R. Kelly Recalls Jay-Z Beef In Memoir

This week brought the release of Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me, the memoir of R&B singer R. Kelly. In the book, Kelly details his trials and tribulations, including a history of sexual abuse as a child, a feud with tour mate Jay-Z, and the drowning death of his first girlfriend.

He detailed his experiences in a house full of women, who would act out without supervision from their elders. In one instance, he was forced to watch and take pictures of one of these women while she had sex with a partner. Another of the women, 10 years older than him, abused Kelly sexually for years. The star said he was “too afraid and too ashamed” to tell anyone at the time.

During the infamous tour for “The Best of Both Worlds” album with Jay-Z, Kelly recounted a night when he stormed off-stage and went to McDonald’s. “But this time, I didn’t go eat. I asked the guy working the drive-through window for a uniform, and for the next three hours, I served Big Macs, fries and Cokes to customers,” Kelly wrote.

Kelly documents other major events in his life, such as his dyslexia diagnosis, taking a vow of celibacy after proposing to his now ex-wife Andrea Kelly, and his inspiration to write the hit “I Believe I Can Fly.”

Unfortunately Kelly is currently undergoing treatment for complications stemming from a throat surgery last year. He missed a string of public appearances meant to promote the book, including a Today show slot and a showing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Medical issues even forced Kelly to miss the book’s release party in New York City.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top