Jaya Kelly is an American multi-talented artist who took a wave in the music industry as a singer, songwriter, and producer, she sings a variety of genres ranging from hip hop, pop, and RnB music also known by the name Jay, Jaya Savage, Jaahbaby, Jaya is 23 years of age born 2000 to the popular and controversial rnb legend Robert Kelly, and his now ex-wife Andrea Lee an American actress and dancer. Jaya was born a female Into a Christian African American family and has two siblings a brother Robert Kelly Jr a basketball player and a sister Joann Kelly who is a singer under the stage name Buku Ab. He is well known for being a child of R. Kelly. Jaya Kelly was born biologically female but now is a transgender male.
Early life and music career
While growing Jaya Kelly constantly relocated to new places due to his father’s career as a musician and this contributed to her isolation and inability to be close and open with people, especially about his gender fluidity. Like her father, he loved music from the early age of 13and practiced trumpet and clarinet in high school and further decided to pursue a music career and has so far sold about 75 million copies worldwide in his recording career, with a notable single being focus and reservoir released in 2014.His latest lost came out in 2020 and together with a hip-hop mixtape is available on SoundCloud. some of his songs include Stallin’ ft Kel, fall into, and Gentle.
Coming out as transgender
Jaya Kelly gained public attention back in 2014 when she publicly announced she was a transgender male in an interview with Paper magazine claiming he had always felt a boy trapped in the body of a girl. He states, since being little he had felt an attraction to other girls and wore mostly boys’ clothes and felt it was only logical that he was a boy despite being born a female. After the announcement, he says he struggled with depression resulting from criticism that kept her in a mental hospital for some time. At the time of coming out, she says she was really scared, it was not easy and it took a lot of guts.
However, his journey to becoming transgender was eased by the support she received from his/her family notably her mother Lee who encouraged him not to be afraid of what he is and will love her the way she is and this helped him embrace who he is and was even comfortable with using her preferred pronouns. also, his sister Joann and brother Kelly Jr offered support and stated they loved him for whomever she was. Her father however had not reached out since she announced the disclosure and when asked questions about her daughter’s decision to become a male he seemed to be in denial. Jaya Kelly wanted and planned to receive gender transformation surgery to become transgender and despite getting criticism and bullying in school like not being allowed to use certain bathrooms, being clowned he didn’t careand continued practicing and wearing things like a boy.
Relationship with Father R.Kelly
Though very close to his mother Jaya’s relationship with his father is rather harsh. Despite following a similar career path to him he doesn’t want anything to do with his reasons among them being an abuser and releasing a diss track directed at him in 2019 following his convictions. also, they haven’t gotten along as his father has not accepted him for coming out as transgender which was viewed as unfair to Jay, and Robert was criticised. His mother Andrea and father R. Kelly separated in 2009 on grounds of domestic abuse where she went on and remarried Brian McKee a Canadian hockey player in 2012 but divorced again just after 2 months of marriage.
His father R. Kelly was jailed in February 2023 for 30 years on multiple charges of sexual abuse and sex trafficking. The documentary Surviving R.Kelly in which his ex-wife Lee participated coincided with the diss track. Given the hostile relationship between him and her father, she relies on her music and performing at events as opposed to depending on the wealth of his father which is contrary to expectations for a celebrity child to have a luxurious lifestyle hence his net worth is around $300,000 as of 2021.
Dating and relationship status
He is currently focused on producing music and as for relationships, due to her sexual orientation, many questions are still being raised as to whether she will be dating a male or a female. Jaya doesn’t disclose much about his love life and has kept a low key as revealed by his Instagram which shows fewer posts, two. Currently, he is single as there is no information on his relationship status.
Jaya has continually used his platform to raise awareness on transgender issues by speaking about his challenges and how to overcome he overcame them and also encouraging others to embrace themselves as who they are.
Orientation
As of 2020, Jaya self-identified as a lesbian according to Essence. She stated everything she does is her own choice and she is interested in girls and would not go further than that and encouraged others to not be restricted and feel free to be who they are, music knows no language or gender and so people should not restrict themselves either.
Conclusion
Jaya is now free and self-confident with her orientation as transgender/lesbian so yes she is a trans and is outspoken and encourages others to embrace themselves as who they are and not be afraid. His life has been private since his coming out and declaring his gender preference in 2014 and has chosen to not speak much about his private life He is on Instagram as jaah. bby.