Maps of Music
R. Kelly (1995)
Where the lyrics of R. Kelly take you, and where it was really made.
Kelly wrote, produced, and arranged every song himself, yet the album's recording credits point to studios in Chicago and Miami.
View on the mapKey places
Battery Studios in Chicago (1995)
Recording site Chicago Recording Company — Credits list Battery Studios in Chicago among the studios where the album was recorded. The point uses the city centre because the exact building is not confirmed. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Criteria Recording Studios in Miami (1995)
Recording site The Hit Factory Criteria — Credits list Criteria Recording Studios among the studios where the album was recorded. The point uses the city centre because the exact building is not confirmed. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
South Beach Studios in Miami Beach (1995)
Recording site South Beat Studios — Credits list South Beach Studios among the studios where the album was recorded. The point uses the city centre because the exact building is not confirmed. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Album story
Overview
- Second studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter R. Kelly
- Self-titled album released 14 November 1995 by Jive Records
- Production handled entirely by Kelly himself
- All songs written, produced, and arranged by Kelly
- Spawned three number one R&B singles
Background
- Often read as a turning point from his previous album 12 Play, with lighter and less explicit lyrics
Recording
- Credits list Battery Studios in Chicago among the recording studios
- Other credited studios include Criteria Recording Studios in Miami and South Beach Studios in Miami Beach
- Credits also list Battery Studios in New York, Chicago Recording Company, DARP Studios, and Middle Ear Studio
- Mixing credited to Peter Mokran on most tracks, with Kelly credited for mixing, writing, and playing all instruments on some entries
- Mastering credited to Bernie Grundman
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com
Tracklist
| 1 | Intro - The Sermon | 3:21 |
| 2 | Hump Bounce | 4:07 |
| 3 | Not Gonna Hold On | 4:04 |
| 4 | You Remind Me of Something | 4:10 |
| 5 | Step in My Room | 3:48 |
| 6 | Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby... | 4:20 |
| 7 | (You to Be) Be Happy | 4:36 |
| 8 | Down Low (Nobody Has to Know) | 4:49 |
| 9 | I Can't Sleep Baby (If I) | 5:31 |
| 10 | Thank God It's Friday | 3:54 |
| 11 | Love Is on the Way | 3:03 |
| 12 | Heaven If You Hear Me | 0:57 |
| 13 | Religious Love | 4:12 |
| 14 | Tempo Slow | 4:11 |
| 15 | As I Look Into My Life | 1:30 |
| 16 | Trade in My Life | 6:22 |
Sources: musicbrainz.org
Artist
Formation
- Born Robert Sylvester Kelly on January 8, 1967, on Chicago's South Side, Illinois.
- Began performing in the subway under Chicago "L" tracks, busking at the Jackson station on the Red Line.
- Joined the group MGM (Musically Gifted Men) formed in 1989, which won a $100,000 prize on the TV show Big Break in 1991 before disbanding.
Career
- Signed with Jive Records in 1991; debut Born into the 90's (1992, with Public Announcement) yielded hits including "She's Got That Vibe".
- Solo album 12 Play (1993) produced the number-one hit "Bump N' Grind", which spent a record 12 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart.
- "I Believe I Can Fly" (1996) won three Grammy Awards in 1998.
- Wrote and produced "You Are Not Alone" for Michael Jackson, which debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100.
- Sold over 75 million records worldwide; Billboard ranked him the 9th greatest R&B artist of all time.
- Convicted in 2021 and 2022 on child sex offences and sentenced to a combined 31 years; his career ended after these convictions.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reception
At release
- Rolling Stone's Callum Jones wrote that Kelly had grown out of his unthinking misogyny, and the album received mostly positive reviews from music critics
- Entertainment Weekly and Cash Box are also cited in the critical reception section of the article
Reappraisal
- Rolling Stone placed the album at number 88 on its list of the 100 Best Albums of the 1990s in 2011
Records
- Debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, Kelly's first album to top that chart
- Second album by Kelly to peak at number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart
- Certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA on 17 January 1996
- Reached number 18 on the UK Chart
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com
Trivia
- Debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, the first of Kelly's albums to top that chart
- Peaked at number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, his second album to do so
- Certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA on 17 January 1996
- The track list includes Down Low (Nobody Has to Know), featuring The Isley Brothers
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org
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