R. Kelly says he did not hire an impostor for 'Black Panties' promo party

R. Kelly is responding to allegations that he used an impersonator at a promotional event for his new album Black Panties in Monroe, Louisiana. After Kellz played a ten-minute set at the event (billed as Ced's All Black Affair Birthday Extravaganza Presents: R. Kelly 'The Black Panties Promo Party.'), fans stormed promoter Cedric Johnson's Facebook page with allegations that he had decieved attendees.

Fans believed that the sort-of frumpy Kelly they saw onstage was not the real R. Kelly. But Robert himself is telling a different story.

 "That was actually me," Kelly tells THR. He says he was hired to "make an appearance and host a party" in Monroe, but people who bought tickets expected to see a full concert. "So I come off looking like a damn jerk, while [other] people make money." 

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Here's the video of the performance:

As someone who has seen R. Kelly live, I can say that that is almost certainly Kelly. He used the same "Bump n' Grind" gag at his Bonnaroo performance earlier this year. 

The promoter explained the true source of these wild allegations.

"They expected a full concert, but I didn't pay R. Kelly to do a full concert," he told THR. "He did exactly what he was paid for. It was a great event. It's just that when R. Kelly came up, and he didn't stay on the stage long, everybody hated it."  

 R. Kelly's latest album, Black Panties, drops in December.