Singer and songwriter R. Kelly is gearing up to release to his twelfth album, Black Panties, later this year and he’s grown comfortable with his iconic status in the music industry.
He’s lent his voice and pen to other artists from several different genres, but his most recent, and arguably most surprising collaboration, has been with the pop star Lady Gaga on the hit single “Do What You Want”.
While fans of both performers may be shocked that the ARTPOP singer reached out to the Chicago native, Kelly for one wasn’t.
“She wanted to work with a legend,” R. Kelly told theGrio. “She wanted to have a record with an R&B feel, so it only made sense she wanted the king of R&B. I thought it was a good choice!”
Creating chemistry with Gaga wasn’t too difficult for R.Kelly and its evident in their duet’s success. In fact, it’s currently featured on Best Buy’s campaign for their new line Beats By Dre headphones.
Kelly believes both he and Gaga are misunderstood geniuses.
“My lyrics and subject matter can be misinterpreted at times. Just like her when it comes to her unique style,” R. Kelly told theGrio. “However, when you put two great individuals in a room together, greatness has no choice but to happen.”
Check out what else R. Kelly had to say in our exclusive Grio interview
You can check out Kyle’s musical coverage on theGrio music page, and follow Kyle on Twitter at @HarveyWins.