R. Kelly 'Working on Getting Out' of Prison

As he serves decades in prison for sexual abuse, R. Kelly says he spends his days singing, writing new music, and working on a strategy for his release.

The Grammy-winning singer called in to the March 2 episode of the “Inmate Tea with A&P” podcast, for a rare interview about his life behind bars after he was convicted on sex trafficking charges.

During the interview, Kelly sang snippets of his 1998 song “When a Woman’s Fed Up” and his 2003 hit “Step in the Name of Love.”

He said his love for music is still alive and provided an update on his music career.

“Singing is a beautiful disease that’s uncurable … I’m always singing, always writing,” he said.

The R&B artist also claimed he’d written about “25 albums” since he was sent to prison. But his main focus is his legal battle.

“Right now I’m just working on getting out, getting back to what it is God gave me my talent to do,” Kelly said. “I’m using patience as a tactic right now.”

Born Robert Sylvester Kelly, the singer-songwriter was found guilty by a federal jury in Chicago in September 2022, on three counts of child pornography and three counts of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.

A judge later sentenced him to 20 years in prison, in addition to a previous 30-year sentence handed down in June 2022 in Brooklyn, New York, on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges.

The imprisoned R&B singer is serving the two sentences simultaneously.

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from the singer, who is currently serving time in a federal prison in Illinois.

For decades, the singer was followed by accusations of sexual abuse and child molestation.

The allegations received renewed attention during Lifetime’s 2019 docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, its follow-up Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning, and the final installment, Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter.

The R. Kelly interview is below: