Sony & R. Kelly Agree To Part Ways
by Karen
After a tumultuous 2018 complete with allegations, team member disassociations and a proverbial final nail with Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly, Sony, the parent company of R. Kelly’s label RCA has reportedly cut ties with the singer according to sources at Billboard. This follows news last week that SONY/RCA were on their last days with the singer claiming a full investigation needed to be had following the new allegations purported on the documentary.
Reps for Sony and R. Kelly could not be immediately reached. Kelly has also now been removed from the RCA website. Kelly had been signed to Jive since the beginning of his career in the early 1990s, and when Jive became part of Sony BMG, he became part of the Sony umbrella. He has been under contract at RCA, a Sony subsidiary, since 2012.
#MuteRKelly protests had swelled starting back in April 2018 into numerous decisions made by artists and even streaming services to reevaluate their relationships with accused abusers. Since then, numerous Kelly collaborators from Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and even Chicago’s Chance The Rapper have apologized for collaborating with the artist and have pulled their collaborations from the top streaming sites. While many artists have continued to speak out against (and support) Kelly, he and his legal team have continued to deny all allegations of misconduct.