Robert SylvesteR Kelly (born January 8, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois) better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American R&B and pop singer, songwriter, record producer, and occasional rapper. He first appeared on the music scene as the founder and lead singer of Public Announcement whose smooth mixture of hip hop beats, soul, and funk propelled the group's 1992 debut album Born into the '90s to platinum status. After leaving the group in 1993, he became one of the top-selling musical acts of the nineties.   Wikipedia