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R-Kelly_12-playIt’s hard to fathom–especially considering the status and legacy he has today, but R. Kelly was still an underdog, and opening act when he set out on tour with Gerald LeVert and Glenn Jones–following the success of his Born Into the 90’s album, with group Public Announcement, back in 1990. R. Kelly would learn firsthand about the disadvantages and hardships that come with being an opening act. Poor stage props, and low crowds, began to frustrate Kelly during his set. To generate more crowd participation, and bring more liveliness to his time on stage, Kelly thought of a gimmick–a gimmick that would not only make his set a must-see, but eventually would change the entire landscape of R&B itself.
During a breakdown of the sensual song, “Honey Love”, R. Kelly would talk to the audience about a dream he had, where he made love to singer, Mary J. Blige. In his skit, R. Kelly would say that the dream felt so real that it was more than just foreplay, it was 12 Play. After that, Kelly would begin to sing the song that would eventually become “12 Play” in the middle of his set. The skit won the crowd over, and not before long, the rest of the music world wanted more of Kelly’s “12 Play”.
It didn’t take Albert Einstein to figure out that, the singer from Chicago, whose full name, Robert Sylvester Kelly had something big on his hands, and from there, the plan was put into motion: Kelly’s proper debut will be entitled, 12 Play. Released in the fall of 1993, 12 Play was more than just a gimmick that turned into an album concept–it was a statement. Invoking the bedroom bravado of the late, great Marvin Gaye, and over-sexed come on’s of Prince of the ’80s, 12 Play is probably the closest album that blurred the lines of secular and tasteful since Prince’s 1980 opus Dirty Mind. Yes, 12 Play is a sexually-themed collection of songs, but the music is so well executed, that crass songs like “Sex Me” could generate the same feelings as any Isley Brothers’ ballad without you feeling ashamed after listening.
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While many R&B acts before him were reluctant to conform to being overtly sexual, many songs being played on R&B stations at the time used innuendo to seduce the object of their affection–R. Kelly was simply not that type of R&B artist. Before the first thump of “Bump N’ Grind” volleys through the speakers, R. Kelly can be heard making a public service-like announcement when he says, “My mind is telling me ‘no’, but my body is telling me ‘yes’, I don’t want to hurt nobody, but there is something I must confess to you…” R. Kelly made it clear that sex was on his to do list, and there was no need to beat around the bush (no pun intended…well maybe).
The R&B of the ’90s were entering a transitional period, as hip hop soul was bridging the gap between the two genres. R. Kelly, along with Jodeci, and other acts, shed their melodic vibes in substitute for a brasher, edgier sound. Still, there are moments in 12 Play that are a throwback to the days of traditional R&B. Songs like “For You” and his spin on The Spinners classic, “Sadie”, are watershed moments on the album. While the initial reaction to 12 Play received mixed feelings from critics upon its release, the album dominated R&B charts, and even made it to number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. In retrospect, the album now is regarded as one of the greatest albums released in that era, and though Kelly has tried to rekindle the magic with two sequels (or three, if you count the shelved 12 Play: Fourth Quarter), it’s safe to say that the alpha of R. Kelly’s legacy will always date back to the original 12 Play, and he would officially cement his legacy with the self-titled follow up, two years later.
12 Play made Kelly one of the most sought-after singer-songwriters/producers in music, as he lent his talents to the likes of Aaliyah to Changing Faces to Michael Jackson. Artists today still pay homage to the album: singer-songwriter, The-Dream made a song titled “Kelly’s 12 Play”, back in 2009, and most recently Chris Brown and Trey Songz linked up for “Songs on 12 Play” off of Breezy’s X album. The impact of Kelly’s first true classic will forever standup against some of R&B’s most acclaimed pieces of work by other artists, while in the process, creating the challenge for him to outdo his own noteworthy achievements since its release. For those who still need further proof of 12 Play’s staying-power, I have twelve reasons I can show you.
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