THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 6, 1996 TAG: 9604050067
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICKEY WRIGHT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
SOUL SINGERS have long captured the imagination of the public. In the '60s, Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin became near-mythic figures. The '70s witnessed the advent of Al Green and the conceptual triumphs of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Luther Vandross wore the crown in the '80s.
R. Kelly has similarly captured his moment. The vocalist/songwriter/producer has one of the biggest hits of the year with ``Down Low (Nobody Has to Know).'' The record and lengthy, dramatic video, both of which prominently feature Ronald Isley, are conversation pieces among Kelly's followers.
Kelly embarked this week on the 50-city Top Secret Tour, which stops at Hampton Coliseum Sunday evening. With both record buyers and critics hailing his double-platinum third album ``R. Kelly'' as a leap forward in sensibility and style, he recently spoke to a group of journalists via conference call.
The respect from his questioners was palpable, and despite a dodgy connection, the hour-long conference went smoothly. Except, that is, for one caller who attempted to quiz the star about his rumored relationship with teen-age singer Aaliyah. The hapless writer was summarily cut off. The message was clear: R. Kelly is past it.
After bumping-and-grinding his way to fame, Kelly is presenting a more thoughtful side of his personality these days. His mother's death inspired a collaboration with gospel superstar Kirk Franklin, and a certain ruefulness has crept in.
Kelly explained. ``This album, I would say, is a touch more serious than the last album in this sense of love relationships - I guess, experiences. Instead of wanting the woman back into my life, I realize the one thing that's going to get her back in my life, and that's prayer.''
That approach echoes the work of Cooke, Green and Gaye, who famously slid between the church and more worldly concerns. As with them, Kelly finds it a natural meld.
``This is not (an) on-purpose thing to mix religion and love together like that . . . it's something I'm starting to feel about myself and my life. The only thing is, I just can't jump from one thing to the other, because I'm human. So what I decided to do is just take a step.''
Kelly uses the word ``humbly'' several times during the discussion. It's one he seems to take to heart.
``With this album, I think if anything, I'll make the fellows wake up and realize that, you know, we needs women in our life. And what I mean by that is, if you've got a woman and you love her, you know, the best thing to do is act like it and treat her like that, you know. And I've come to realize that losing someone you love . . . you express everything, you give up your all to try to get her back. I think that's the toughest man in the world - a man that says `I'm sorry,' that realizes he's sorry.''
At the same time, it wouldn't be an R. Kelly album without some forthright randiness. Most notably, that takes the form of ``You Remind Me of Something,'' the disc's first single. Its raw imagery - ``You remind me of my Jeep/I wanna ride you'' - helped turn the song gold, and also prompted some debate. A Washington Post story even compared teenage fans' reactions to ``You Remind Me'' and LL Cool J's tamer ``Hey Lover.''
Kelly is contrite about any offense listeners might take. But, he added, ``I want them to realize that this is show business.'' He sees the tune as both a reflection of many young men's concerns and something of a lark.
It's ``sort of like if a comedian could sing . . . just to make people, you know, smile or laugh.'' His advice? ``Just think of it as (an) entertainment piece.''
In the end, R. Kelly trusts both himself and his audience. Of the album's gravity, he said: ``I really believe in my fans, you know, just as they believe in me. And I feel that if I'm singing something and I'm telling the truth about it, I think my fans or people who haven't even heard me or hear it for the first time, I have faith that they will relate to it. Because what I sing about, whatever it is, is something that everybody goes through.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color file photo
R. Kelly
KEYWORDS: PROFILE INTERVIEW
by CNB