Embattled R&B star R Kelly has been filmed telling a room full of people it is “too late” for his musical influence to be curtailed.
The video was originally uploaded to Facebook on 17 May, as the singer faced fresh allegations of sexual misconduct.
“I’m handcuffed by my destiny,” he says, clutching a cigar. “They should’ve did this [expletive] 30 years ago.
“It’s too late. The music has been injected into the world.”
R Kelly has been dogged for years by allegations of sexual abuse; with claims of underage sex, and allegations that he trapped several women in a “sex cult” – all of which he denies.
The star, whose hits include I Believe I Can Fly and The World’s Greatest, has always denied misconduct; but his reputation and business dealings have taken a hit in recent weeks after the rise of a #MuteRKelly campaign.
Spotify removed his music from its playlists on 10 May (although his music is still available on the platform). The following day, Apple Music announced it had taken similar steps.
In the Facebook video, which was originally reported by The Grio, Kelly appears to address the campaign, saying: “I got a million [people] hating me and 40 billion [people] loving me.”
He goes on to propose a toast to all the “strong” men in the room.
“[People] like you is why I still continue to do what I do, because I have a basketball mentality,” he says. “As long as I’ve got the ball, the world is on defence.”
Source: BBC news
