Last Monday, R. Kelly’s trial for criminal conspiracy and sex trafficking began. However, the struggling singer is dealing with another problem. He’s reportedly on a campaign to sell off his entire music repertoire, according to Billboard. He’s willing to “sell low” and hand over the catalog to anyone interested in buying it. The problem is that no one has yet offered to buy it.
R. Kelly’s lawyer, Devereaux Cannick, revealed earlier this month that the artist is cash-strapped, claiming that his coffers are “drained.” According to Billboard, Kelly’s library produces roughly $1.7 million each year, and while that may seem like a lot to some, just a small fraction of that money ends up in Kelly’s hands. When you consider his continuous legal battles and the recent ones he’s lost, such as a case in which a lady won $4 million after suing him for sexually abusing her when she was 16, it’s easy to see why Kelly is in desperate need of money.
However, it doesn’t appear like his catalog’s price will be reducing any time soon. There are still federal prosecutions pending against the singer in New York and Illinois, as well as state trials in Illinois and Minnesota, all of which could wreak havoc on the catalog’s value.
