Robert Sylvester Kelly,known professionally asR. Kelly, is an American recording artist, songwriter, record producer, and convicted sex offender. A native ofChicago, Illinois, often referred to as theKing of R&B, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the groupPublic Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo, releasing 14 albums in his career. Kelly has also written, produced, andremixedsongs and albums for many artists.On September 27, 2021, he was convicted in a New York City criminal courthouse on all counts of sexual misconduct, racketeering, bribery and violations of the Mann act.