Do You Still Listen to R. Kelly? Art, Accountability, and Two Americas

In this episode of Concrete Genius Pod, Sauce Mackenzie asks a question the Black community doesn’t like to sit with:

Do you still listen to artists who’ve been convicted of sexual crimes?

From R. Kelly to Mystikal to Sean Combs, Sauce breaks down why he personally cannot separate the man from the art, even if the music once meant something.

He also dives deeper into:

• Why hip-hop feels different than acting or film
• The idea that rap is “soul-bearing,” not just performance
• Why Black America cancels differently than White America
• The hypocrisy we all wrestle with when it comes to violence vs sexual crimes
• Why older generations remember when every rap album had a pro-Black record
• Why today’s artists should consider balance, not censorship

This episode blends sports talk, culture, nostalgia, accountability, and real-life reflection—classic Concrete Genius energy.

🎧 Tap in, think deeply, and join the conversation.

🧠 KEY DISCUSSION TOPICS / SHOW NOTES

• Can you separate the art from the artist?
• Why sexual crimes hit differently than violent lyrics
• R. Kelly still on the radio: Chicago, Detroit, the Midwest
• Preferences vs morality in music
• Two Americas: cancel culture and selective accountability
• Why old-school hip-hop always included uplift
• A call for artists to drop one record that speaks life
• Why character matters to how we feel music
• Personal growth, consistency, and the future of Concrete Genius Pod