young ladies (ladies, yeah) / But tell me how they call it pedophile because that shit is crazy (crazy) / You may have your opinions, entitled to your opinions (opinions) / But really am I supposed to go to jail or lose my career because of your opinion / Yeah, go ahead and stone me, point your finger at me (stone me, yeah, yeah) / Turn the world against me, but only god can mute me (against me, mute me)
Kelly also dedicates some lines to allegations from the parents of Jocelyn Savage, who claim that Kelly cut off all communications between them and their daughter after the two started dating in 2016. Savage told TMZ that she had "never been held hostage or anything of that nature."
Kelly sings:
Said I'm abusing these women, what the fuck that's some absurd shit (what?) / They're brainwashed, really? (really) / Kidnapped, really? (really) / Can't eat, really? (really) / Real talk, that shit sound silly (yeah) / And if you really, really wanna know (know) / Her father dropped her off at my show (show) / And told this boy to put her on stage (yeah)/ I admit that she was over age (age) / I admit that I was feelin' her and I admit that she was feelin' me (she was feelin' me) / I admit that that's the shit that comes with / being a celebrity (celebrity) / I ain't chasing these ladies, no (no, no) / These ladies are chasing me, yeah (chasing me)
Now I'm only saying all this shit, 'cause how they tryna play me, yeah (yeah, oh) / I admit that this is no disrespect to the parents (no disrespect) / But this is my advice to you 'cause I'm also a parent (parent) / Don't push your daughter in my face, and tell me that it's okay (my face, okay) / 'Cause your agenda is to get paid, and get mad when it don't go your way (yeah, go way)
Kelly also has words for Jim DeRogatis, whose body of reporting on the singer includes last year's BuzzFeed exposé. To the journalist, Kelly sings:
To Jim DeRogatis, whatever your name is (whatever your name is) / You been tryna destroy me for 25 whole years (25 whole years, yeah) / Writin' the same stories over and over against (stories, stories, yeah) / Off my name, you done went and made yourself a career (a whole career) / But guess what? I pray for you and family, and all my other enemies (prayed for you, enemies) / I'm not gonna let y'all steal my joy, I'm just gon' keep on doing me (my joy, doing me).
Outside the abuse allegations, Kelly also admits to being illiterate ("I admit I can't spell for shit...I admit that I couldn't read the teleprompter when the Grammy's asked me to present") and broke ("Said I had dyslexia, couldn't read all them contracts, yeah / Now the truth in this message, is I'm a broke ass legend").
Kelly also references his own history of being abused, singing, "From a child to the age 14, yeah / While I laid asleep, took my virginity (sleep, gini') / So scared to say something, so I just put the blame on me."
Hear "I Admit" for yourself down below.