On R. Kelly’s new single, “I’m a Flirt,” the R&B lothario refers to himself as “a dog on the prowl” as he warns the world about his wanton ways. The buoyant song, whose lyrical content is somewhat tame by the singer’s legendarily lascivious standards, has been creeping up the Billboard charts and just might become one of the defining summer jams of 2007.
But “I’m a Flirt” isn’t R. Kelly’s most noteworthy new single: The mercurial artist has just released a Virginia Tech tribute, “Rise Up,” on the Internet. Written, performed and produced by Kelly after the April 16 massacre in Blacksburg, “Rise Up” is a treacly ballad with a gospel choir and messages of comfort and encouragement.
“Not gonna lie and say I understand,” Kelly sings. “I just wanna be here for you if I can / To hold your hand and be by your side / And together we will get through these times.”
That a major artist would be memorializing the Virginia Tech tragedy is hardly a surprise. That the tribute came from R. Kelly and not, say, noted pop healer Elton John was a little unexpected, given Kelly’s rep as modern soul’s sultan of strange – a sex-obsessed singer who is awaiting trial on child pornography-related charges.
Then again, Kelly previously has shown a more earnest, inspirational side, authoring such sweeping anthems as “I Believe I Can Fly,” a Grammy-winning 1996 hit, songs about Hurricane Katrina (“Let Your Light Shine”) and American troops in the Middle East (“Soldier’s Heart”).
“There are two R. Kellys,” his spokesman, Allan Mayer, says. “There’s the spiritual, inspiring side, and there’s the more carnal side. One is fun, entertaining, sexy, and the other is more uplifting.”
Kelly is “a complicated soul,” says Danyel Smith, editor of Vibe magazine, which has Kelly on its May cover. “It makes sense that he would be touched by what happened at Virginia Tech because he’s a soulful guy. … There are a lot of people who feel awful about the tragedy, but do they have the nerve, in a country that requires cool first, to be earnest and emotional, empathetic and sympathetic? No.”
Proceeds from “Rise Up” will be donated to Virginia Tech’s Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund. The track will also appear on Kelly’s forthcoming album, “Double Up,” set for release May 29.
Could the embattled 40-year-old be doing some image rehabilitation in advance of his trial, which may begin this summer? Time magazine opined on its website this week that Kelly “seems to be jumping on the Blacksburg bandwagon” and called the idea “gross.” Kelly’s spokesman rejects the idea.
“If he was concerned with image rehab in his music, he wouldn’t release songs like ‘I’m a Flirt.’ Whatever else you can say about Robert, he’s an authentic artist, and he does what he feels,” Mayer says.
Are Virginia Tech officials squeamish about being memorialized by Kelly, given his oeuvre and his pending trial?
“We can’t get into the business of endorsing or not endorsing any particular efforts,” says Michael Kaiser, director of development communications at the university. “We’re very grateful for all these people who are rallying to help. … As long as we’re convinced the money that’s coming to us has been gained legally and ethically, we welcome it.”
Kelly isn’t the first to write a song about the Virginia Tech shootings. The Internet has been flooded with tribute tracks, including “Forever Changed,” by the Season, whose principal members graduated from the university. Houston rapper Lil’ Flip was compelled to whip up a rambling song set to Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” The untitled song appears on his MySpace page alongside an older track, “Bust a Clip,” which glorifies guns and includes the sound of gunshots.
You can listen to a portion of R. Kelly’s Virginia Tech tribute song “Rise Up” at r-kelly.com. You also can purchase a digital download of the song at the site with all proceeds going to a university fund.
