R. Kelly claims he wrote 25 albums while serving 30-year prison sentence for sex trafficking and racketeering

Disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly says he has written 25 albums in prison while hoping for early release.

R&B singer R. Kelly, currently serving a 30-year sentence for sex trafficking and racketeering, claims to have written 25 albums since his incarceration. The 58-year-old artist made the revelation during a phone call to the Inmate Tea With A&P podcast, as reported by Billboard on March 7, 2025.

Speaking through a monitored prison line, Kelly said he was asked to sing “Happy Birthday” to someone on the show. The hosts, who referred to him as the “King of R&B” and his former title, “the Pied Piper of R&B,” reacted enthusiastically as he performed a snippet of his 1998 song When a Woman’s Fed Up. When asked about his creative output in prison, Kelly described his musical talent as a “beautiful disease that’s uncurable.” He stated that despite his circumstances, he continues to write music and has completed approximately 25 albums.

Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was sentenced in 2021 after being convicted on federal charges in New York, including racketeering and sex trafficking. In 2022, he received additional convictions in Chicago related to child exploitation and coercion of minors. His convictions followed decades of allegations, including an illegal marriage to 15-year-old Aaliyah in 1994 and accusations of holding women in a “cult-like” environment.

Kelly remains hopeful for an early release, saying he wishes to resume his music career. However, last month, the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals rejected his appeal of his New York conviction, meaning he could remain behind bars into his 80s if he serves his full sentence.

Before his conviction, Kelly was known for his prolific career, releasing 18 studio albums and creating the Trapped in the Closet series. His legal team has denied the allegations made against him.