Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly - Hardcover

Jim DeRogatis is an associate professor of instruction at Columbia College Chicago and the host, with Greg Kot, of the nationally syndicated public radio show Sound Opinions. The author of Let it Blurt: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs and other books, he spent 15 years as the pop music critic at the Chicago Sun-Times. He lives in Chicago.
 

“This book tracks the case and asks why the culture was so slow to catch up.”  (The New York Times)

"There really isn’t anyone more qualified to write about the saga of R. Kelly than Jim DeRogatis. Jim has done the work. He’s built the relationships. He’s cared about the outcome for almost two decades. It’s clear that Kelly isn’t just his white whale but that he sees the humanity in the women who have survived R. Kelly. We really only need to hear from Jim." (Tarana Burke founder of the MeToo movement)

“An absorbing, horrifying, and damning book. ... Soulless is an important testament of DeRogatis’ slog towards justice, and of the forces that have seemingly cosseted R. Kelly and his career ... It’s also a journalistic indictment: of Kelly himself; of the political machinery of Chicago; and of the music industry. ... An essential book.” (NPR.org)

“A devastating, thorough accounting of Kelly’s alleged abuses as systematized predation. In explicitly outlining the multiple junctures at which Kelly, his supporters, law enforcement, and journalists have failed the dozens of young black women whom Kelly is accused of abusing, DeRogatis definitively—if also wearily—conveys the sheer magnitude of Kelly’s relative impunity.” (The Atlantic)

“More than a straight-forward account of Kelly’s wrongdoing ... Soulless offers a dogged combination of biography, investigative reporting, and cultural criticism. ... As much as Soulless is an account of Kelly’s misbehavior, it’s a finger firmly pointed in the direction of the people and institutions that enabled, and even encouraged, him.” (Pitchfork)

“A must-read.” (Variety)

“Kelly’s dirty secrets are revealed in this book, and so is the wide gap between true justice and the law.” (AV Club)

“Essential ... the culmination of DeRogatis’ career reporting on Kelly’s alleged behavior.” (USA Today)

“A comprehensive document of the many allegations of statutory rape, sexual assault, and physical and psychological abuse levied against R. Kelly dating back to 1991. ... packed start to finish.” (Vulture)

“DeRogatis blends investigative journalism, pop cultural criticism, and social commentary ... [Soulless] is unflinching in its indictment of a culture and legal system unable to render any semblance of justice for black girls. ... Soulless is the kind of intervention we need, especially when the stakes are this high.” (LitHub)