R. Kelly joins lineup at MTV Awards
The chart-topping R&B singer was named Tuesday as one of the performers at Sunday’s awards show in Miami. Kelly, whose latest album, “TP.3 Reloaded,” has sold more than 1 million copies, created buzz this summer with his five-part song, “Trapped in the Closet,” a mini soap opera about infidelity.
The 38-year-old singer, known for his sexually charged material, also faces multiple child pornography charges in his native Chicago stemming from a three-year-old case that allegedly involves a teenage girl. The case, which has yet to go to trial, hasn’t hurt Kelly’s recording career: In the interim, he has released four albums that have sold more than 1 million copies each and charted several hits.
Still, the MTV Video Music Awards may be Kelly’s most mainstream performance since his 2002 arrest.
Kelly is set to join a lineup of performers that includes Kelly Clarkson, Green Day, 50 Cent, Shakira, Mariah Carey, The Killers, Kanye West and others. The hip-hop mogul formerly known as P. Diddy — now just Diddy — will be the host.
The performers, presenters and Diddy will each receive a $26,000 gift basket courtesy of the network. Included in the goody bag: an iPod shuffle, a two-night stay at The Inn at Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina courtesy of Auberge Resorts, a two-year VIP Blockbuster Online membership, a Dooney & Bourke travel bag, Jose Cuervo limited-edition tequila and an Americana Couture T-shirt bejeweled with Swarovski crystals.
———
On the Net:
http://www.mtv.com
