The World’s Greatest: On Music, Memory, and R. Kelly’s Reflections on Hardship
Just a lazy music-inspired sunny Sunday here in South Africa.
It’s just after midday on a Sunday as I begin typing this on my laptop in Pretoria, South Africa. We’re in the last days of winter, and I’m sitting outside my house. The sun is hot, and I’m topless. Lionel Richie’s I Call It Love is playing on YouTube.
The real subject of this article is R. Kelly’s The World’s Greatest. And I’ll tell you how the song came to mind earlier this morning.
At one point, I had King George’s Keep On Rollin playing on YouTube. Then, sleep stole me away from the land of the living. When I woke up, R. Kelly’s Happy People was playing. Hearing that track after a nap was an unexpected delight.
Fresh from sleep and nostalgia, I had the sudden idea to organize a playlist made up of songs from the ’90s—a daunting task. It takes a bit of mental gymnastics, if I may use that term, to recall music from that decade. I was just a boy then, doing my primary schooling. Honestly, I doubt I even consumed music consciously back then. Hell, I don’t think I was conscious of anything major in my life at that point—not even school.
But Happy People opened the memory gates, and I soon found myself seeking out The World’s Greatest. That decision was conscious, and it came from a sincere place. I was really fond of the song in my younger years. It pumped me up. Even now, the phrase “the world’s greatest” has an undeniable allure. Who doesn’t want to be great? (Okay, maybe not everyone.)
A female cousin of mine caught the R. Kelly bug before I did. Personally, it was never a deep obsession for me, but I do respect the man’s discography—if we’re talking strictly music.
Listening to The World’s Greatest today, I was reminded of its uplifting nature. Sure, aspiring to be “the world’s greatest” is inherently egoistic, but the line about having one’s “back against the ropes” nods to life’s hardships. That line grounds the song in something real. Struggle. Pressure. The fight.
R. Kelly’s discography is massive. And as I did my rounds in the yard, with the music blaring, I was reminded of that. Gotham City started playing, and a line stood out: “Next door to happiness lives sorrow.” That line made me pause. It’s simple, but it’s also mindful. There’s poetry there—an awareness of life’s constant contrasts.
Both songs—The World’s Greatest and Gotham City—contain an acknowledgment of hardship. And if you look closer, the phrasing in each carries a kind of literary charm. “Back against the ropes” is a twist on the usual “back against the wall.” And that’s not random—those who know will tell you that The World’s Greatest is inspired by Muhammad Ali. The boxing metaphor fits. The ropes replace the wall. And suddenly, you’re in the ring, not just in a tight spot.
Then there’s Gotham City. “Next door to happiness lives sorrow.” It’s a haunting line. I struggled to paraphrase it without ruining the rhythm or word order. There’s something final about the way it’s written that speaks to its finality.
According to Wikipedia (my trusty friend), The World’s Greatest was released in November 2001. I think I remember listening to it in 2002. The song was originally featured on the soundtrack to the film Ali—so again, motion pictures.
Gotham City, too, was written for a film: Batman & Robin. That was back in June 1997. I was in grade 3 then. I don’t remember hearing it at the time, but I must’ve come across it later, somehow.
What these two songs show is that a portion of R. Kelly’s work is tied to cinema—and to larger-than-life figures. Whether it’s a boxer like Ali or a vigilante like Batman, R. Kelly found ways to soundtrack greatness and struggle. There’s ego, yes. But there’s also honesty. You don’t sing about sorrow and ropes if you’re completely detached from reality.
Let’s review your music
Having written this, I feel I’ve done some justice to our main subject. Now, Let’s get to some housecleaning. I still offer paid music reviews. If you want your songs and music reviewed, send me an email. You can also do that by replying here.