Teddy Riley is doing promotional rounds for his new memoir, “Remember The Times,” but recent comments the R&B superproducer made about R. Kelly have him backtracking.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Riley suggested that Kelly, who is currently in federal prison for sex crimes, had repented and deserved a second chance, even mentioning that he wanted to work with him.
“He’s asking for forgiveness. He has repented. What does that mean to everybody?” Riley said in the interview. He also stated he would be “bringing in investors” to help release some of the music the singer claimed he had recorded while incarcerated, and that he would consider working with him.
Following swift backlash to his comments, Riley is changing his tune. In a lengthy Instagram post, the man behind Blackstreet, Guy and one of the architects behind Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” album, apologized for his remarks.
“As a producer, I’ve always been excited about the possibilities of music and creative collaboration,” he began. “That excitement has defined my career. But I also understand that words carry weight, and I never want my passion for music to overshadow the very real pain that many people have experienced.”
He continued: “If my comments caused hurt, I sincerely apologize. That was never my intention. I take seriously the impact that abuse and misconduct have had on survivors and their families. Their experiences matter, and they deserve to be acknowledged with care and respect. The idea mentioned in the interview in correlation with a previous post I made was simply that, a creative idea discussed in passing. It is not something that will move forward. Loving music and recognizing its cultural impact does not mean condoning harmful behavior, and I want to be clear about that.”
Earlier this year, Riley shared audio of Kelly recording a cover of Chris Brown’s “It Depends,” while still hailing him as the “King of R&B.” The post has since been deleted. His memoir, “Remember The Times,” is available now.
