Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967), known professionally as
R. Kelly, is an American recording artist, songwriter, record producer, and former professional basketball player. A native of
Chicago, Illinois, often referred to as the
King of R&B, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group
Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album
12 Play. He is known for a collection of major hit singles including "
Bump N' Grind", "
Your Body's Callin'", "
I Believe I Can Fly", "
Gotham City", "
Ignition (Remix)", "
If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time", "
The World's Greatest", "
I'm a Flirt (Remix)", and the
hip-hopera "
Trapped in the Closet". In 1998, Kelly won three
Grammy Awards for "
I Believe I Can Fly". His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous
hip hop and
contemporary R&B artists. Kelly became the first music star to play professional
basketball, when he got signed in 1997.