Local Officials Seek Cancellation of R. Kelly's Atlanta Concert; Rapper Says Shows Will Continue
After an in-depth report alleged that R. Kelly was guilty of misconduct and abuse, the officials of a Georgia county are seeking the cancellation of the rapper's show in Atlanta this month. Meanwhile, the artist addressed the issue and said his shows will continue.
Kelly is set to bring his "After Party" tour to the Wolf Creek Amphitheater in Atlanta, Georgia, on Aug. 25 under Live Nation Productions. However, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners recently announced that they are calling for the cancellation of the said concert.
The officials explained in a letter to Live Nation: "Based on the allegations reported in various news outlets regarding this artist, the citizens of Fulton County have expressed their collective concerns that Live Nation would allow this artist at a venue that is supported in part by taxpayers."
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In a press conference last week, the chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, John Eaves, clarified that they were merely putting across the concerns of their constituents and were not aiming to "declare Mr. Kelly guilty of any crime."
"They object to their tax dollars providing a stage for an entertainer who is repeatedly in a swirl of controversy surrounding the sexual exploitation of women and underage girls," Eaves added.
In the same press event, Eaves was joined by Kenyette Barnes of the #MuteRKelly movement who announced that if Live Nation failed to heed the officials' demand, the group is geared to hold a protest at the venue of Kelly's Atlanta show.
Live Nation had already said the Atlanta concert will continue.
"This is about understanding that the platform given to Mr. Kelly unfortunately provides him the insulation when he gets caught up in these precarious situations, or the legal counsel that gets him out," Barnes stated.
TMZ has also reported that Kelly's shows in Louisiana, Dallas, and Los Angeles have already been canceled "due to poor ticket sales." However, there are sources claiming that a scheduling conflict caused the cancellation of the L.A. concert, while the other shows will push through. No word was given about the canceled Louisiana and Dallas stops.
Kelly, however, denied the reports on the canceled shows and told fans: "Don't believe the hype."
In July, BuzzFeed released an in-depth report largely based on parents' claims that their young daughters have been groomed to stay in Kelly's "abusive cult." The rapper's camp has already denied the allegations.
Kelly has been linked to several controversies in the past where he was said to have established relationships with underage girls. A similar-sounding report was published in the Chicago Sun-Times in 2000.
In 1994, he secretly married a 15-year-old Aaliyah. Kelly first met the late music artist when she was 12 and became his mentor and album producer. Then, in 2002, Kelly was placed under investigation in Chicago for a leaked videotape of him with a 14-year-old girl. While Kelly was arrested, the case did not result in a conviction.
