Despite being incarcerated, R. Kelly has made his mark on the viral “Residuals” challenge, adding his voice to the trend created by R&B artist Tank. The challenge, which encourages artists to remix Chris Brown’s 2023 hit “Residuals,” has attracted numerous stars like Mario, Jacob Latimore, and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men. However, a surprising late addition to the mix has been the disgraced singer himself, who reimagined the track while behind bars.
Released by producer Rodney East, the audio captures Kelly’s prison call, where he condemns his imprisonment and the financial overseers managing his earnings. “They’re still selling my music, making all this money / Don’t even send shit to my folks for commissary,” Kelly raps, clearly upset about the financial arrangements despite his incarceration. “Though I’m in this place, I know I don’t deserve this,” he continues, questioning the fate of his wealth, “Who’s getting all my checks? Where is my money at?”
Kelly also reflects on the impact of his legacy: “Who put the R in R&B? / I swear that it’s killing me in my cell, making me holler, dammit.” East, in an Instagram post, confirmed that the voice in the remix is unmistakably R. Kelly’s, clarifying, “Big Bro Decided 2 Pull up On The Challenge. No AI, The Real Deal… IYKYK. Voice Is Definitely Missed Out Here.” The remix received widespread praise from industry veterans such as SWV’s LeLee Lyons, Jozzy, L.T. Hutton, and Tyrese, who expressed their admiration for Kelly’s contribution: “How many times can I hit this KING BUTTON [crown emojis] [goat emojis] [fire emojis].”
In addition to his unexpected participation in the challenge, Kelly recently spoke about his ongoing legal struggles and creative endeavors during an interview on the “Inmate Tea with A&P” podcast. Despite serving time for sex-related offenses, Kelly shared that he has written an impressive 25 albums while behind bars. “I’m always singing, I’m always writing,” he explained. “I’ve written like 25 albums since I’ve been in here.”
Kelly also insisted that his legal battle is far from over. Despite multiple rejections of his appeals, he remains optimistic, stating, “I’m working on getting out. I’m using patience as a tactic.” His lawyer, Jean Bonjean, echoed this sentiment, telling TMZ, “Our appeals process has not come to an end. We will continue to fight for justice and for his freedom.” R. Kelly is currently scheduled for release on December 21, 2045, when he will be 78 years old, according to Bureau of Prisons documentation.
