Robert Kardashian Deserves Credit for Kim, Not Ray J.

It struck Mo’Kelly as odd to say the least. 

You really have me to thank for all of this.”

Part-time singer Ray J. sent the above text to Kim Kardashian in the hours before her marriage to NBA free agent forward Kris Humphries. It was odd, very odd indeed.

This is not the first time that Ray J. has attempted to claim credit for the fame and popularity enjoyed by the family Kardashian, and it likely won’t be the last.

It’s no secret, the pair participated in a sex-tape years ago, purportedly leaked by Ray J. for publicity sake. It resulted in an undisclosed, yet financially rewarding settlement for Kardashian; who sued to block its release by a porn company.

Many millions of dollars later thanks to other television and business ventures, Ray J. is of the opinion that if it weren’t for “his” sex-tape, Kardashian, her multimedia empire and eventual husband would not be.

Let’s first consider the source. It’s Brandy Norwood’s little brother, whose greatest claim to fame has always been exactly that…being Brandy’s little brother.  He is the answer to a trivia question on the Kardashian wikipedia page…at best.  Any name-awareness he has, is inextricably linked to his successful older sibling. If anybody should be texting “fame” reminders, it should be from Brandy to Ray J.

Dear little brother, whatever little fame you have is all because of me. Love, your funny-looking big sis.”

Going further, if the magic of stardom were merely connected to a Ray J. Brandy’s little brother’s porn tape, common sense dictates that Ray J. Brandy’s little brother would have either repeated it with another one of his “girlfriends” or at least been smart enough to cash in on the Kardashian family freight train in the years since.

He’s done neither.

If Kim Kardashian should be thanking Ray J. Brandy’s little brother for anything, it should be for not having foresight enough to parlay the sex-tape into a piece of her family empire. The text actually highlighted his failure, not his supposed integral role in her success.

Do understand, Mo’Kelly is not by any means a fan of Reality TV or any of its so-called stars, K.K. included. There is nothing honorable about obtaining notoriety through giving (among other things) a b-job on a homemade sex-tape. Respect is earned through respectable behavior, not kicking off a career through self-disrespect.

Mo’Kelly is not impressed with anyone whose first six or seven-figure paycheck is connected to scraping one’s knees or carpet burns on tape.  Yes, Kim sued to block its release but know it wasn’t on moral grounds but on business ones.

If K.K. sleeps well at night, good for her. Just don’t ever expect Mo’Kelly to respect who she is. ANYBODY can make a sex-tape.

ANYBODY.

But not just anybody can be the daughter of a high-profile attorney who sat next to O.J. Simpson in the biggest trial in the history of media.  Therein lay the key to the Kardashian magic kingdom.  The success will always be inextricably linked to father Robert.

Brandy’s little brother was simply the first to exploit the Kardashian name, and wasn’t even all that good at it.

To be fair though, you can’t argue with what Kim has done with her shot at fame, extending it well-beyond the proverbial 15 minutes. Her social capital has outlasted contemporaries such as Paris Hilton and produced a brand more respected than anyone connected to Reality television. Not just “anybody” can create generational wealth through such a small window of opportunity. If there is anything to respect about K.K., it is how she has run her business and further developed her brand. She at least didn’t stay on her knees long.  For whatever that’s worth…

Professional athletes are given millions of dollars yearly to help develop both a business and brand for when athleticism can no longer pay the bills. 75% of them nevertheless end up broke. Having money and access do not mean your subsequent business decisions will either maintain or increase your net worth. In that sense, you can’t knock the Kardashian hustle. But that’s a different issue from whether K.K. is worthy of our respect for who she is. Let’s go back to Ray J.’s Brandy’s little brother’s text, paying particular attention to its last word.

You really have me to thank for all of this.”

What exactly is “this?”

The fame, the fortune, the exploitation, filming of the original debasement, what? Did he chip in on the wedding decorations? What does he mean? Most everything in which K.K. has been rewarded  has been due to notoriety and nothing to do with actual accomplishments.  The original sex-tape only had value relative to being the daughter of Robert Kardashian, not being tossed up by Ray J. Brandy’s little brother.  He has it twisted. That tape has commercial value with anybody opposite her. The only person reminding us of the “co-star” is Ray. J. Brandy’s little brother.

What exactly should anyone be thanking Ray J. Brandy’s little brother for…at all? “Kardashian” was a household name in business and entertainment long before Ray J. Brandy’s little brother turned on the camcorder.

The Kim Kardashian “career” has been a magic trick of epic proportions, but in no way should Ray J. Brandy’s little brother attempt to position himself as the chief magician or puppeteer. K.K. has neither formal acting training nor fundamental talent, but stars on television and has appeared in movies. That is some special trick…as in “magic trick.” Don’t read too much into Mo’Kelly’s words, get your mind out of the gutter. She’s not a writer but released an “autobiography” detailing her “life” at the ripe old age of 30. That is some special trick. She’s never had a real job except working for her millionaire father. That is one hell of a magic trick, one in which Ray. J. Brandy’s little brother can’t lay any claim.

The truth of the matter is that all thanks go to the late Robert Kardashian. Without his last name, nobody ultimately gets paid, including Ray J. Brandy’s little brother and Bruce Jenner.

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and EURWEB.com. For the most recent posts of Mr. Mo’Kelly, visit https://mrmokelly.com.  Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at [email protected].

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