Ja Rule and Fat Joe recently graced the “Verzuz” stage in a battle to celebrate their catalog of hits. During a conversation with N.O.R.E and DJ EFN for “Drink Champs” Ja revealed that their hits with R. Kelly were never going to make the setlist. Ja teamed up with the disgraced R&B singer on “Wonderful,” while Fat Joe collaborated with Kelly on We Thuggin’.”
Speaking about the conscious decision they made to omit any of their collaborations with R. Kelly, Ja revealed they came to an agreement about it before the “Verzuz.” He went on to discuss the complex feelings he has regarding R. Kelly’s legacy. He feels torn about the inability to separate art from the artist as is the case in mediums like fine art. He cites the difficulty in doing so as the reason they chose not to play any of their songs with him.
“R. Kelly is flawed,” he says. “R. Kelly is a flawed man. He’s going through his problems. Nobody’s perfect, he’s flawed. What he’s done is what he’s done and he has to account for that. But the art — do we throw it away?”
Ja made the comments while R Kelly was still on trial for sex trafficking in New York. However, R. Kelly was found guilty yesterday (September 27) of charges including bribery, kidnapping, racketeering, sexual exploitation of a child, and sex trafficking involving six victims.
He is currently facing 10 years to life in prison although he’s awaiting trial on charges of child pornography and obstruction of justice in Illinois.
Check out some of the reactions to R. Kelly being found guilty here.