"Y'all got to be kidding me": Internet reacts to video of R Kelly supposedly singing to a woman on her birthday from prison

A video allegedly showing R Kelly singing to a woman for her birthday from prison has gone viral online, sparking a mix of disbelief, amusement, and nostalgia from social media users on April 25. The clip, originally shared on X (formerly Twitter), features a woman on speakerphone as what appears to be R. Kelly's voice serenades her with "Happy Birthday."

The post quickly gained traction, prompting many to ask if the disgraced R&B singer was truly performing from behind bars- and why.

The 58-year-old, currently serving a 30-year sentence for s*x trafficking and racketeering, has remained active musically while incarcerated. Earlier this year, he appeared on the Inmate Tea with A&P podcast, where he not only sang snippets of his hits but also claimed to have written 25 new albums in prison.

Despite R Kelly's legal troubles, musical restrictions haven't stopped his voice from reaching fans- and, apparently, birthday parties. As the alleged birthday serenade video made its rounds on social media, fans and critics alike reacted with a mixture of awe and exasperation.

The reactions ranged from comedic disbelief to uncomfortable nostalgia. Many acknowledged the talent behind the voice, but couldn't ignore the singer’s serious criminal history.

"Y’all got to be kidding me🤦🏻‍♀️ i really don't know what to say," one X user wrote.

"Why did bro have to do what he did 🤦 voice was unmatched," another shared.

"How much? Asking for a friend," one X user tweeted.

Others couldn’t believe his continued influence, even from behind bars.

"Still got the ladies from jail free the goat man," one fan tweeted.

"How is R kelly still packing out shows in Prison???" another one asked on X.

"Ladies still loves him," another X user stated.

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R Kelly remains in prison and musically active

On April 1, 2025, Vice and NME reported on R Kelly's remarks, where he stated, "Singing is a beautiful disease that's incurable," reaffirming his commitment to music.

The surge of interest in Kelly's prison activities came shortly after a TikTok video falsely claimed he had been released from prison following a pardon from former President Donald Trump. That claim, which circulated widely on Facebook, was swiftly debunked.

According to Check Your Fact as of April 3, 2024, a White House spokesperson denied the pardon claim, calling it "obviously fake." The same article confirmed that R. Kelly is still listed as an inmate at FCI Butner Medium I in North Carolina, per records from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Additionally, Reuters reported on March 27, 2024, that the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Kelly's conviction. Adding to the buzz, R Kelly recently contributed a verse via prison phone to Chris Brown's 2023 track Residuals, as reported by Complex on April 2, 2024. Longtime collaborator Rodney East posted the remix to Instagram, assuring followers it was authentic and not AI-generated.

As Yahoo Entertainment noted on April 3, 2024, Kelly is committed to producing music and staying creative during his incarceration.

R Kelly is currently serving concurrent 30- and 20-year sentences, the latter stemming from a 2023 conviction in Chicago on child p*rnography charges. As of April 2025, there is no indication he will be released early, and his appeal for the New York sentence was rejected last month, as reported by Reuters on March 27, 2024.