Imprisoned R&B singer R. Kelly has revealed that he has an “incurable disease,” though not one typically associated with serious illness. Speaking in a candid interview from behind bars on the Inmate Tea with A&P podcast, the disgraced artist described his lifelong passion for music as an affliction he cannot escape.
“Singing is a beautiful disease that’s incurable. That’s not going to stop. I don’t care where I’m at as long as I’m alive, so I’m always singing, I’m always writing,” Kelly said during the interview.
Despite his incarceration, Kelly claims to have remained creatively active, boasting that he has written as many as 25 albums while serving time. His music remains in high demand, with his Spotify catalog surpassing 3 billion total streams as of early 2025. He continues to average over 782,000 listens per day, with his hit song Ignition alone accumulating more than 645 million streams.
The royalties from his music have provided a steady stream of income, allowing him to cover legal obligations. In December 2024, earnings from his catalog were used to settle a $500,000 federal judgment, including nearly $380,000 in restitution payments.
“I thank you guys for continuing to believe in me, support my music, and support who I am as an artist. I really do appreciate that,” Kelly told the podcast, acknowledging his fans for their continued loyalty.
However, Kelly’s legal troubles remain substantial. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison on June 29, 2022, after being convicted in New York on racketeering and sex trafficking charges. On February 23, 2023, he received an additional 20-year sentence in Chicago for child pornography and enticement charges, though 19 years of that term run concurrently with his previous sentence, effectively adding just one extra year to his time behind bars.
Last month, a federal appeals court upheld Kelly’s convictions and 30-year sentence from the New York trial, meaning he is likely to remain incarcerated well into his 80s.
Despite the grim legal outlook, the singer remains hopeful about his future. “Right now, I’m just working on getting out, getting back to what it is God gave me my talent to do. That’s what I’m waiting on, that’s what I’m working on right now,” Kelly said.
His comments suggest that, while he remains physically confined, his creative drive and ambitions in music continue to flourish.
Source: AllHipHop
