“I don’t see nothing wrong with a little bump and grind; I don’t see nothing wrong …”. With that line, Robert Silvester Kelly thrust himself into our teenage lives with aplomb.
Little did he know then how those words would come back to haunt him. Indeed, many a baby was conceived on the back of an R Kelly soundtracks. I bear testimony to his infectious lyricism.
I was there when he was the opening act at the 2010 Fifa World Cup ceremony at Soccer City. I was there at the Sun City Superbowl when Michael Jackson died and R Kelly serenaded us with his composition, “You’re not alone”, in 2009.
But R Kelly did not see anything wrong with “a little bump and grind”. As you will know, he is incarcerated for having sexual intercourse with minors. It baffles me because his demeanour, stage presence and charm did not warrant his shameless acts.
Women literally threw themselves at him, but he chose the criminal path.
Gender-based violence is a curse bedevilling our midst here and abroad.
Of all the crimes, I’m most terrified and mindful of gender-based violence.
I see everything wrong with bump and grind. Sunday World would not touch me with a barge pole if I was accused of tinkering with a female body.
Regular readers of Straight & Two Beers know my affinity for the entertainment industry and my penchant for music. I was having studio time recently when I found myself in a compromising situation. A talented lady was introduced to me and I duly complied and afforded her the opportunity to shine behind the microphone.
As the night wore on and we became acquainted, I noticed the uncomfortability of her closeness. Her body language spelled come hither. Her voice went beyond my prompts as I coached and guided her to follow her heart. As if I had not seen the signs, a member of my crew told me she was ripe for the pickings.
That’s when the lightbulb went on. That’s when I had my R Kelly warning signs, which maybe he ignored.
I saw the jail bars. I have been around the block a few times and knew I could not trust my raging hormones. I barely knew her apart from her unmistakable talent. Mixing business with pleasure is not my forte. I loathe having to account for a moment of weakness.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and his ministers faced a hostile audience in Midrand this week over his government’s lacklustre response towards GBV despite recognising it as a second “pandemic”.
With all said and done, I see everything wrong with a bump and grind.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here
