The six-part docu-series Surviving R. Kellyhas stirred widespread debate about the allegations of sexual abuse and pedophilia against singer R. Kelly.
But long before Lifetime’s exhaustive profile aired, a Jacksonville-based DJ stopped playing the acclaimed R&B singer’s hits all together.
Nick Puzo, who clubgoers and wedding guests know as DJ NickFRESH, was once a big fan of R. Kelly, who’s given name is Robert Kelly.
Like many who came of age in the late 90s and early 2000s, Puzo said he was enamored with the chart-topping artist’s talent. But all that changed for Puzo about a decade ago.
In 2008, Kelly was accused of making a sex tape with an underaged woman.
Puzzo, who was working in commercial radio at the time, said he was disturbed by the outpouring of support that Kelly received. It made him reevaluate his relationship with pop music.
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“The blind following of R. Kelly just affected my love for mainstream music and people that actually make the music as well. It made me start to question some of the music choices I was making at the time.”
A jury acquitted the acclaimed artist of all charges of child pornography that same year. But Puzo was convinced that Kelly was guilty.
The 2008 trial was just one of a string of controversies surrounding Kelly, dating back to 1994. He was 27 at the time and married to the late R&B icon Aaliyah when she was only 15-years-old.
She lied about her age on the wedding certificate, which resulted in the annulment of the marriage in 1995.
Puzo slowly started phasing out Kelly’s music from his playlist. He would only play the Grammy award-winning artist’s top hits like “Ignition,” “Anytime, Anyplace” and “Bump N Grind;” something he said he now regrets doing.
A few years ago, Puzo stopped playing Kelly’s music all together, even when people request it.
“There is a whole world of music out there that we should be exploring, instead of really just kinda staying on some of these artists,” he said. “Time has revealed that it’s not necessarily good and wonderful with these artists.”
Puzo said he got mixed reviews after he stopped playing Kelly all together, a couple of years ago. He said a few people have given him a hard time for his decision, but people have mostly been understanding.
Puzo said Kelly continued receiving support not only because he is one of the best R&B artists of his generation, but also because they’re wry of the institutional racism African-American men face. But Puzo, himself a black man, said he simply cannot get himself to support Kelly.
“I just find it impossible and I also find it very exhausting to try to lift someone up that really has no remorse, or doesn’t care to rehabilitate himself,” he said.
Puzo challenges others to follow suit.
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