R. Kelly...Can he really comeback?

As a music professional, I am posed tough questions about the industry, the business, artists etc. I was recently asked this question. The following is my response.

Can R. Kelly make a comeback?

First off, did he really leave? We all know and are familiar with R. Kelly and his legal/moral troubles. The man stood trial and was found not guilty. And although most of us have saw the tape and have made our own assumptions, the laws of the land have spoken.

Did he get away with it? I don't know. Did OJ do it? I don't know. But this blog is not about whether or not R. Kelly did it. This blog is about R. Kelly the artist/songwriter/producer. We all know he is genius on the mic. His talent is undeniable.

So the question is, do we choose the music we like based on the artist's personal life? I honestly feel that the artist's personal life has nothing to do with the quality of music they put out. Does that mean I support their lifestyle? No! It means I like their music.

Many recording artist's are plagued with skeletons that include but not limited to drug abuse/addiction, sexual immorality and all kinds of weird behavior. Some of those skeletons are the reasons they are putting out music.

Most of my musical influences were drug users; doesn't mean I like their music any less. Now, I don't use drugs myself and I don't encourage others in drug use. Nor does it mean that I condone the use drugs. That is a personal issue that the artist has to deal with.

As a music lover, my only job is to love music. While I may have my opinion, I am not a judge. Each of us has our demons. Each of us has to face those demons. And all of us will answer and pay for our deeds one day. Last time I checked, I wasn't elected to committee in charge of handing out punishment.

Every time I hear someone condemn another, I can only think about what I have done. Not saying I am a bad person, but I truly take that in consideration. And I think we all should. In the immortal words of my grandmother, "people who live in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones."

R. Kelly will continue to make music. He will continue to have fans and people that support he. So will Chris Brown and other celebrities that have made mistakes. We have all made mistakes in our lives whether we are a celebrity or not. And I know that is some of those mistakes and trespasses where brought to light; we all would be eligible for crucifixion.