In R&B, legacy and respect mean everything and Boosie Badazz isn’t letting it slide when he thinks one of the genre’s most influential artists is getting short shrift. The Baton Rouge rapper is going viral again in his defense of the controversial R. Kelly, who was omitted from a fan-designed “R&B Mount Rushmore” that took the internet by storm this week.
Michael Jackson Tops Mount Rushmore List, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, Usher Round Out Top Four As The Greatest R&B Artists EverDebates Across Social MediaThe Mount Rushmore list naming Michael Jackson, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, and Usher as the greatest R&B artists of all time caused a huge stir across social media. But as the internet rushed to weigh in with its usual array of opinions, Boosie would not be outdone. He didn’t hold back on social media, calling out what he saw as disrespectful treatment of R. Kelly, the artist he believes deserves a place in the genre’s pantheon.
“THE DISRESPECT TO R.KELLY,” Boosie all-capped, evidently worked up. “I HATE HOW THEY DO THIS MAN SMH, I ALSO HATE HOW NO-ONE N HIS ERA GIVES HIM IS CREDIT. I WASNT AROUND THEN BUT IM STARTING TO FEEL LIKE THE INDUSTRY WAS JEALOUS OF RKELLY.” Boosie’s blunt remarks mirror the sentiment of fans who feel that R. Kelly’s mark on R&B cannot be wiped clean despite his declining image in the public sphere. With more than thirty years of music, songwriting credits for innumerable hits, and a catalog that defined the sound of ’90s and 2000s R&B, the absence of R. Kelly from a ranking like this one feels personal to Boosie, and he’s not alone.
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The backlash over Ne-Yo’s inclusion was particularly pronounced, with some fans puzzled that he would be inducted above legacy names like Prince, Marvin Gaye, or even Beyoncé. However, the focus was on R. Kelly’s absence, especially given his influence on male and female R&B artists for decades. Arguments against this are numerous, but one prevailing question seems to stem from his legal troubles. It’s not the first time Boosie has defended R. Kelly, either. He has voiced his support for the beleaguered singer for years, often calling attention to what he views as his songwriting genius and vocal prowess. Although his opinions are often polarizing, Boosie is very vocal and doesn’t hold back on who is canceled, especially when he feels the public or the industry mistreats an artist.
His emotional outburst only gives ammunition to the incendiary conversation that continues to boil while we figure out how to embrace our legends in Black music. Boosie Badazz is damn sure ready to point to what he sees as disrespect, and in his eyes, excluding R. Kelly from the mountain ain’t just a rebuff but a reclassification of history.
