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'Vibe' Writer Discusses R. Kelly Case

Aired June 26, 2002 - 10:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Singer R. Kelly is due in criminal court at this hour in Chicago on child pornography charges. This case stems from allegations that Kelly videotaped himself having sex with a teenage girl. The Grammy winner was indicted earlier this month after his arrest in Florida. He has denied the charges.

Joining us from New York this morning to discuss the R. Kelly case is Lola Ogunnaike. She is a contributing writer for "Vibe" magazine, and she was the author of an article, in May, on the singer.

Good to see you. How are you, Lola?

LOLA OGUNNAIKE, "VIBE": I am fine -- thank you. How are you?

HARRIS: Oh, not bad, not bad -- just curious about this case. I have heard so many different things about what's been happening, across the country, and the interest level that has been driven on this whole topic here.

First of all, have you seen the tape yourself?

OGUNNAIKE: Yes. I had to view the tape for my story, and...

HARRIS: Why did you put it that way, you had to view the tape?

OGUNNAIKE: Well, I wouldn't go out and buy one of the copies that are circulating around the country, but in order to be a thorough journalist, I had to...

HARRIS: OK, got you. OK, I can respect that.

OGUNNAIKE: ... view the tape.

HARRIS: I can respect that. But you know, he has been saying that -- I think he was saying -- two different things were coming out of his camp. He was saying that he has never done anything, and then his lawyer was saying, well, the woman on the tape wasn't underage. So I mean, what message is the right one here?

OGUNNAIKE: I think Mr. Kelly's first line of defense was to deny that it was him on the tape. But as the tape started circulating, and more and more people started fingering him as the person on the tape, he decided to revise his line of defense and argue that he didn't know that the woman that he was engaged in sexual contact with on the tape was indeed a minor.

HARRIS: All right. What do you make of what is happening outside the court on this case? I have heard stories about radio stations refusing to play his music. Then I have heard other stories, about people, you know, refusing to knuckle under to that kind of pressure. What have you been seeing?

OGUNNAIKE: Well, it has been a mixed thing. Some of his fans have been very supportive. Others have turned their back on him and have equated the man with the action and said that they will not support or condone anything that he has been accused of doing and will not then go out and buy his records or listen to his music on the radio. Radio stations have buckled under the pressure, and some have chosen to stop playing his music. Others have continued to support him and believe that he is innocent until proven guilty.

HARRIS: Do you find that interesting? I mean, I am thinking back to the OJ coverage.

OGUNNAIKE: Yes.

HARRIS: And I remember just how -- you know how the black community can be sometimes. They are very welcoming and very forgiving of their own, and that's what happened with the OJ case -- and we haven't seen OJ in a black church since then.

OGUNNAIKE: No.

HARRIS: And people still defend him. There seems to be a different kind of treatment here with R. Kelly.

OGUNNAIKE: Well, I think that fans can be very forgiving of a lot of things. They can be forgiving of murder, crack addiction, and a number of other things. But when it comes to indiscretions with a minor, it is very difficult for people to turn the other cheek and defend behavior like that.

HARRIS: Yes. Have you heard this new song that he has written, I understand a new song that he wrote about this controversy? It was actually airing on a station in Chicago.

OGUNNAIKE: Yes. It's "Heaven, I Need a Hug." I think Mr. Kelly needs more than a hug, but that's my humble opinion. It is his attempt to kind of answer his detractors, and I guess his way of coming out swinging. But I think it is falling short. I think it would be in his best interest to go underground and just lay low for a while.

HARRIS: I was going to ask you if you think this song is actually going to work.

OGUNNAIKE: I don't think it's going to go over well, but, you know, you never know. Mr. Kelly is a talented man, and at the end of the day, he is a very capable artist. I just think it's in his best interest right now to just lay low and kind of stay underground.

HARRIS: He is a bit -- I don't know -- wrong to be making money off of it too -- doesn't it?

OGUNNAIKE: Yes, I mean...

HARRIS: And that's the first thing that struck me, you know.

OGUNNAIKE: Yes, it's kind of interesting to be trying to benefit from your scandal, but Mr. Kelly wouldn't be the first artist to do that, so...

HARRIS: Yes. There you go -- R&B in the 21st century. Lola Ogunnaike, thank you very much.

OGUNNAIKE: Thank you.

HARRIS: Hey, I hope to talk with you later on down the road, hopefully about more pleasant topics, all right?

OGUNNAIKE: Definitely.

HARRIS: All right. Take care.

OGUNNAIKE: Have a nice day.

HARRIS: All right. You too. We'll see you later.

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