Flashback Article - "Rated 'R' Kelly"

By Denny Mar

The "R" must stand for raunchy. 

That's the content R& B sensation, R. Kelly unveiled at his 'Double Up' Thanksgiving Day concert in Newark, NJ. 

Held at the recently-launched Prudential Center, Kelly, who shot to fame with ballads like "I Believe I Can Fly," strayed from his gender-neutral hits, instead choosing to focus primarily on love songs, (or rather raunchy songs), geared toward his female fans.

Following performances from Keyshia Cole and J. Holliday, Kelly made his grand entrance via bodyguards, entertaining the mostly African-American crowd in a two hour concert laced with sexually explicit anthems and imagery.

The multi-platinum artist, who is pending statutory rape charges, supplied scantily clad dancers as eye candy for his loyal fans, while crooning sexually suggestive hits like "Ignition" - an anthem were the automobile component is a metaphor for the female sex organ.

Other racy ballads performed were: "Bump and Grind," "I'm a Flirt," "Your Body's Calling Me" and "Hotel."

When the Chicago native was not churning out one of his 'R' rated ballads, he was enticing his fans with a string of lewd acts.

At one point during the concert, a silhouette likeness of Kelly pops up on a Jumbo screen as he proceeds to undress down to his skivvies.

Later, a magnified image of the singer's trademark heart-shaped lips is captured on the screen as he whispers sexual innuendo.

Next, were close-up images featuring women with large derrieres moments after the star proclaimed to the audience: "Big booty girls make some noise!"

But the raunchiest moment of all came when the singer received a lap dance on stage from one of his half-naked dancers.

Performing, "Im In Love With a Stripper," Kelly sat in a chair, while his female companion positioned herself on top, gyrating her body up and down as to simulate sex.

Though not as revealing as the sex tape allegedly featuring the star that was distributed on the bootleg market several years ago, the lap dance performance highlighted a night of risqué acts for the sex-craved artist.

The R. Kelly 'Double Up Tour' climaxes Jan 12, in Atlantic City.