S. Samuel
R. Kelly held a listening session yesterday (August 17) allowing SOHH and other journalists to review his upcoming Untitled album and, in the process, he offered his response to Trey Songz's recent auto-tune taunts.
In addition to Songz, Kelly also broke the news that he has unreleased Michael Jackson collaborations he intends to release.
“I did like five songs with Michael Jackson before he passed that we didn’t get a chance to do,” Kelly informed the panel. “I’m gonna finish what me and Mike were doing and try to get it out there. When I did ‘We Are Not Alone,’ it sounded just like him…” In response to a question posed to him about Trey Songz, he said: “When you’re a king…I don’t get into the challenges anymore… What is an elephant gonna do when an ant or a fly lands on them? Those guys got some growing up to do. That’s something I would have answered 20 years ago.” (SOHH On The Scene)
Songz previously expressed his issues with Kells in a blog posting earlier this summer.
“When I heard Jay-Z‘s “Death of Autotune” my first thought was when will R. Kelly stop using it,” he wrote. “The King of R&B with a autotune filled mixtape (not to mention a auto tuned “Double Up” album) disappoints me. If throwing rocks at the throne wakes up the King, consider them thrown. I just want R. Kelly back..” (SOHH Soulful)
This was then followed up with his “Death of Kells” diss record.
“I mean like for real, who wanna hear Kells with auto tune, do you, that’s some bullsh*t, Hov you’ve done started some sh*t baby,” Songz says in the intro. “They keep comparing me man, I’m a new breed! This a farewell, throw ’em down the stairwell, and if he wants to compare sells with old Kells that ain’t fair, well he’s a legend but I’m fresher/Check out my dresser I’m such a dresser/42 to 24 and I ain’t talking skull bones, trigger 24 I’m about to get my colburn fresh out the shower and I ain’t got a robe on/It’s for the ladies yo.” (“Death of Kells”)
Other writers expressed their thoughts on Kelly’s music and shared their experience during the session.
“this bus ride is making miss those good ol’ rkelly songs,” Miss Info wrote via Twitter yesterday (August 17). “ack. gotta leave my phone in car. But. I leave one final thought: rkelly lives in a fortress. Looks like church/resort…@WhitneyBenta rkellys’s yodelling will be replace dream’s repeated-vowel hooks…Rkelly jus sang “song for you” 3 ft away, personal issues aside, the talent is insane. N the MJ/Whitney stories were LOL…@flwrgurl album had bright spots n predictable ones. But being invitd 2 R’s home, was memorable exprnce. Even 4 a skeptic like me.” (Miss Info’s Twitter)
Kells announced the news of his album title changing from 12 Play 4th Quarter to Untitled last winter while performing in Atlanta.
“ATL, what’s up? I got my little brother right here, Jazze Pha,” Kells told the crowd, standing in the VIP balcony. “I’m out here working on the mutha—-in’ album. I’m working on a new album and I’m calling that mutha—-a Untitled. Y’all call it what y’all want. I came to have fun with y’all,” Kelly continued. The Chicago legend also gave the clubgoers an impromptu mini-concert.” (MTV)
Check out Trey Songz’s “Death of Kells” below:
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