R. Kelly has been dropped by his record label, Sony Music’s RCA Records, TMZ and Variety are independently reporting. The move comes after Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly docu-series started airing, spotlighting the longstanding physical and sexual abuse allegations against Kelly. In the series, the singer’s alleged victims discuss their experiences with him.
Kelly is reportedly being criminally investigated for the allegations the documentary detailed in Georgia, according to TMZ. He could also be in Chicago, the Guardian reported.
According to Variety, Sony Music’s decision to drop Kelly won’t be publicly announced by the company in the immediate future. But a source told the outlet that Kelly’s presence on RCA’s site doesn’t “indicate his departure from the company, as his back catalog will remain with RCA/Sony.”
TMZ, meanwhile, spoke to multiple sources close to Kelly who explained the split was mutual and agreed upon this week. It comes after Sony had #MuteRKelly protests outside its Los Angeles and New York offices.
Black Sports Online’s Editor-in-Chief Robert Littal reported that this split could come amid a potential album drop. “I have a source that says R Kelly is close to dropping an album,” Littal tweeted. “Sony wouldn’t release it, so it was Kelly who wanted out the deal so he could drop it independently. There is interest in his new music actually more now than before the doc.”
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