Ask Ed & Sugar: R Kelly Reexamined

30 September 2008 No Comment

So if R Kelly comes out with a new CD, should I not buy it because of the case?
Rhonda, Sugarland, TX

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Sugar’s Take

Dearest Rhonda,

I can’t tell you what to listen to, especially since I am facing the same moral dilemma myself. They say genius borders insanity. R Kelly can drop a tune on ya, but peeing on a young girl is insane. What’s even more insane is the girl willingly awaiting the yellow splash. That brother needs help…so does the girl and her family. I guess every 12 or 13 years a Black man gets off for some crazy madness. It would be a big deal to let decreased record sales show him how we feel about the madness, that’s just wishful thinking. Listen to whatever you want, just say a lil prayer for the brother…at least that’s what I’m gon’ do. {/column1}

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Ed’s Take

Peace Sista Rhonda,

Nothing says internal confliction like the case of R. Kelly. Personally, when I hear his music, I don’t know whether to step in the name of love or call for an exorcism. Most importantly, you have to separate Brother Kelly’s genius as an artist from his personal demons. Marvin Gaye, James Brown, and even Miles Davis all had personal issues that plagued them; yet the art they produced transcended their personal burdens. And while R. Kelly is one the greatest artist of all generations, we as a community can ill afford to ignore the issues of sexual assault, misogyny, and violence that plague our community. He needs our tough love, a hug, and regular visits to a counselor. Like Sugar, I feel you should listen to whatever you want….but, let your heart, gut, and personal code ethics dictate your decision.

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Got a question; email us at askedandsugar@afrostoshelltoes.com.

About Sugar Between catching the uptown train to conduct “we luv the kids” writing workshops to dancing rumba on the lower eastside, Sugar Johnson flaunts his creative freedom in various mediums. The actor, vocalist, and educator have not only shared the stage with prolific artists such as The Last Poets, M-1 of Dead Prez, Jessica Care Moore, and Spike Lee, but he also labors to cultivate the forgotten souls of Rikers Island. Johnson made his film debut in Dave Chappelle’s Block Party. The ASCAP member holds a B.A. in Mathematics from DePauw University and will release the poetry collection Food Clothes and Shelter on his imprint Home Grown Publishing, LLC in 2008.

About Ed Award winning writer, educator, counselor, and activist Edward M. Garnes, Jr. is the founder of From Afros to Shelltoes: Art, Action, and Conversation, a nationally acclaimed series of cultural productions confronting the social divide between elders and hip hop heads, and holds a B.A. in English Writing from DePauw University and a M.A. in Counseling from Michigan State University . His seminal essay, ” Sweet Tea Ethics: Black Luv, Healthcare, and Cultural Mistrust,” currently appears in Not In My Family: AIDS in the African American Community, a 2007 NAACP Image Award nominated collection edited by Gil Robertson. (www.afrostoshelltoes.com).