His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous hip hop and contemporary R&B artists. In 1998, Kelly won three Grammy Awards for 'I Believe I Can Fly'. He is known for a collection of major hit singles including 'Bump N' Grind', 'Your Body's Callin'', 'I Believe I Can Fly', 'Gotham City', 'Ignition (Remix)', 'If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time', 'The World's Greatest', 'I'm a Flirt (Remix)', and the hip-hopera 'Trapped in the Closet'. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. Kelly, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former professional basketball player. Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967), known professionally as R.