R. Kelly has been forced tocancel a promotional trip to New York City, his publicistreports, as he took ill thismorning while traveling from Chicago. The “Pied Piper of R&B” had been slated to appear on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” and NBC’s“Today,” but he’s apparentlywrestling with throat issues brought on by the emergency surgery he under went lastyear.
“While on his way to New York this morning to celebrate the publication of his long-awaited memoir Soula Coaster, multi-platinum R&B superstar R. Kelly was taken ill and had to returnto Chicago for medical treatment,” reads an official statement. “Initial indicationsare that he is suffering from complications from surgery he had last year to treat an abscess on his vocal cords.”
His rep adds that it’s “unclear how long Kelly may be sidelined.”
The “Trapped in the Closet”creator under went surgery in July 2010, after being rushed to Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial hospital.

In a message to fans the following month, he shouted out all the“prayer warriors” in hiscorner. “The doctor said the surgery went well,” Kelly added of his hospital visit last year. “I know it may not look like it, butit did. I want y’all to continue to pray for me. Be strong outthere, I will be back. I know it’s a lot of negativity out there, please don’t believe the hype. God is good all the time.”
In addition to his upcoming memoir, R. Kelly is also promoting his 11th studio album, Write Me Back, which