R Kelly, the American singer-songwriter, has been sentenced to 30 years in jail for child sex abuse. The 55-year-old is often called the King of R&B and redefined the genre with many of his tracks. Despite building a memorable career, Kelly lost it all when allegations of sexual misconduct began to stick, after years of complaints against him from several women. 

Even when in detention, Kelly occasionally sang for the other inmates, drawing appreciation, his former lawyer Michael Leonard told Billboard. However, his tours and performances have been impacted by those protesting the singer’s personal life. Kelly’s music career is all but over now, but he scaled heights and won three Grammys. Here’s a look at the five best R Kelly songs. 

I Believe I Can Fly

Kelly was at his soulful best when he came out with the track that first appeared in the 1996 movie ‘Space Jam’. Despite a start in a film including Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan, the track became a cultural milestone and has since then been covered by various artists, from Jessica Simpson to Etta James. 

Feelin’ on Yo Booty

Despite being the pied piper of R&B, Kelly had his contributions to hip hop as well. This is best heard in ‘Feelin’ on Yo Booty’, which appeared in the 2000 album ‘TP-2.com’. 

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The video shows Kelly as Santa and includes a young Nelly before the rapper grew into his own. 

Trapped in the Closet 

It is hard to pick any single chapter in Kelly’s ‘Trapped in the Closet’, which is a stellar example of smooth storytelling and even smoother R&B. The premise deals with Sylvester and Rufus but takes a break to introduce a tragically comic character, Pimp Lucius, who stutters but declares that pimping is for life. 

Ignition 

While the original is definitely notable, it is the remix that steals the show. The slinky track became a favourite of Michael Jackson’s and eclipsed the original in popular culture. 

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Same Girl 

Kelly and Usher in conversation, touching topics of bromance, infidelity, and public sex? Listeners were taken in immediately. The song is a testament to Kelly’s writing skills and the odd specificity that he maintains over the right R&B beats to make this an instant hit.