R. Kelly
Milwaukee Theatre Milwaukee, WI
April 28, 2006
Story and photos by Phil Bonyata
R. Kelly is one of the few entertainers who has been accused of a sex crime and not see his popularity (witness Michael Jackson) plummet. In fact he is more popular than ever. His ongoing child pornography case is yet to be resolved but his ticket and album sales continue to soar.
On his Light It Up tour R. Kelly makes no bones about it - this show is for the ladies. On hits "You Remind Me of Something" and "Bump 'N Grind" Kelly would share most of the choruses with his rabid fans. Always reminding them that his penis is a big part of the show. There were very few numbers where the R&B enigma didn't grab his crotch or bump and grind the air like a freshly released prisoner on his first trip to the nearest whorehouse. "Sex in the Kitchen" featured a strong chorus with Kelly's velvety voice running smooth like gravy. Make no mistake - most of his lyrics are about unadulterated sex without any consequences. Not necessarily the right message to be sending to the youth today. The teenagers of today seem to be experiencing a rebirth in sexual promiscuity - all you have to do is sample a few random MySpace pages to get an understanding. Without the fear of AIDS and free wheelin' sexual messages from the likes of R. Kelly - there is bound to be health and in turn cultural backlashes looming on the horizon.
His music is also rife with stereotypical characterizations and cliched lyrics. His talent seems to lie more with his sexual charisma than his musical talent.
Kelly's "thug love" persona was as strong as ever on songs like "Ignition," "Fiesta" and the smooth and mellow "Your Body's Callin'."
R. Kelly's bulb looks like it won't be dimming soon - and if convicted of child porongraphy charges it quite possibly could burn even brighter.
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