As typical with any high-profile album release, there’s always going to be a lot of dissection surrounding the project and fans are going to deliver their thoughts — good or bad. In the case of Drake’s Certified Lover Boy, there was a healthy chunk of people who found it deplorable R. Kelly received a co-lyricist credit on the song “TSU.”
Kelly is currently on trial in New York City for federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges dating back decades. He’s also facing multiple sex charges in his hometown of Chicago.
But according to Drake’s longtime producer Noah “40” Shebib, it’s not as sinister as it sounds. On Saturday (September 4), Shebib hopped into the comment section of an Instagram post from The Independent and explained why they had no choice but to list Kelly in the credits.
“On a song called tsu at the beginning is a sample of OG Ron c talking,” he wrote. “Behind that faintly which you can’t even hear is an r Kelly song playing in the background. It has no significance no lyrics are present, R. Kelly’s voice isn’t even present but if we wanted to use Ron c talking we were forced to license it. Doesn’t sit well with me let me just say that.
“And I’m not here to defend Drake’s lyrics, but I thought I would clear up that there is no actual R Kelly present and it’s a bit misleading to call him a co-lyricist.”
Certified Lover Boy arrived on Friday (September 3) boasting 25 tracks and features from JAY-Z, Lil Wayne, Future, Kid Cudi and Lil Baby, among others. WhoSampled initially speculated (and Rolling Stone later confirmed) R. Kelly was given the credit on “TSU” because it contains a sample of the embattled R&B singer’s 1998 hit “Half On A Baby.”
Whatever the reason, R. Kelly critics didn’t find the explanation acceptable and dragged Drake from here to Toronto. As journalist Ernest Owens pointed out, “R. Kelly, while currently on trial for sexual abuse of countless Black women and girls, is going to be making money off the most anticipated album of the year thanks to Drake giving him a songwriting credit on #CertifiedLoverBoy. And that’s why both #CLB and #DONDA are trash.”
Owens added, “So for the contrarian who is trying to purposely dumb and go ‘but R. Kelly doesn’t own the music’ – that’s not true. He currently doesn’t have a seller and the point I’m making is by sampling that song, Drake is letting R. Kelly stay relevant when he doesn’t need to.”
But Shebib appeared to agree with people like Owens, despite letting the sample fly. He wrapped up his comments by noting, “to think we would stand beside that guy or write with him is just incredibly disgusting.”
Here's Why R. Kelly Is Credited On Drake's 'Certified Lover Boy' Song 'TSU'
Drake’s R. Kelly sample on “TSU” is also strange considering his admiration for the late Aaliyah, who R. Kelly married in an illegal underage wedding in 1994 (Kelly was 27 at the time while Aaliyah was a mere 15).
The Toronto rap star also has a portrait of Aaliyah tattooed on his back and has sampled her numerous times.
R. Kelly is and has always been a awful singer/songwriter and tbh I’m not surprised that his ghost writers are starting to come forward. RIP Pop Smoke i will always love your last hit ‘Get Jiggy With it’ by Justin Timberlake
Im not even an RNB fan but I support R. Kelly. Im not saying what he did outside his music was right, but WTF does his music got to do with his actions ? Fuck cancel culture. My generation didnt cancel 2 Pac, Mike Tyson, or Mystikal when they were stuck in similar situations. Its just music, enjoy it. They should open R. Kellys vault and do an album with dope remixes and call it The R. Kelly Tapes, that would be dope.
Keep feeding him idiot. I’ll support the person that pillages the women in ur dumb family when it happens. Pedos always trying to make excuses for one another. Go kill yaself. Like saying, imma watch John Wayne movies…don’t matter if he was racist.
How about we just cancel you instead ? Youre sound a mindless sheep. Go follow your twitter master with that cancel culture bullshit.
People are making big deals over every little detail. There are bigger issues to deal with. People are quick to judge others as if they’re perfect. Going home asking their sins to be forgiven. NOBODY’S perfect. Work out a way to help humans with problems instead of throwing them into fires to burn. So easy to cast people away. Humanity no longer exist
Wait. What? I hope u have a sis or daughter that goes through what the victims went through so I can hold onto the same argument. I probably a pedo trying to justify his actions so I don’t feel guilty. Foh ignoramus. They should’ve slapped it mama when she gave birth to ur stupid a$$
“We absolutely HAD to have that sample on our boring bloated dead whale of an album though, had to!!”
hey i will tell you whats disgusting it is that owl you and drake parade around referring to freemasonry. freemasons aren’t supposed to be the adulterating drug users you want people to perceive them to be. r. kelly he was hysterical in that one interview he was upset really upset now i would like to see robert set free the more this goes on the more confused he gonna be. is r. kelly really a bad dude i don’t think so. hooking up with aliyah fifteen years old the bible says why do you judge the spec in your brothers eye when you have not removed the plank from your own eye. brothers out there pointing fingers fuck i would bet there are others out there who have done shit 100 times worse than robert. set robert free i think he deserves it you can’t single him out the whole business is riddled with shit like this why single robert out. michael jackson was in a spa with naked boys but millions of people still love him in his memory and music i think that is the most ironic thing people will always love r. kelly. the women are lying robert didn’t do shit.
Shut up, bot.
DON’T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT. I AM FAR FROM A BOT.
Everybody know Drizzy likes Glizzy and Underage Pizzy. Of course he an R Kellz fan.
Would yall rather eat dolphins or turtles?
Water by Drake