Let’s Talk About R. Kelly

Amir Lorenzo, Staff Writer

The Surviving R. Kelly docuseries analyzes the abuse inflicted by singer/songwriter R. Kelly on women.

Slowly but surely, his attraction for underage girls becomes evident. The first case shown is when R. Kelly (27) took young R&B star Aaliyah (15) under his wing. Having heard of potential future collaborations between the two, excitement grew from fans, unbeknownst the two had an intimate relationship. However, this relationship was an abusive one, and the age gap reinforces R. Kelly as a sexual predator.

Throughout my viewing of the docuseries, it became increasingly apparent that R. Kelly preyed on young black girls like Aaliyah because they were easily influenced and lacked an understanding of the dangers of the world. After my viewing, I must say that the production of the docu-series was excellent because it delivered a clear and concise message to the audience. Lifetime (the network of production) gives insight to those who are interested. Seeing as how this was a docuseries on a serious situation, I wouldn’t say this was an entertaining series, but I will say that it invoked heartfelt emotions.

One thing I didn’t like about the way the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries was produced is how biased the narrative is. Important information was left out, and in a docuseries, including every detail is vital towards the message you’re trying to present to the audience. After taking in everything and doing some research on my own, I think that the docuseries is definitely worth watching because it gives the world an understanding of what not only goes on in the music industry but what happens to young black girls on a daily basis.