American singer, Robert Sylvester Kelly, popularly known as R. Kelly, has been ranked ninth on Billboard’s list of the greatest R&B singers of all time.

Billboard made the announcement on its official website this week, praising Kelly’s vocal range, songwriting ability, and lasting influence on R&B music from the 1990s to the 2000s.

The publication noted that his breakout debut album “12 Play”, featuring hits like Bump n’ Grind, set him apart early in his career. Kelly’s 1996 hit “I Believe I Can Fly”, written for the Space Jam movie soundtrack, also earned global acclaim and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Despite a 30-year prison sentence in 2022 over sex trafficking and racketeering charges, Billboard described Kelly as “a generational talent and innovator,” highlighting his contributions to bridging R&B, soul, pop and rap genres.

“From a purely musical perspective, there’s no denying that Kelly is one of the best contemporary R&B artists to ever pick up a microphone,” the post read in part.

Kelly also wrote hit songs for music legends including Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Aaliyah, and Britney Spears.

His popular songs such as “Ignition (Remix)” and “Trapped in the Closet” further showed his legacy as a creative force in the music industry.