R. Kelly may have been caught in a lie after new audio of an alleged conversation between him and Joycelyn Savage has surfaced. During his interview with Gayle King, Kelly assured her that his initial attraction to Savage had nothing to do with mentorship. He said, "I’m not with her for her talent. When I saw her onstage nothing about her told me she sings… It’s cause she was beautiful." The Blast has uncovered audio to the contrary, where a man believed to be Kelly is speaking with a woman who is said to be Joycelyn, in 2015.
In the clip, Kelly was being playful with Savage, singing to her, "Are you still on the phone?" Savage giggles and says yes. Then she asks him about her song "Don't Hold Back," a song that she wrote, inspired by Kelly's own hit "Half on a Baby." Savage asks him if he heard the similarities, and he says, "I noticed that all the way."
Savage wanted to get his thoughts on her song and Kelly assures her that he thinks she has potential, saying, "I love the song...Just needs some changes, a few different melody changes, changes to some lyrics. It needs to be doped up." She replies, "I wanna work with you on that song," and before the audio cuts out he says, "Yeah," claiming he'll give it another listen.
This audio could become key evidence in the federal investigation of him as officials determine whether the singer is involved in a sex trafficking operation. Some believe that Kelly uses his status and the guise of helping mentor young female singers to entice them into his circle.