Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois), better … Read Full Bio ↴Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois), better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is a Grammy award winning American R&B singer-songwriter, rapper, actor and record producer. Debuting in 1991 with the group Public Announcement, Kelly went solo in 1993, starting off a successful career with the release of the album 12 Play. He has since released a further nine studio albums, collaborated with Jay-Z on two albums and has had many successful singles including Bump N' Grind, I Believe I Can Fly, Ignition, The World's Greatest and the hip-hopera Trapped in the Closet.

Kelly has also produced and performed in many tracks by other R&B and hip-hop artists. In 1994, Kelly produced and wrote the debut album of R&B singer Aaliyah and in 1995, Kelly co-produced and wrote the song "You Are Not Alone" for Michael Jackson, which was included on Jackson's album, HIStory. Kelly has sung the hooks for many notable hip-hop songs, such as "Fuckin' You Tonight" by The Notorious B.I.G., "We Thuggin'" by Fat Joe, "Gigolo" by Nick Cannon, and "Go Getta" by Young Jeezy, and has collaborated for two albums with Jay-Z.

The Champ
R. Kelly Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey, hey
Ladies and gentlemen
The champ is here
The champ is here
The champ is here
Get your mutha******? hands in the air

The champ is here

The champ is here
The champ is here
You can hate me I don't care

All y'all wanna pile on me
Make it hard for me to breathe
Throw sand in my eyes
And make it hard for me to see

Out of breath
Can't see
Still hard to defeat
The history that I make
Impossible to repeat

Spread rumors
Point fingers
Throw stones
Judge me

Hate me
Love me
Hug me
Curse me

Whatever
'Cause y'all f*****' opinions don't feed me
I'm clever
And nothin' know that the industry needs me

(Second round!)
I'm opposite of the demon that faces me
I've been through hell
Lived in the belly of the beast

I confess my sins
But still didn't find peace
But like MJ and five
I will six peak

(Third round!)
I make music for hood first
'Cause that's where I'm from
That's why the hood is always first
To help me overcome

(Fifth round!)
When I'm down some o' y'all cats
Act so strange
And when I'm up same cats wonder
Why I act so strange

(Sixth round!)
Kells ain't change
Please you b****** is so lame
Somethin' ain't y'all fault
Then y'all so quick to blame

That's why I got number one
On the back o' my Range
Y'all cats is foreplayin'
I'm pregnant by the game

(Seventh round!)
Some would like to see me in ball and chain
But I'm a child of god
So my destiny's ordained

(Eighth round!)
Undisputed is the title I claim
'Bout to shoot the world up
With this lyrical cocaine

(Ninth round!)
The place is packed
The bell rings
I'm about to bring the pain
Left jab
Right hook
Shuttin' down yo' brain

(Tenth round!)
I could be surrounded by lions
In the midst of the jungle
And still I'm a rumble
(Ladies and gentlemen)
Young man rumble

(Eleventh round!)
The champ is here
The champ is here
The champ is here
Get your mutha******' hands in the air

The champ is here
The champ is here

The champ is here
You can hate me I don't care

Overall Meaning

In R. Kelly's song "The Champ," he declares himself as the champion and asserts that he can overcome anything that is thrown his way through his sheer willpower and determination. The lyrics describe the various obstacles that R. Kelly has faced throughout his career, including false rumors, criticism, and judgments from others. Despite these trials, he remains confident and unbothered, declaring that he is the one the music industry needs.

One interpretation of the lyrics is that R. Kelly is comparing himself to a boxer fighting in a championship match. In each round, he faces a new challenge that he must overcome, just as a boxer would face a new opponent in each round of a fight. However, R. Kelly also acknowledges that he is not perfect and has made mistakes in his life, confessing his sins but still searching for inner peace.

The chorus repeats the central message that R. Kelly is the champion and that nothing can stop him. The repetition of the phrase "The champ is here" emphasizes this idea and is meant to inspire listeners to also be champions in their own lives.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey, hey
Greeting to the audience

Ladies and gentlemen
Addressing the crowd

The champ is here
I am the champion and successful in what I do

Get your mutha******? hands in the air
Raise your hands and show support

You can hate me I don't care
I am not bothered by people disliking me

All y'all wanna pile on me
Everyone wants to attack me

Make it hard for me to breathe
People are making my life difficult

Throw sand in my eyes
People are sabotaging me

And make it hard for me to see
People are making it difficult for me to succeed

Out of breath
Struggling to keep up

Can't see
Unable to perceive things correctly

Still hard to defeat
Despite the obstacles, I am still a strong competitor

The history that I make
My achievements and success are significant

Impossible to repeat
Hard for others to replicate my success

Spread rumors
Spreading false stories about me

Point fingers
Blaming me for things I didn't do

Throw stones
Attacking me with insults and criticisms

Judge me
Making assumptions and judgments about me

Hate me
Disliking me for no apparent reason

Love me
Admiring and appreciating me

Hug me
Showing affection and care for me

Curse me
Criticizing and insulting me

Whatever
I don't care

'Cause y'all f*****' opinions don't feed me
I don't rely on other people's opinions to feel validated

I'm clever
I am intelligent and resourceful

And nothin' know that the industry needs me
The music industry requires my talents and skills

(Second round!)
Beginning of the second verse

I'm opposite of the demon that faces me
I am resisting my inner demons

I've been through hell
I have experienced difficult and challenging situations

Lived in the belly of the beast
Enduring tough times and emerging stronger

I confess my sins
Acknowledging my mistakes

But still didn't find peace
Despite confessing, I still feel troubled

But like MJ and five
A reference to Michael Jordan's championship rings

I will six peak
I intend to surpass previous accomplishments and reach new heights

(Third round!)
Beginning of the third verse

I make music for hood first
I prioritize creating music for my community

'Cause that's where I'm from
Because that's my background and upbringing

That's why the hood is always first
My community is always my top priority

To help me overcome
To assist me in overcoming obstacles

(Fifth round!)
Beginning of the fifth verse

When I'm down some o' y'all cats
When I am struggling, some people distance themselves from me

Act so strange
Behaving oddly around me

And when I'm up same cats wonder
When I am successful, those same people wonder how I did it

Why I act so strange
Why my behavior has changed due to my success

(Sixth round!)
Beginning of the sixth verse

Kells ain't change
I am the same person despite my success

Please you b****** is so lame
Insulting those who criticize or dislike me

Somethin' ain't y'all fault
Blaming others for my problems

Then y'all so quick to blame
But other times, people blame me too quickly

That's why I got number one
My success is why I am at the top

On the back o' my Range
A reference to his car's license plate

Y'all cats is foreplayin'
Others are just playing around while I am making moves

I'm pregnant by the game
My success is the result of hard work and dedication

(Seventh round!)
Beginning of the seventh verse

Some would like to see me in ball and chain
Some people want to see me imprisoned or otherwise punished

But I'm a child of god
But I have faith that God is guiding and protecting me

So my destiny's ordained
My future is predetermined by a higher power

(Eighth round!)
Beginning of the eighth verse

Undisputed is the title I claim
I am the undisputed champion

'Bout to shoot the world up
I am about to make a huge impact

With this lyrical cocaine
With my powerful and addictive lyrics

(Ninth round!)
Beginning of the ninth verse

The place is packed
The venue is full of people

The bell rings
The fight is beginning

I'm about to bring the pain
I am ready to inflict damage on my opponent

Left jab
A reference to boxing moves

Right hook
Another reference to boxing moves

Shuttin' down yo' brain
Defeating my opponent

(Tenth round!)
Beginning of the tenth verse

I could be surrounded by lions
I could face extremely difficult challenges

In the midst of the jungle
In a dangerous and unpredictable situation

And still I'm a rumble
But I will still fight and overcome

(Ladies and gentlemen)
Addressing the audience again

Young man rumble
An expression of confidence in his abilities

(Eleventh round!)
Beginning of the eleventh verse

The champ is here
I am still the champion, undefeated

Get your mutha******' hands in the air
Show support and celebrate with me

You can hate me I don't care
I am confident in my abilities and success, regardless of others' opinions

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BENJAMIN DEHLING, SEBASTIAN DORN, MICHAEL JACKSON, MARTIN MARKWORT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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