R. Kelly provides some comfort in the weeks following the tragedy in Newtown, Conn. The R&B veteran has released “I Know You Are Hurting” as a tribute to the children of Newtown. The spiritual number features a children’s choir and healing words penned by Kellz, who doesn’t actually sing a verse.
“I know you’re hurting/ I hear you crying, but come tomorrow, there’s a place you can go/ Find the blue skies/ Hear the choir sing/ Feel the power of a miracle,” sings the choir.
There is no shortage of star power on T.I.’s album Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head. In addition to André 3000, Pink, and Lil Wayne, the King holds court with Meek Mill and R. Kelly on his eighth LP, due December 18.
Tip and Meek go way back. Before Rick Ross signed him to Maybach Music and he cut off his dreads, T.I. took the Philly rapper under his wing and showed him the ropes. “He was around to observe a lot and he took it and he used it to his advantage, which is extremely commendable,” says Tip, who briefly signed Meek to Grand Hustle.
They ended up recording “G Season” for Trouble Man. “‘G Season’ is basically just two cats who are cut from a different cloth, separating themselves from the suckers,” T.I. tells Rap-Up TV.
On “Can You Learn,” Tip and R. Kelly kick game to the ladies from a different perspective. “This record sounds to me like what you would expect to hear if Tupac collaborated with Nate Dogg,” he says of the DJ Monte-produced track, which was inspired by his own leading lady.
“I really feel the connection between the music and the listener, especially if the listener is a lady or a gentleman who has had a lady who stuck by him through all of the ups and downs, the peaks and valleys that life has to offer. She’s proven herself to be a rider.”
The saga continues. Five years after the last chapter, R. Kelly debuted the next installment in his hip-hopera “Trapped in the Closet” on Friday night on IFC.
The new chapters revolve around a cast of characters interconnected by sexual exploits, quarreling lovers, and a mysterious package. The gang is back including Sylvester, Rufus, Cathy, Tina, Roxanne, Randolph, Rosie the Nosy Neighbor, Reverend Mosley, Twan, and Pimp Lucius.
R. Kelly also introduced two new characters—Dr. Perry, “a therapist at Rufus and Cathy’s church guiding them through marriage counseling,” and Beeno, “a powerful underworld kingpin.”
Next up, Kellz is working on bringing the cult classic to Broadway and has 85 more chapters waiting in the wings.
Chicago was the place to be last night as hip-hop and R&B’s finest came to town to perform at WGCI’s Big Jam 2012 at Allstate Arena. The star-studded bill featured Usher, Rick Ross, Keyshia Cole, Kelly Rowland, Fat Joe, and Future.
Keyshia brought down the house with her latest singles “Enough of No Love” and “Trust and Believe,” Kelly Rowland turned up the heat with “Motivation,” and Usher shared the stage with Rick Ross for “Lemme See.”
Fresh from his “Single Ladies” tour, Chi-town’s own R. Kelly delivered a surprise set much to the delight of the hometown crowd.
R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet” series returns later this month with 20 brand new chapters. In advance of the Black Friday premiere on IFC, Pitchfork has revealed stills from the epic saga.
The plot revolves around “a cast of characters interconnected by sexual exploits, quarreling lovers, and a mysterious package,” with familiar faces including Sylvester, Rufus, Cathy, Tina, Roxanne, Randolph, Rosie the Nosy Neighbor, Reverend Mosley, Twan, and Pimp Lucius.
R. Kelly will also introduce two new characters: Dr. Perry, “a therapist at Rufus and Cathy’s church guiding them through marriage counseling,” and Beeno, “a powerful underworld kingpin.”
IFC has provided a character map to get you up to speed before the premiere on November 23 at 9 p.m. EST.
Phone tag is the name of the game as R. Kelly unveils the latest installment in his dramatic Trapped in the Closet hip-hopera.
Chapter 23 finds us back with several familiar faces. Kellz kicks back in a chair and re-introduces us to his intertwined cast of characters and their issues, opening up a book and singing along to the plot line. Rufus, Twan, Bridget, and more receive strange calls from a mysterious source and everyone is present and accounted for except Chuck.
“Where are you, Chuck?” sings Kelly at the end, foreshadowing a mystery soon to be solved.
Trapped in the Closetpremieres on IFC on Friday, November 23, at 9 p.m. “We just shot 20 chapters. They’ll be coming out the day after Thanksgiving,” Kellz told TIME. “Trapped in the Closet is forever. I’ve got like a hundred chapters to come.”
The saga continues. The next chapter in R. Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet series is just around the corner. The R&B veteran has revealed that he’s filmed 20 new chapters that will drop the day after Thanksgiving.
While you were sleeping, Ashanti quietly released her new song “That’s What We Do” to iTunes. The R&B siren, who recently started her new gig as anchor of Fuse’s daily music show “Fuse News,” duets with the one and only R. Kelly on the mid-tempo number, which is expected to appear on Ashanti’s upcoming album Braveheart. The two go back and forth fussing and fighting, but at the end of the day, no one can break their bond.
“Now I’ma look through your phone and I’ma call back that number/ I’ma curse out that ho and let her know to stay away from ya,” sings a sassy Ashanti, while the Pied Piper responds, “‘Cause that’s what we do.”
What do you think of Ashanti and Kellz’ collaboration? Sound off below.
