R&B singer R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison back in July for sex abuse crimes. Nevertheless, a new album has appeared on official streaming services but amid the uproar, Sony Music has denied any involvement.
R. Kelly’s former label have claimed that the album is not an official release and comprises bootlegs that were not uploaded by them. His lawyer has also said that it is nothing to do with R. Kelly personally.
The lawyer claims that the bootlegged tracks appearing on Spotify are the result of R. Kelly having “intellectual property stolen from him”. While claims of the source of the upload have been speculated, nothing has yet been confirmed.
Spotify have since removed the 13-track album from the platform at the request of the distributor. This would suggest that legal action has been threatened against the source.
The album featured 56 minutes of material titled I Admit It, with the titular track being a 19-minute song that R. Kelly penned back in 2018 with a proclaimed intent of setting “the fuckin’ record straight”.
The controversy surrounding the bootlegged album has raised further questions regarding royalties in criminal cases. With the 55-year-old musician serving 30 years for sex trafficking and racketeering, it is argued whether his music should remain publicly available or rights should be surrendered.