The book, Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly was published June 4. It’s written by Jim DeRogatis. You might also know him for his WBEZ podcast, Sound Opinions. DeRogatis has been chasing the R Kelly story for nearly two decades. It all happened after he got an anonymous fax when he was working at the Chicago Sun Times in 2000. It said, R Kelly had a “problem with young girls.” Since then, DeRogatis has learned about 48 women who have been abused by Kelly. The first case dates back to 1991. Despite being charged with child pornography in 2002 and found not guilty in 2008, R. Kelly went on to play Coachella, Bonnaroo, and headline the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2013. It’s estimated R. Kelly has earned nearly $250 million dollars during this career and one-billion dollars for Jive Records.
KEXP’s Emily Fox talked with author Jim DeRogatis about R Kelly’s abuse and how the music industry failed to hold him accountable. Listen below.
Sound & Vision airs Saturday mornings at 7 AM PST. Hosted by Emily Fox and John Richards, the show "uses interviews, artistry, commentary, insight, and conversation to that tell broader stories through music, and illustrate why music and art matter."
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