Some celebs spoke out against R. Kelly, but most kept schtum and waited to see how his legal drama unfolded. However, Jay-Z was still singing Kelly’s praises in 2002. “When you get two people like this coming together, it sends a signal out. It’s bigger than music. It’s like Martin and Malcolm coming together,” he said of their album “Best of Both Worlds” (via Chicago Tribune).
By that time, multiple women had accused Kelly of underage sex and assault. Just months later, he was indicted for child porn. “I got love for the dude,” Jay-Z told MTV after Kelly’s arrest. “If he’s guilty, I just hope and pray that he gets help. If he’s not, I wish everybody … embraces him.” J-Hova continued working with Kelly, and they released “Unfinished Business” in 2014. They even embarked on an ill-fated tour that’d been canceled two years prior.
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According to Daily Beast, Damon Dash, who was Aaliyah’s boyfriend when she died, was sickened and “stopped talking to Jay-Z because he thought the rapper should have publicly condemned Kelly.” But Hova had a million-plus reasons not to. “One press rep bragged to any reporter who’d listen that the first two Chicago shows alone would gross $1.6 million,” Jim DeRogatis writes in “Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly.” Ultimately, the tour ended early but only because of the couple’s beef. “Certain things aren’t meant to be,” Jay-Z said (via Chicago Tribune).
