R. Kelly Kicked Bow Wow Off His Own Song, Remixed It, and Made It His Lead Single! The King of R&B

In the early 2000s, few artists were as dominant in R&B and Hip Hop as R. Kelly and Bow Wow. But behind the scenes, one surprising story has resurfaced — the time R. Kelly kicked Bow Wow off his own song, remixed it, and turned it into his own lead single.

According to industry insiders, Bow Wow originally recorded a track that he believed would be a major hit. The song was reportedly sent to R. Kelly for a possible feature or production touch. Instead, Kelly took the record, reworked it in his own style, and ended up releasing it as his own lead single — leaving Bow Wow completely off the final version.

The move caused confusion and tension at the time, especially since R. Kelly was one of the biggest artists in the world and Bow Wow was one of Hip Hop’s fastest-rising young stars. Still, the remix worked in Kelly’s favor — the song became a hit, further fueling his chart dominance during that era.

It’s one of those classic behind-the-scenes stories in music that reminds fans how unpredictable the industry can be. In the world of hits, possession really can become nine-tenths of the law — even when it comes to songs.

Though Bow Wow went on to have a successful career of his own, this moment remains a wild example of how music business power moves can flip a collaboration into competition overnight.