Although he’s still seen as one of the most influential artists to touch R&B by many lovers of the genre, it’s hard to deny the disappointment of R. Kelly’s downfall. It’s been an especially rough few years for the vocalist. He’s set to remain behind bars for the near future due to his heinous crimes against Black girls and women. We haven’t heard much from the embattled star directly. However, on Friday (June 9), his former cellmate, Ronnie Bo, spoke with Hip-Hop News Uncensored about what his time locked up with Kelly was like.
According to Bo, the “I Believe I Can Fly” hitmaker had a few theories about one past collaborator. Specifically, he believe that Jay-Z may have been involved in a murder conspiracy. “He felt like JAY-Z was kind of insecure because, at the time, R. Kelly was technically bigger than him,” Kelly’s cellmate told the outlet. “He felt like [during] one of the shows when they was in Madison Square Garden [in 2004] prior to that event, he said days before the event that he was getting death threats that he felt was coming from JAY-Z.” At the time, both artists were touring together. They had just dropped The Best of Both Worlds in 2002, and Unfinished Business two years later.
“I don’t know if this is going to sound outrageous… He felt like JAY-Z was trying to get him killed for whatever reason,” Ronnie added. During their joint tour, the convicted sex offender left the stage during a Madison Square Garden show as he believed men were pointing guns at him. On his way back out, he was infamously pepper-sprayed by Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith, a close friend of Hov’s. This ultimately resulted in the end of his and Kelly’s complicated working relationship.
Elsewhere in the news, it was reported earlier this month that Jay-Z’s former New York apartment has been listed for sale for $1.4 million. It’s obviously got nothing on the $200M home he and Beyonce just purchased in California, but still, it’s a significant piece of hip-hop history and the Roc Nation head’s come-up in the industry. Read more about the listing at the link below, and check back later for more pop culture news updates.
