R. Kelly's Legacy Sparks Debate: Is He the Greatest Songwriter of All Time?

R. Kelly is once again at the center of a heated debate, this time over who the greatest songwriter of all time is.

On Dec. 31 a tweet went viral that stated that the "I Believe I Can Fly" singer is the greatest songwriter in the history of music.

"There is no better writer in the history of American music than R.Kelly," an X user shared to the social media platform.

The tweet was a quote tweet from another user that was surprised that Kelly wrote "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson.

However, the tweet about Kelly being the greatest songwriter in history has sparked a debate on the platform with many people sharing who should have the title over the embattled singer.

"Wrong!!! Barring his criminal records, he is not in the top 5. There are John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Babyface, Bob Dylan, Smokey Robinson etc. He is great but he has 'Ogas,'" someone shared.

"Jermaine Dupri clears R Kelly," another said.

"Babyface wrote an entire soundtrack where each song was from the perspective of a woman, and he wrote each one to sound like the woman singing it, and not just using his own style. Stevie Wonder is, Stevie Wonder. And it's several others above him," another shared.

"When Mariah Carey is right there!! Penned 18 of her 19 #1 hits. Be for real, for real," commented someone else.

However, there were others that agreed that Kelly is the best songwriter of all time.

"R. Kelly's talent is undeniable and people gotta stop pretending it isn't. His actions are disgusting, but I find it fascinating how rock bands were doing 100 times worse from the 60s to the 90s and their music is still played regularly," someone else added.

"It's him & Stevie for me bro ! But I'm with you when you right," someone else shared.

"That guy is goated," commented another.

The viral tweet comes after Michael Che took a jab at Donald Trump becoming President-elect and joked that "if white people can elect their felon, I can dance to mine."

"Y'all gonna let a man with 34 felonies lead the free world and be the president of the United States? That's it, I'm listening to R. Kelly again. I already do, but I'm gonna stop pretending I don't. If white people can elect their felon, I can dance to mine," he said on Saturday Night Live.

Kelly is serving a 20-year prison sentence for his conviction on three counts of producing child pornography and three counts of enticing children for sex. The singer has also been sentenced to charges of sex trafficking and racketeering charges in New York. He was sentenced to 30 years in that case.

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R.Kelly, Music, News