In a candid new interview, opened up about when his late father stood trial for murder at 9 years old.
Kelly, 34, explained during the Monday, August 5 episode of ’s “Dumb Blonde” podcast that his father and grandmother were accused of murdering Kelly’s grandfather.
“The story that was told to me was always that [his] dad dropped the gun and his head, it essentially blew off,” the rapper explained. “That all happened in the room with my dad at 9 years old. So, him and my grandmother were tried for the murder. They were both acquitted.”
Kelly first revealed this story during his 2022 Life in Pink documentary. During Monday’s podcast, the musician recalled having a “very interesting” talk about the shooting before his father’s 2020 death.
“My father’s childhood journey definitely bled into mind because we shared the same bed for years,” Kelly said at one point during the interview. “The body, especially if you’re intuitive or born intuitive, your body receives the energy from all around you. So, those years that my dad slept depressed, I took on all that.”
Kelly further explained how what he’s “taken on” from his dad has impacted his stardom.
“I think I’ve projected myself to be somebody who has the stamina to endure all of these things that come with fame and criticism and hate,” he explained. “Because I fought back with all those traumas by becoming what I always wanted my dad to be, which was tough and [to be able to] shake everything off and just fight anyone who comes at you.”
The singer “never understood” why his dad was “so closed” as a person — but that’s actually how he is.
“I’m tired and I’m a really shy, f–ked up kid internally and really broken. I’m just now fixing myself, and I don’t have the energy to be the image that I was,” he continued. “Because I’m also sick of being on an island alone where no one is outside of my fans, who really can read into the music.”
Kelly also discussed how he’s “reconnected in a really intense way” with his mom over the past few years. The singer admitted he was “molded to be so mad at” his mom because of things his dad had said.
“I didn’t hear the word mom during my whole teenage years. All I heard was ‘whore.’ And my mom is like the sweetest woman ever,” Kelly shared. “Another thing that kind of came with her and I reconnecting was just realizing that my dad was keeping me from her for years.”
Kelly often referenced his mom, who left when he was 9 years old, in his music over the years — something he clarified during Monday’s podcast episode as well.
“I misrepresented her a lot early in my career. Not misrepresented in the sense of not speaking truth. I was speaking my truth, but I didn’t give the masses a chance to understand her truth,” he explained. “I wasn’t in contact with her to understand her truth.”
