Thanks to Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly docuseries, Dave Chappelle’s infamous video squarely aimed at mocking the R&B crooner has returned to the spotlight, and faced scrutiny. Neal Brennan, Chappelle’s longtime collaborator, was recently on The Breakfast Club defending the move and also detailed that the Pied Piper of Pee Pee wanted to actually fight the comedian.
Charlamagne Tha God asked Brennan about the Chappelle’s Show “Piss On You” video and Brennan explained they were trying to poke fun at R. Kelly and humiliate him, not normalize his behavior.
“I don’t think people understand what comedy is supposed to do,” said Brennan. “We will observe things, we’ll make fun of things. Did people want us to round up a posse and go arrest R. Kelly? Like, what were we supposed to do?”
He then added the tidbit that Kells sicced the goons on Dave Chappelle. However, Chappelle had his own goons to hold him down.
Said Brennan, “R. Kelly wanted to fight Dave. His goons stepped to Dave in Chicago and Dave’s goons intervened. The goons negotiated.”
Ultimately, Brennan insisted they weren’t trying to normalize R. Kelly’s alleged behavior.
“We also did a white supremacist sketch, I don’t think we normalized white supremacy,” said Brennan. “Our job is to poke fun at things. And even if it’s bleak, we still poke fun of it. We were trying to humiliate a guy who was known for peeing… It’s like insane.”
Watch the clip, and the full segment, below. Tell us what you think in the comments.
People were mad last week that we did an R. Kelly sketches 15 years ago. Here's me explaining comedy to them. pic.twitter.com/FQoxIALqkr
Throughout the fall out of the Surviving R. Kelly docu-series, many recalled to the pop culture references toward R. Kelly’s rumored history. The most notable one was Dave Chappelle’s “Piss On You” skit from Chappelle’s Show, which is now confirmed to have ruffled the feathers of the “Pied Pieper of R&B.”
Co-creator of Chappelle’s Show, Neal Brennan, recently made an appearance on The Breakfast Club and while talking about the legendary skit, he revealed that R. Kelly wanted to fight Chappelle and sent “goons” to press him during a trip to Chicago.
“R. Kelly wanted to fight Dave,” Brennan detailed. “His goons stepped to Dave in Chicago and Dave’s goons intervened. The goons negotiated.”
Check out a clip from Neal’s time below and be sure to check out the full interview here.
People were mad last week that we did an R. Kelly sketches 15 years ago. Here’s me explaining comedy to them. pic.twitter.com/FQoxIALqkr
Hollywood star Nick Cannon wants people to think bigger than R. Kelly. The hip-hop artist stepped forward this week to address the industry’s dark side and horrendous secret treatment toward women.
During an appearance with radio personality Big Boy, Nick didn’t bite his tongue on explaining why Kelly is just one of many guilty celebs.
“I was the first person to step up. I wrote a post and did a podcast saying I’m going to apologize because I feel like I am guilty. I am guilty for turning a blind eye not just to R. Kelly but to all men in this industry and treating women like second-class citizens has to stop – let’s not have this selective outrage. That’s why I called out a lot of other individuals whose lawyers started contacting me. Why your lawyers contacting me if it’s not true? I’m not out here passing out rumors and stuff, I’m bringing up stuff y’all forgot about because of the timign. We look at the age of the rock star. If you go back and look at some of these movies. They were doing such horrendous things to young girls and it was praised. The groupies after the shows and what they’re doing.” (Big Boy TV)
“Man, who is that? I thought we had forgot about that? We giving it too much attention. When you give things too much attention, they blow up. That’s why he gonna blow up. That’s why his music gonna do what it do. If you stop talking about it, it’ll go away.” (Power 106 FM)
Chicago wordsmith/philanthropist Chance The Rapper and Syracuse rhyme spitter Post Malone are among the latest of artists and celebrities who have chosen to distance themselves from disgraced singer R. Kelly following the shocking documentary, which revealed Kelly as a vicious predator.
Following the Surviving R. Kelly debacle, several artists including Lady Gaga and the Pussycat Dolls, pulled their collaborations with Kelly from their catalogs, with Chance and Post as the latest among Hip Hop circles.
Chance the Rapper has revealed he is pulling his song “Somewhere in Paradise” with R. Kelly from all streaming services, while Malone said that he was riding with the victims and all of the other courageous artists that pulled their collabos.
R. Kellyis reportedly feeling pressure from the outside after the airing of the Lifetime docu-series Surviving R. Kelly, and now some members of his team are also in the same boat. A former manager of the beleaguered R&B singer will turn himself to Georgia authorities after making terroristic threats towards the family of Jocelyn Savage, an alleged victim of Kelly’s so-called “sex cult.”
The Blast has learned James Mason will surrender to authorities Wednesday in Henry County, GA after a judge issued the warrant, citing “terroristic threats and acts.”
Mason is accused of threatening the family of Joycelyn Savage after her parents continued to question whether the relationship between their daughter and Kelly was consensual.
According to a police report, obtained by The Blast, Mason told Timothy Savage, “I’m gonna do harm to you and your family, when I see you I’m gonna get you, I’m going to f***ing kill you.”
Gerald Griggs, attorney for Timothy Savage, told us the family was contacted by the District Attorney this week and asked if they objected to Mason being given bail once he turns himself in tot he Henry County Jail.
The outlet adds that another manager is under investigation for alleged threats against the Savage family because of their involvement in the Lifetime docu-series.
Chapelle’s Show is responsible for some of the most cutting-edge comedy on television of all-time. In the early 2000s, Dave Chappelle’s sketch series was groundbreaking, provocative, and in some ways prophetic to social issues that followed.
Comedian Neal Brennan wrote and directed many of the show’s most memorable episodes. In his latest appearance on The Breakfast Club, he explained the state of comedy, especially in an era of cancel-culture. Thirty seconds into the interview, Charlamagne Tha God mentions that he, like many personalities in the public eye, has faced backlash for old content, especially on social media. In the wake of this month’s Surviving R. Kelly, Charlamagne asks Neal, who co-wrote the “Pee On You” satire of R. Kelly’s real-life accusations, about how such comedy intersects with real-life. Charlamagne adds that one of R. Kelly’s real-life accusers, Lisa Van Allen, recently told The Breakfast Club that humor like that made her trauma seem less serious.
At 1:00, Brennan responds, “Alright, I got a lot of thoughts about this: first of all, I don’t think people understand what comedy is supposed to do. We will observe things; we’ll make fun of things. [This] advocacy is a new thing. Like the idea of ‘go on this website and do blank.’ Did people want [Chappelle’sShow] to round up a posse and go arrest R. Kelly? Like, what were we supposed to do? Like, Charlie Chaplin made a movie called The Great Dictator, which was about [Adolf] Hitler. It made fun of Hitler; we made fun of R. Kelly. The idea that we normalized it…R. Kelly wanted to fight Dave [Chappelle]. He literally stepped—his goons stepped to Dave in Chicago, and Dave’s goons intervened, and the goons negotiated.” The comment brings laughter among the hosts and Neal, who says the incident took place in 2003, and he was not present.
“We also did a white supremacist sketch; I don’t think we normalized white supremacy,” continues Neal. “Our job is to poke fun at things, and even if it’s bleak, we still poke fun at it. We were trying to humiliate a guy who was known for peeing [on underage women]. It’s insane…we’re not law enforcement. Our job is to mock; we’re equal opportunity offenders.”
Angela Yee asks if that sketch would work to debut after something like Surviving R. Kelly. “I don’t think so, and I don’t know.” He explains that the idea of applying past jokes or points to today’s standards does not apply. “The morals are different. Bernie Mac did a joke about beating his nephew to the white meat. Was he espousing child abuse? I guess, if you want to take the worst possible interpretation of any of these things, I guess Bernie was espousing child abuse. If you want; I don’t believe he was. But you could make an argument, and you’d get support, and maybe get a hashtag to cancel Bernie ’cause he said ‘beat somebody to the white meat.’”
Neal adds that in another sketch, making light of Black celebrities—including R. Kelly—on trial, a humorous defense argument from the sketch would be mirrored in the real-life late 2000s deliberations. “We did a sketch-comedy defense, and then R. Kelly’s lawyers kinda plead the same thing, and won. [People I told recently were] like, ‘Are you bragging?’ I’m like, ‘What kind of a maniac would brag about getting a pedophile off [trial]?’ No, I’m not bragging! I’m pointing out the absurdity that we pitch something as absurd comedy that then became reality.” Brennan blames the attack on comedy as what he calls “bad faith interpretations.”
Moments later, the Half Baked co-writer continues, “It’s like the advocacy part of comedy, I think that’s a new thing…people will just take [an interview] and they’ll literally [interpret something I said negatively]. It’s its own genre of entertainment now, this ‘gotcha’ thing. There’s no redemption. Kevin Hart has to just keep apologizing to everyone he meets,” referring to a series of apologies from his peer. “Where do you think this is headed? We can all get caught, for everything.”
At 14:00, Charlamagne asks, “How did we go from In Living Color, the Chappelle show, to where we are now? It’s like we went backward.” Neal responds, “I think in its essence it’s not bad. I’m not opposed to [LBGTQ] rights, and women to feel safer, there’s all of these things…I just wish there was a level of humanity to it.” He and Charlamagne agree that attending a comedy show historically meant that you might get made fun of, but so would other groups.
While at The Breakfast Club, Brennan also discusses his new Netflix’s special, Comedians Of The World.
Chapelle’s Show is responsible for some of the most cutting-edge comedy on television of all-time. In the early 2000s, Dave Chappelle’s sketch series was groundbreaking, provocative, and in some ways prophetic to social issues that followed.
Comedian Neal Brennan wrote and directed many of the show’s most memorable episodes. In his latest appearance on The Breakfast Club, he explained the state of comedy, especially in an era of cancel-culture. Thirty seconds into the interview, Charlamagne Tha God mentions that he, like many personalities in the public eye, has faced backlash for old content, especially on social media. In the wake of this month’s Surviving R. Kelly, Charlamagne asks Neal, who co-wrote the “Pee On You” satire of R. Kelly’s real-life accusations, about how such comedy intersects with real-life. Charlamagne adds that one of R. Kelly’s real-life accusers, Lisa Van Allen, recently told The Breakfast Club that humor like that made her trauma seem less serious.
At 1:00, Brennan responds, “Alright, I got a lot of thoughts about this: first of all, I don’t think people understand what comedy is supposed to do. We will observe things; we’ll make fun of things. [This] advocacy is a new thing. Like the idea of ‘go on this website and do blank.’ Did people want [Chappelle’sShow] to round up a posse and go arrest R. Kelly? Like, what were we supposed to do? Like, Charlie Chaplin made a movie called The Great Dictator, which was about [Adolf] Hitler. It made fun of Hitler; we made fun of R. Kelly. The idea that we normalized it…R. Kelly wanted to fight Dave [Chappelle]. He literally stepped—his goons stepped to Dave in Chicago, and Dave’s goons intervened, and the goons negotiated.” The comment brings laughter among the hosts and Neal, who says the incident took place in 2003, and he was not present.
“We also did a white supremacist sketch; I don’t think we normalized white supremacy,” continues Neal. “Our job is to poke fun at things, and even if it’s bleak, we still poke fun at it. We were trying to humiliate a guy who was known for peeing [on underage women]. It’s insane…we’re not law enforcement. Our job is to mock; we’re equal opportunity offenders.”
Angela Yee asks if that sketch would work to debut after something like Surviving R. Kelly. “I don’t think so, and I don’t know.” He explains that the idea of applying past jokes or points to today’s standards does not apply. “The morals are different. Bernie Mac did a joke about beating his nephew to the white meat. Was he espousing child abuse? I guess, if you want to take the worst possible interpretation of any of these things, I guess Bernie was espousing child abuse. If you want; I don’t believe he was. But you could make an argument, and you’d get support, and maybe get a hashtag to cancel Bernie ’cause he said ‘beat somebody to the white meat.’”
Neal adds that in another sketch, making light of Black celebrities—including R. Kelly—on trial, a humorous defense argument from the sketch would be mirrored in the real-life late 2000s deliberations. “We did a sketch-comedy defense, and then R. Kelly’s lawyers kinda plead the same thing, and won. [People I told recently were] like, ‘Are you bragging?’ I’m like, ‘What kind of a maniac would brag about getting a pedophile off [trial]?’ No, I’m not bragging! I’m pointing out the absurdity that we pitch something as absurd comedy that then became reality.” Brennan blames the attack on comedy as what he calls “bad faith interpretations.”
Moments later, the Half Baked co-writer continues, “It’s like the advocacy part of comedy, I think that’s a new thing…people will just take [an interview] and they’ll literally [interpret something I said negatively]. It’s its own genre of entertainment now, this ‘gotcha’ thing. There’s no redemption. Kevin Hart has to just keep apologizing to everyone he meets,” referring to a series of apologies from his peer. “Where do you think this is headed? We can all get caught, for everything.”
At 14:00, Charlamagne asks, “How did we go from In Living Color, the Chappelle show, to where we are now? It’s like we went backward.” Neal responds, “I think in its essence it’s not bad. I’m not opposed to [LBGTQ] rights, and women to feel safer, there’s all of these things…I just wish there was a level of humanity to it.” He and Charlamagne agree that attending a comedy show historically meant that you might get made fun of, but so would other groups.
Turnt Tuesday. It’s a day to get fully turnt SOHH why not get things going with Post Malone wanting R. Kelly‘s music pulled? Speaking of controversial topics, how about a petition going around urging Travis Scott to knee during next month’s Super Bowl LIII halftime show? With choices on your mind, who do you think Kim Kardashian would rather be stuck in an elevator with between Taylor Swift and Drake? All this coming up in SOHH Whatcha Think.
1. Pull It
Is it too much to have R. Kelly’s music pulled? Couldn’t people just choose not to listen to it? Turns out Texas hip-hop artist Post Malone is down for having Kells’ tunes fade to black on streaming sites – notably his collabos. TMZ has the footage:
Do you agree with him? Is he speaking facts? Think this will all die down soon or amplify? #SOHHWhatchaThink?
2. Kneel To Heal
With all the backlash Travis Scott received for agreeing to perform at the Super Bowl LIII halftime show, could he make things right again by taking a knee during the performance? Turns out there’s a major petition going around urging Scott, Maroon 5 and Big Boi to show support for Black Lives Matter activist Colin Kaepernick at next month’s championship game. Billboard has the info:
As seen on SOHH.com
Back in November, a Change.org petition demanding Maroon 5 to step down from their scheduled performance at the Super Bowl LIII halftime show garnered nearly 85,000 signatures. However, the band is officially playing at the Feb. 3 football game, and Travis Scott and Big Boi were both added to the bill. In response, the petition updated its goal: for the three performers to take a knee during their set. “I have nothing against the band, this isn’t about them and they just got caught in the crossfire,” Vic Oyedeji, founder of Unstrippedvoice and the petition’s creator told Billboard of Maroon 5. “I’m saying the only way for them to preserve their reputation is to take a knee during their set to show the hundreds of millions of people watching their solidarity with Colin Kaepernick and the players who are protesting police brutality.” (Billboard)
Could this be a huge win? Are you pulling for this to happen? Will you sign the petition? #SOHHWhatchaThink?
3. Choose Your Fate
What ever happened to pleading the fifth? Turns out Kim K had the pressure on her this week during an appearing of “Watch What Happens Live” and had to make the ultimate decision – who would she rather be stuck in an elevator with – Taylor Swift or Drake. Turns out both have had issues with her hubby – Kanye West – but for Kim, it seemed almost like a no-brainer. YouTube has the footage:
…
Do you believe her? Did she make the right decision? Think she’s being honest? #SOHHWhatchaThink?
That wraps it up for today. This is SOHH On The Spot giving you the scoop from your fave gossip sites.
For all those headass R. Kelly defenders whose argument revolves around the whole “why didn’t they come out sooner” malarkey, well, Faith Rodgers ordeal with the embattled singer might shed a little light on that.
In an interview with CBS In The Morning, the 21-year-old Rodgers spoke about how multi-platinum crooner tried to silence her when he sent her a letter threatening to publicly shame her with “compromising photos” as well as having“10 personal male witnesses testifying about her sex life” if she didn’t stop pursuing her court case against him.
But that didn’t keep Rodgers from continuing her case against Kelly which she filed last April for initiating nonconsensual sex acts and ultimately infecting her with genital herpes.
“It just validates the monster that he is, I realize that’s his defense. But his defense is only revealing his true colors,” Rodgers told the panel.
A lawyer for R. Kelly denied the allegation and told CBS that the letter was a “fake” stating that Kelly didn’t know how to read, write or type to have sent any letter. But wait, didn’t his ex-wife help him to learn how to read and write years back?
After the Surviving R. Kelly docu-series lawsuits have been opened against R. Kelly, along with possible legal issues with states across the county. Beyond that, singers from Lady Gaga to B2K to Celine Dion are pulling the plug on the digital shelf life of their collaborations with the singer. While all of this was happening Kells was spotted out partying in Chicago. Safe to say he didn’t care about those artists right? That’s exactly the case.
A recent report states R. Kelly has no concern about the artists who are severing ties to them and views them as “phonies,” instead he has his eyes focused on Lifetime. The hosting network for the docuseries. You may recall, Kelly issues a cease and desist letter to the network before the series aired, however, it was unsuccessful. Now the Chocolate Factory creator is focused on having Lifetime encounter some legal repercussions.
The response to Lifetime is not only legally, but it is also stated that Kells is looking to get any information on company executives to complete a full-on revenge campaign.
On Wednesday (Jan 16) the state of Illinois will have access to the studio in Chicago where some of the girls were allegedly held. The location is a warehouse but was reportedly illegally used as both a recording studio and a residence. Kelly is facing eviction over the rented space due to over $170,000 in back rent and costs.
Things are getting more and more interesting a week following the premiere of the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries. Many people who have collaborated with the disgraced singer in the past have joined the #MuteRKelly movement, meanwhile others assured that they been hopped on the wave decades ago when his pedophilia was made public knowledge.
JAY-Z was one of the people who opted to not participate in the documentary for whatever reason. According to an unearthed 2002 interview with Wendy Williams and Nas, Hov seen a “14-year-old girl come in the studio sit on R. Kelly’s lap” during the production of the Best of Both Worlds. Wendy agreed saying that anyone who has worked with him witnessed disgusting acts of sexual misconduct.
Dame Dash recently made headlines for claiming he was allegedly against his former artist collaborating with R. Kelly because of the nature of the relationship between his late fiance, Aaliyah, and Kells.
“I remember having the conversation with Aaliyah. And I was like ‘Yo, tell me what happened.’ And she was like ‘uh.’ She just couldn’t,” Dame said. “What you think I felt? I’m human, bro. I had to look the other way. All these years. Publicly, that man did a record with that n*gga that raped my girl, that he liked as well. But no one said nothing.”
Full interview at 6am on @real923la
#LadyGaga #RKelly
