Why Kells Why?

I love music...any kind of music...

Especially music that inspires, uplifts, reflects our times and tells our stories...

I found myself in a dilemma this week after hearing two GREAT songs by the preeminent crazy-ass story-teller of our time...the Pied Piper himself, Mr. R. Kelly.

First, I saw the video for Sign of AVictory: An incredibly inspiring song and video, reminiscent of I Believe I Can Fly, but even more inspiring and uplifting.  The message and the music of this song give me chills. Check it Below:

I could cry...

And then I saw this...


Its like Rafael Saadiq, mixed with a heaping portion of Sam Cooke, and topped off with a dollop of sparkling white teeth and shape up.
Everything. The mics, the photography, the suspenders, the craziness at the end...I just love it.

Just as I begin to feel the happiness come over me, I think of all that nonsense that went on a few years back. I work with girls so when something like that happens I wonder how the public is supposed to react and for how long. Back when it first happened, the public outcry was strong, every scholar wrote articles, every comedian made jokes, and everyone else was mortified.

But then, it seemed like it was all good again...it became one of those things that we just overlooked and didn't discuss, especially when he came out with hit after hit. It was crazy...and it still is to me...I don't know. Maybe it was a mistake and it wasn't him, or maybe it was him and we should have rode him out of town on a rail.  For me, and my purposes, I just wonder if its possible to be committed to serving women and girls and also jump around and sing with R. Kelly...or bob my head to Chris Brown. I wonder if appreciating their music and talent means that I (directly or indirectly) support the choices they make when it comes to women.  Yikes...I sure hope not.