R. (R. Kelly album)

Last updated
R.
R Kelly-R. (album cover).jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 10, 1998
Recorded1996–98
Genre
Length129:40
Label Jive
Producer
R. Kelly chronology
R. Kelly
(1995)
R.
(1998)
TP-2.com
(2000)
Singles from R.
  1. "I Believe I Can Fly"
    Released: November 26, 1996
  2. "Gotham City"
    Released: June 3, 1997
  3. "Half on a Baby"
    Released: August 11, 1998
  4. "Home Alone"
    Released: August 30, 1998
  5. "I'm Your Angel"
    Released: November 16, 1998
  6. "When a Woman's Fed Up"
    Released: February 27, 1999
  7. "Did You Ever Think"
    Released: May 25, 1999
  8. "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time"
    Released: July 27, 1999
  9. "Only the Loot Can Make Me Happy"
    Released: May 23, 2000
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Robert Christgau Five Pointed Star Solid.svg Five Pointed Star Solid.svg [2]
Entertainment Weekly B− [3]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Spin (7/10) [8]
Yahoo! Music (mixed) [9]
Yahoo! Music UKStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]

R. is the third solo album by American singer R. Kelly, released as a double album on November 10, 1998, by Jive Records. It marked the first time Kelly worked with other producers as opposed to producing the entire album himself. Its cover artwork uses the same image of Kelly from his 1993 debut 12 Play , only in silhouette form against a red and black background.

Contents

Upon its release, R. went to number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number two on the US Billboard 200, selling over 612,000 copies in its first week of sales. [11] It spawned Kelly's second number-one Billboard Hot 100 hit "I'm Your Angel", as well as the number-one Top R&B hit "I Believe I Can Fly", which had been released two years earlier on the Space Jam soundtrack. R. is currently Kelly's best-selling release to date, having sold over eight million copies in the United States and over 12.4 million copies worldwide.

Track listing

All songs written and produced by R. Kelly, except where noted.

Disc one

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Home Alone" (featuring Keith Murray)
  • Robert Kelly
  • Kelly Price
  • Keith Murray
  • G. Archie
G-One5:00
2."Spendin' Money"
  • Kelly
  • Ron Lawrence
  • Sean Combs
  • Steven Jordan
  • Price
  • D. Romani
  • T. Willoughby
4:54
3."If I'm With You"  Trackmasters 4:32
4."Half on a Baby"  R. Kelly 4:56
5."When a Woman's Fed Up"KellyKelly4:34
6."Get Up on a Room"KellyKelly4:11
7."One Man"KellyKelly4:57
8."We Ride" (featuring Cam'Ron, Noreaga, Vegas Cats, and Jay-Z)
  • Kelly
  • Cameron Giles
  • Victor Santiago
  • Shawn Carter
  • Vegas Cats
  • S. Barnes
  • J.C. Oliver
  • M.C. Rooney
  • Calvin Broadus
  • Andre Young
  • H. Casey
  • R. Finch
  • Kelly
  • Trackmasters
4:50
9."The Opera"KellyKelly1:24
10."The Interview"KellyKelly1:33
11."Only the Loot Can Make Me Happy" (featuring Tone of Poke & Tone)
  • Kelly
  • Barnes
  • Oliver
  • Kelly
  • Trackmasters
5:00
12."Don't Put Me Out"  5:22
13."Suicide"  5:20
14."Etcetera"  4:12
15."If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time"KellyKelly6:19
16."What I Feel/Issues"KellyKelly4:45
17."I Believe I Can Fly" (international release)KellyKelly5:20

Disc two

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Chase"  2:46
2."V.I.P."R. Kelly, DeVante Swing4:17
3."Did You Ever Think" (featuring Tone)
  • Kelly
  • Trackmasters
4:25
4."Dollar Bill" (featuring Foxy Brown) Trackmasters4:23
5."Reality"  4:44
6."2nd Kelly"  5:03
7."Ghetto Queen" (featuring Crucial Conflict)  4:20
8."Down Low Double Life"  5:00
9."Looking For Love"  4:37
10."Dancing with a Rich Man"  3:30
11."I'm Your Angel" (duet with Céline Dion)  5:32
12."Money Makes the World Go Round" (featuring Nas)
  • Kelly
  • Nasir Jones
  • A. Barnes
  • J. Malone
Trackmasters4:10
13."I Believe I Can Fly (US release)/Gotham City (international release)"   
14."Did You Ever Think (Remix)" (re-release featuring Nas)
Trackmasters4:03
15."Gotham City" (re-release)KellyKelly4:55

Awards and nominations

BMI Awards – 1998 Pop Songwriter of the Year (won for "I Believe I Can Fly," "I Can't Sleep Baby (If I)," and "I Don't Want To by Toni Braxton)

Grammy Awards – 1999 Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals (nominated for "I'm Your Angel"), 2000 Best R&B Vocal Performance – Male (nominated for "When a Woman's Fed Up"), 2000 Best R&B Album (nominated)

Soul Train Music Awards – 1999 Best R&B/Soul Single, Male (nominated for "Half on a Baby"), 1999 Sammy Davis Jr. Entertainer of the Year Award (won), 1999 Best R&B/Soul Album, Male (won), 1999 Best R&B/Soul or Rap Album (won)

Personnel

Charts and certifications

Samples

Songs sampled in future songs:

Covers

See also

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