R. Kelly Explains 'Black Panties' LP, Denzel Washington Saving Him, Plus New Track With Twista [Listen Here]

R. Kelly's career has made him one of the most celebrated musicians in Rhythm and Blues history.

The singer has sold more than 38.5 million albums in the U.S. and 54 million abroad making him the most successful R&B musician of the 1990s.

This summer he releases his new album, Black Panties, and we've got his new track with Twista here plus the inspiration behind the new LP.

R. Kelly spoke with Vibe magazine earlier this month and revealed a number of surprising facts about himself, including the depression he fell into after his late 1990s success. 

The 46-year-old singer is releasing Black Panties this summer, his 12th studio album, after last year's Write Me Back. 

In 1998, after the incredible success of the album "R." R. Kelly told Vibe he almost walked away from music despite all the success and found unlikely salvation in a Denzel Washington movie. 

"I was dealing with serious management problems... I was at that position in that part of my career where I was being threatened to be left by my [team]." 

"I was told if I didn't do what I was told to do that I would never sing again... or that I would be blackballed from the music industry," Kelly said. "I was actually believing some of that stuff."

"I really got inspired by the film The Hurricane I went into the studio and started working on new music for TP-2.com and [later] the Chocolate Factory. I just said, 'You know what? I'm not going nowhere no matter who I'm with. Whatever this gift is it lives within me.'"

But R. Kelly says the inspiration for his upcoming Black Panties album is all about himself:

"If I hadn't been through it then it's not fair for me to talk about it. That would mean that I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. If I'm going to write about a touchy subject like [cheating] and it affects a relationship, whether it's breaking them up or making them up, I have to know what I'm talking about. My research is myself." 

Strong and honest words from the R&B King. 

He's also on the debut single from Twista's upcoming release of "The Dark Horse" album this summer: