Movies

R. Kelly’s attorney says new album ‘I Admit It’ was an unauthorized release – The Hollywood Reporter

December 9, 2022

R. Kelly’s attorney says an album uploaded to Spotify and Apple Music on Friday was not authorized by the singer.

The 13-track set called I admit it was released online on Friday – appearing on streaming platforms as a new album. But a few hours after its release, it was no longer available.

“It is an unauthorized release of music. It’s stolen music,” lawyer Jennifer Bonjean said. The Hollywood Reporter.

Bonjean says that “a police report was filed some time ago that his masters were robbed, but there’s not much appetite to investigate these things. People have had access to his intellectual property rights which they are trying to take advantage of, but unfortunately that does not include Mr. Kelly.

“When he was arrested he had studio material that was taken,” she added. “His masters have disappeared. The music is out there somewhere, but who has it and who enjoyed it – we don’t quite know.

I admit included the 19-minute track, “I Admit It,” which Kelly released in 2018 on SoundCloud. This time the song was split into three parts to close the album, as he sings about the sexual abuse allegations against him.

The album featured song titles like “Last Man Standing”, “Where’s Love When You Need It”, “Freaky Sensation”, and “Air”. The album also included the catchy and danceable songs “I Got It” and “Good Old Days”. On “Planet,” he sings about the current state of the world: “Police fight people, people fight police/Every time I watch kids die on TV.”

Digital credits showed that Kelly wrote each of the songs alone, with D. Johnson receiving credit from the producer.

Bonjean said she spoke to Kelly on Friday about the release. She said this has happened in the past – where her unauthorized music was uploaded online, but it’s usually on YouTube and not Spotify and Apple Music.

“He’s kind of like, ‘Yeah, it’s happening. I’m not surprised,” Bonjean said of Kelly’s response to the unofficial post. “But, of course, it is upsetting. It’s very upsetting to see your work there in this way.

Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison earlier this year following a trial in New York where the jury found him guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering. A second trial in Chicago ended with his conviction for producing child pornography and inciting sex with girls.

Legacy Recordings – the Sony label that manages the archives of Sony-owned labels including Columbia, Epic and RCA Records – was the label listed on digital platforms for the album. But a representative for Legacy said “he hasn’t released this music.”

Sony and RCA dropped the embattled singer in 2019 two weeks after the viral, Emmy-nominated documentary series Surviving R. Kelly drew attention to allegations of sexual abuse against the singer.

December 9, 1:50 p.m. Updated with comments from attorney Jennifer Bonjean

December 9, 12:14 p.m. Updated with news that the album has been removed from Spotify and Apple Music.