R. Kelly Delivers 28-Second Performance For Fans Who Paid $100 For Tickets: Report

BYAron A.Updated on September 26, 20229.2K Views

R&B singer R. Kelly (R) and his attorney Steve Greenberg leave Cook County jail after Kelly posted $100 thousand bond on February 25, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Kelly was being held after turning himself in to face ten counts of aggravated sexual abuse.

R. Kelly gave fans a short effort for his first post-jail "performance."

R. Kelly's remaining fans in Springfield, Illinois may have had the last straw with the singer's antics after he showed up at 1:30 a.m. for a club appearance at Dirty South Lounge which closes at 3 a.m., local news stations WICS and WRSP reports.

Kellz was scheduled to show up at midnight but after showing up an hour and a half late, he reportedly spent over a half hour interacting with fans in the club. Afterward, he grabbed the microphone and delivering his first post-jail performance which lasted for under 30 seconds. Kelly reportedly thanked his fans and sang a single line from one of his songs for 28 seconds. There were reportedly 100 people in the venue which has a maximum capacity of 450 people.

A few fans expressed their disappointment during interviews outside of the venue following Kellz short appearance. The tickets for R. Kelly's event at the Dirty South Lounge went for $100 but decreased to $50 after he showed up.

Overall, this might not be the best look for R. Kelly considering many venues and promoters aren't willing to book him for shows, even overseas. After he asked the media to "take it easy" on him, he explained that these small bookings are the only way he could get paid right now.

"I got an event to do tonight in Springfield, Illinois," he begins in the clip. "So, I want the media to take it easy on me, man. This is how I gotta get paid now. So, I gotta go do this event and it's a party. So, when you see me in the club with a couple of drinks in my hand and chilling, please take it easy."

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About The Author

Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.