Rapper Yo-Yo Says R. Kelly Slipped Her Daughter His Phone Number Behind Her Back: ‘I’m Thinking I’m Your Friend’

The rap veteran Yo-Yo was recently asked about all of the allegations surrounding R. Kelly since the docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly” aired, and she talked about an experience with the singer that hit close to home.

Th Los Angeles native told TMZ that she visited an L.A. studio to hear R. Kelly’s new album at the time, and that’s when the unforgettable happened.

Yo Yo said someone from R. Kelly's crew slipped the singer's phone number to her daughter.

Instagram

“I actually went to R. Kelly’s studio to listen to his new album, and my daughter came with me,” she recalled. “And the sad part was when we got home, my daughter said ‘Mom, someone passed me R. Kelly’s number.'”

Yo-Yo then said her daughter was reluctant to tell her because she feared her mother may go to Kelly or his team and say something. But in the end, the rapper kept quiet and she said the incident was confirmation that Kelly has some real issues.

“I didn’t say anything, but it really let me know there is a real problem,” she said. “Because with all of that that was going on, for that to still happen, and it happened to me. I’m thinking I’m your friend. I come there with my daughter, who’s over 21 but you don’t know my daughter’s age. And behind my back you’re going to slide my daughter your number? That’s just weird to me.”

Yo-Yo also explained that she was hesitant to share her opinion on Kelly at first, because she didn’t know all of the details surrounding the accusations. Plus, she failed to realize how deep his alleged sexual problems are.

“But it hit home when I got home,” she remembered. “And I realized here I am supporting my brother in music, not being judgmental and my daughter says ‘I got a number.'”

The “Do You Wanna Ride” rapper said she was thankful her daughter told her about the number, which made her empathize with the parents of Kelly’s alleged victims.

“But thank God my daughter’s like me,” she said. “Strong, independent and she said something to me. Just think of how many kids don’t say anything who are just in awe.”

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. 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, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up 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