‘I Admit’: R. Kelly responds to sexual abuse allegations in 19-minute clapback song
When it comes to his treatment of women, R. Kelly has a lot of explaining to do, and this week he finally chose to address the decades of allegations against him.
Monday morning, Kelly broke his silence and posted a preview of a 19-minute track on Instagram Live. The song, titled, ‘I Admit’ address the multiple accusations of sexual misconduct against him in a tone that is decidedly defensive.
In the track, the controversial producer sings his own praises about all the obstacles he had to overcame to obtain his success, and accuses his jealous critics of maliciously attempting destroy his career.
“I done made some mistakes” he admits while adamently denying the heinous accusations against him. “How they gon’ say I don’t respect these women, when all I’ve done is represent / Take my career and turn it upside down, ’cause you mad I’ve got some girlfriends.”
“I admit I f— with all the ladies, that’s both older and young ladies/ But tell me how they call it pedophile, because that sh– is crazy,” he continues, acting as if his penchant for much younger, and allegedly underaged, women is normal.
Overall he paints his transgressions (in graphic terms) as the actions of a healthy red blooded man who likes sex with consenting adults, in a bid to reframe the more scathing public narrative that he’s a pedophile and serial sex offender who has avoided justice due to his celebrity.
“Went and f—ed a n—a’s b—h/ I admit, I admit that I did/ I f—ed my girlfriend’s best friend/ Yeah I tapped that in the back of my Benz/ I admit I’m sorry for my sins.”
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— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) July 23, 2018
“You may have your opinions, entitled to your 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/ Turn the world against me, but only god can mute me,” he continues.
This sentiment is particularly notable because it seems like a more eloquent reiteration of a video that surfaced a few months ago of him saying it’s “too late” for the #MeToo movement to come after him because his music has been weaved into the fabric of our culture for 30 years.
As for those pesky sex cult and abuse allegations that reignited public backlash against Kelly on social media, and inspired Spotify to pull his music from their playlists as apart of their hateful conduct policy, he addressed those as well.
“Said I’m abusing these women, what the f— that’s some absurd sh–/ They’re brainwashed, really?/ Kidnapped, really?/ Can’t eat, really?/ Real talk, that sh– sound silly.”
“Robert Kelly is a pedophile and abused of women.
R Kelly is a gifted artist.”
You can’t make that distinction between art and artist. R Kelly SINGS about abusing underage girls. The money he makes from concerts & album sales has insulated him from repercussions. FOR DECADES.
— April (@ReignOfApril) July 23, 2018
The parents of Jocelyn Savage, accused the singer of kidnapping their daughter, but in the song he says they introduced her to him and he was simply enjoying the perks of his fame by engaging with her. “And if you really, really wanna know/ Her father dropped her off at my show/ And told this boy to put her on stage/ I admit that she was over age/ I admit that I was feelin’ her and I admit that she was feelin’ me/ I admit that that’s the sh– that comes with/ being a celebrity/ I ain’t chasing these ladies/ These ladies are chasing me, yeah.”
Kelly also acknowledges he was sexually abused as a teen: “Now, I admit a family member touched me/ From a child to the age 14/ While I laid asleep, took my virginity.
There is A LOT going on in this song and with long vents about everything from his illiteracy to his relationship with Aaliyah. But one verse seems to sum up why he decided to release this after hiding behind his lawyers for so long.
“I never thought it would come to this, to be the most disrespected artist/ So I had to write a song about this, ’cause they always take my words and twist it/
Believe me, its hard to admit all this, but I’m in my feelings about this sh–/ But I had to set the f—in’ record straight.”
Even though it probably pains him to admit, with all his success and money, it appears the one thing that R. Kelly is worried about the most is his legacy.
But hopefully music fans can see R. Kelly for the monster he truly is.
Check out the track for yourself, below.
