US singer R Kelly has responded to a series of
sexual assault and abuse allegations in a new 19-minute track called
"I Admit."
In it, the 51-year-old sings about a "damn big conspiracy," an
apparent reference to several women's accusations that he raped and
emotionally abused them to operate a so-called sex cult.
"I admit, I'm not perfect / I never said I'm perfect / To say, I
abuse these women / Damn, that's absurd shit," Kelly sings.
"Brainwashed, really? / You kidnapped, really? / You can not eat,
really? / Frankly, that sounds ridiculous."
The allegations were made public in July 2017 in a Buzzfeed report
that stated the musician had total control over several women -
ordering them on how to get dressed, when to bathe, when to sleep and
how to engage in sexual encounters that he recorded.
"What is the definition of a cult? / What is the definition of a sex
slave? / Look it up in the dictionary / Let me know, I'll wait
here," Kelly sings on his new track.
Kelly has also been accused of having sexual relations with minors.
"I'm in the habit of talking to all the ladies / Both older and
younger ladies / But calling it pedophile / That's crazy," he says in
"I Admit."
Kelly sings that he was "not convicted, not arrested, but my name was
dragged through the mud."
Initial reaction from fellow rappers was mixed. "Uh #IAdmit I want my
19 mins back," rapper Questlove tweeted.
Rapper Talib Kweli tweeted: "that song he dropped today sucks. For
many reasons. Sorry not sorry."
To date, Kelly has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. His
biggest hits include "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Bump N' Grind."