With R. Kelly’s trial coming to an end, everyone knows all the horrific acts the R&B musician has committed. Yet, one thing that was left out of the trial was the testimonies and statements of R. Kelly’s children.
Many people might be surprised that R. Kelly even has children, especially since the rapper has an estranged relationship with them. However, R. Kelly’s son, Jaya Kelly, was recently the subject of headlines, due to him coming out as a trans man.
Do you want to find out more? In this article, we’ll tell you everything about Jaya Kelly, his music career, his struggles growing up, and more. Let’s dive in!
Who Is Jaya Kelly?
Jaya Kelly is the son of American musician R. Kelly and his ex-wife Andrea Kelly. Kelly was born in 2000. He has two siblings, Joann, and Robert Jr.
While his father is Hollywood royalty, Kelly first gained public attention when he came out as a transgender male in 2014. He announced that he no longer will be using the name Jaya. Instead, Kelly opted for the masculine alternative, Jaah.
Since 2014, Jaah has been pretty vocal in the media and on social media. Not only did fans applaud him for his courage in coming out, but they also supported his views on his father.
Despite Jaah Kelly’s troubled relationship with his father, entertainment and music run in his blood. For this reason, the young Kelly chose to pursue a music career.
In fact, Jaah is a pretty talented young man. He’s a rapper, singer, and music producer. Though he hasn’t officially released any music, the musician has some songs on multiple streaming platforms.
Education and Career
Growing up, Jaah faced numerous challenges with fitting in at school. For starters, he was a queer teenager that faced bullying. Additionally, having famous parents made trusting people harder.
What made matters even more troublesome was the fact that the family frequently moved to keep up with R. Kelly’s schedule. As a result, Jaah didn’t have many friends, as he never settled at one school for long.
Still, Kelly was able to finish his secondary education. He graduated from high school in 2018. Yet, he didn’t pursue any college education, choosing to focus on his music instead.
Mainly, Kelly is an independent hip-hop, R&B, and techno artist. He performs under the alias Jaah Baby, keeping away from his father’s spotlight.
Kelly releases all his music on SoundCloud. He has released numerous singles, including:
- Lost It
- Reflection
- Reservoir
- Gentle
- Stalling ft. Kel
Family
While Jaah, formerly Jaya Kelly, is best known for his relationship with his father, R. Kelly, a loving family surrounds the 23-year-old.
Jaah Kelly’s family includes:
Andrea Kelly
Andrea Kelly, known mostly as Drea, is an American actress and dancer born in Chicago, Illinois. She first met R. Kelly when she was just 22.
The pair met when Drea was one of Kelly’s backup dancers. Soon after, the couple got married in 1996. Drea and Kelly share three children, Jaah, Joann, and Robert Jr.
Due to R. Kelly’s infamous behavior. The couple got separated. Andrea even filed a restraining order against Kelly before the official divorce, as he didn’t take the news easily, and assaulted his former wife.
After R. Kelly’s conviction, the dancer came forward, detailing the domestic violence she went through when she was married to the rapper. She appeared on numerous talk shows, such as The View, as well as starred in the documentary Surviving R. Kelly.
Though Drea went through a lot of pain, she still came through for her children. When Jaah first came out as transgender, Andrea expressed tremendous support for his son. The actress expressed that she’ll love him no matter what the world thinks.
As for Andrea’s relationship with R. Kelly, the pair are now divorced. She even stated that she wants nothing to do with R. Kelly, because of his numerous crimes.
Joann Kelly
Joann Kelly was born on March 19, 1998, which makes her only two years older than Jaah. She is the eldest daughter of Drea and R. Kelly, named after the latter’s mother.
Much like her family members, Joann is a dedicated musician. She performs under the stage name Buku Abi. The 25-year-old singer said that music gave her a sense of purpose, particularly with all the controversies surrounding her father.
Buku has stated numerous times that she wants nothing to do with R. Kelly, going as far as calling him a monster.
Yet, family is incredibly important to the young musician. In fact, her first album, Don’t Call Me, which was released in 2019, was produced by her brother, Jaah Kelly.
Richard Kelly Jr.
Jaah’s younger brother is Richard Kelly Jr. He’s two years younger than the hip-hop musician.
The Kelly siblings share two main things; their musical talent, and their distaste for their father.
Richard Kelly Jr. said that he doesn’t recognize R. Kelly to be his dad, as Kelly Sr. completely abandoned the family after his nasty divorce from Drea. The rapper even refused to pay child support, despite being a millionaire!
That said, Richard Jr. prefers to stay away from the spotlight, which is only natural considering what his father has put the family through. While both Jaah and Joann are aspiring musicians, Richard Jr. doesn’t make any music.
Relationship With R. Kelly
Since the early 90s, R. Kelly has faced tens of allegations of misconduct, including marrying then-15-year-old Aaliyah.
As this information was present long before any of Kelly’s children were born, they weren’t really discussed within the household.
In fact, Jaah only found out about his father’s infamous past and present allegations when he was in school. However, once he got home, the family would act normally.
Accordingly, none of the Kelly children knew the truth about their father’s behavior before he was officially convicted. Still, the family suffered tremendous abuse at the hands of R. Kelly.
The children and their mother also haven’t mentioned anything regarding their parents’ separation. Many sources speculate that the cause of their silence is the NDA Drea was forced to sign as a part of the divorce proceedings.
Kelly has also distanced himself from the family, going as far as changing his phone number and address. So, before he was arrested, his children had no clue about his whereabouts or how to contact him in case of an emergency.
Naturally, Jaah and his father are estranged.
Wrapping Up
Jaah, formerly Jaya Kelly, is the 23-year-old son of Drea and R. Kelly. The son couldn’t be more different than his father. Jaah, a trans man, is a supporter of LGBTQ rights, and a feminist ally.
Yet, one thing the father-son duo have in common is their passion for music. Jaah is an incredibly talented Techno and R&B musician. Yet, he prefers not to be associated with his infamous father, choosing to perform under the pseudonym Jaah Baby.
Though Jaah barely has a relationship with his estranged father, he couldn’t be closer to his family. His mother, Drea Kelly, always voices her support and love for her son. He also collaborated with his sister Joann on her first album.
