In a recent appearance on the That’s F***ed Up Podcast, entrepreneur Dame Dash openly discussed the serious allegations surrounding R. Kelly’s relationship with the late Aaliyah. Dash, who had a personal connection with Aaliyah, expressed his belief that Kelly belongs in prison due to his actions.
“I think he’s where he belongs,” Dash stated unequivocally. “I know Aaliyah, so I know what he did.” Having been romantically involved with the talented singer, Dash admitted, “I can’t be objective about that, you know what I’m saying? But he definitely seemed like he needed some help.”
While Aaliyah asked him not to get involved in her ordeal with Kelly, Dash was deeply disturbed by Jay-Z’s collaboration with the disgraced R&B singer, despite what he knew about the situation. Dash recounted the falling out he had with Hov over the matter, saying, “I couldn’t believe he did a project with R. Kelly knowing that he had raped my girl.”
R. Kelly is often credited for playing a role in jumpstarting Aaliyah’s career. However, their relationship was surrounded by controversy. There were rumors of a marriage between Kelly and Aaliyah when she was just 15 years old, allegedly accompanied by falsified documents stating she was 18.
Demetrius Smith, Kelly’s former personal assistant, admitted to helping obtain those documents and believes Aaliyah may have been pregnant at the time. Eventually, the marriage was annulled. Tragically, Aaliyah’s life was cut short in 2001 when she died in a plane crash at the age of 22 while her career continued to soar.
R. Kelly’s actions caught up with him, and he is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for child sex crimes, racketeering, and sex trafficking, among other offenses. Dash’s remarks echo the sentiments of many who believe justice must be served for the actions committed against Aaliyah and others.
