<Ul> <Li> 3 × USBL champion (1997, 1998, 1999) </Li> </Ul> <Li> 3 × USBL champion (1997, 1998, 1999) </Li> <P> Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967), known professionally as R. Kelly, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former professional basketball player . A native of Chicago, Illinois, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement . In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play . He is known for a collection of major hit singles including "Bump N' Grind", "Your Body's Callin"', "I Believe I Can Fly", "Gotham City", "Ignition (Remix)", "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time", "The World's Greatest", "I'm a Flirt (Remix)", and the hip - hopera "Trapped in the Closet". In 1998, Kelly won three Grammy Awards for "I Believe I Can Fly". His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous hip hop and contemporary R&B artists . Kelly became the first musician to play professional basketball, when he was signed in 1997 . </P> <P> Kelly has written, produced, and remixed songs and albums for many artists, including Aaliyah's 1994 debut album Age Ain't Nothing but a Number . In 1996, Kelly was nominated for a Grammy for writing Michael Jackson's song "You Are Not Alone". In 2002 and 2004, Kelly released collaboration albums with rapper Jay - Z and has been a guest vocalist for other hip hop artists like Nas, Sean Combs, and The Notorious B.I.G. </P>

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