Roy Woods Does Incredible Covers Of Classic Usher & R.Kelly Songs

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Roy Woods performs at Philips Arena on August 25, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Roy Wood$ proves his vocal prowess with covers of "U Got It Bad" and "I Believe I Can Fly."

Roy Wood$ exceptional vocal abilities have been proven both on wax and during his live performances. While a lot of singers can't match up to the recordings of their own songs, Wood$ is one of the few that can grab a microphone and prove exactly why he penned a deal with OVO. 88rising linked up with Roy at a karaoke bar where he kicked renditions of Usher's "U Got It Bad" and R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly."

Roy Wood$ takes on two quintessential 90's R&B joints during the latest episode of "Karaoke Royale." While posted up with his homies, Wood$ opens up the episode with an incredible cover of "U Got It Bad." He later puts his own spin on R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" before performing "Get You Good," a stand-out track from his 2015 Exis EP. Artists walk a thin line when covering classic hits. It's a make or break deal where they either do it justice or completely ruin it. Given Wood$' vocal range, he definitely does both songs justice. During his performance of R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly," he get up out of his seat and really feels it. It's probably because of the Hennessy and the shot of grapefruit liquor he had right before.

At the top of August, OVO Sound confirmed every artist on their roster (with the exception of Drake) would release a new project this fall. So far, they've kept to their promises with new music from Majid Jordan, dvsn and PartyNextDoor. However, we've yet to receive a release date on Roy Wood$ Say Less album. He first announced the title of the project in March but we're still waiting on it to arrive. During that time, he's surprised us with a few songs as well as other collaborative efforts. Hopefully, all of this is a sign that we'll get the project before the end of 2017. There's a little less than two months left in the year so maybe he'll end up giving us a surprise release like he did with the Nocturnal EP last year.

Watch the performances below:


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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