Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known as R Kelly, is an
American singer, songwriter, record producer, and convicted sex offender. Apart
from being known as the artist who redefined R&B, he was convicted on
Monday after a long sex trafficking trial in Brooklyn, New York.

Born on January 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois, to Joanne
Kelly who was a professional singer. Kelly was sexually abused by an older
female family member from the age of eight to 14. The singer later explained why
he never told anyone about the abuse in his 2012 autobiography Soulacoaster. He
wrote that he was “too afraid and too ashamed” to tell anyone.

Also read: A timeline of the allegations that led to R Kelly’s conviction

Kelly was also sexually abused by an older male who was a
friend of the family when he was around 10 years of age. At age 11, Kelly was
shot in the shoulder while riding his bike, and that the bullet is reportedly
still lodged in his shoulder. While Kelly himself stated that he was shot by
boys who were attempting to steal his bike, a family friend stated that Kelly
shot himself while attempting suicide.

R Kelly gained national recognition in 1989 from the talent
TV show “Big Break”. Kelly went on to win the $100,000 grand prize on the show.
The singer released ‘Why You Wanna Play Me’ for Tavdash Records in 1990.
Kelly’s debut album Born into the ’90s was released in 1992.

Also Read: R Kelly kept a gun while sexually abusing me: Accuser during trial

He had a long and successful career in which his fans say he
redefined the R&B music scene. R Kelly was convicted on September 27, 2021, in a sex trafficking trial after decades of avoiding criminal responsibility
for numerous allegations of misconduct with young women and children.

A jury of seven men and five women found Kelly guilty of
racketeering on their second day of deliberations.  Several accusers testified in lurid detail
during the trial, alleging that Kelly subjected them to perverse and sadistic
whims when they were underage.