Timbaland Says R. Kelly Is Still The King Of R&B: ‘Don’t Mix Music With The Person’

Timbaland Says R. Kelly Is Still The King Of R&B

Legendary producer Timbaland is facing backlash after he proclaimed R. Kelly as the King of R&B despite the singer being a convicted sex offender.

“R. Kelly’s the King of R&B. We all know that, man,” the producer said on the Club Shay Shay podcast.

“And it’s funny, I’m glad you talk about that, because I be having talks — everybody jump when you say R. Kelly. I’m like, ‘So we just gonna ignore his music that he gave us, that we all jam to?’ No, we can’t do that. His art is his art, I ain’t gonna bash the man’s art.”

.@Timbaland on R. Kelly:

“He’s the King of R&B. His art is his art, and I’m not going to bash his art. As a culture we need to separate it, don’t mix music with the person.”

📺: https://t.co/rpbrqizbmC pic.twitter.com/XLF2cMZ9RN

— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) May 18, 2023

He continued: “Don’t mix music up with personal. Music is a feeling, it stands alone. Music is something that don’t have no race, it brings people together. It don’t have no drama with it. It is a place of enjoyment, a feeling, so don’t bring drama into music. Leave that outside.”

Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2022 on nine counts for the “sexual exploitation of children” and “transportation of women and girls in interstate commerce to engage in illegal sexual activity,” as well as other charges.

The disgraced star was convicted of three child pornography charges and three counts of child enticement in Chicago last year.

“I agree he is the king of RB….his legal issues aint got nothing to do with the fire music he made!” someone commented. “His legal issues overshadow all that stupid music. But people like you still wanna shuffle and give him a pass for it,” another person disagree.