R. Kelly grew up in the projects on the southern side of Chicago. While growing up he says he tried to ignore all the gangs, violence and peer pressure prevalent in the area. He was first introduced to music in
1991. He released his debut album
Born into the 90's[?], on the
Jive Records label; the singles "She's Got That Vibe", "Honey Love" and "Slow Dance" received moderate radio play.
R. Kelly was involved in a sex scandal, and accused of raping underage girls. Since then, many radio stations in the United States have refused to play his music.