When R. Kelly released Born into the ’90s in 1991, he joined in R&B’s sonic revolution forged by artists like Bobby Brown and Bel Biv Devoe. Defined as “new jack swing,” this era of R&B saw many artists trading in synthesizers for beat machines, decadence for street credibility, and sentimentality for bluntness. Suddenly, no one was looking for a special tenderoni and settling down anymore, the search was on for homie lover friends and answering booty calls.
Over the course of the ’90s, Kelly flourished artistically and helped launch the careers of his prot