Hip-Hoppin' In The Dome -- R. Kelly Headlines A Star-Studded Card

Concert preview

The Budweiser Superfest: R. Kelly, Coolio, Heavy D. and the Boyz and Warren G., 7 tonight at the Tacoma Dome ($27.50; 628-0888). -----------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry, ladies, he's taken.

R. Kelly, who has revived the art of sultry, sexy R&B songs, a la Marvin Gaye and Teddy Pendergrass, is no longer free to bump and grind with just anybody. The 27-year-old new-jack swing sensation married his protege, teenage singer Aaliyah, on Aug. 31.

The ceremony took place shortly after Budweiser dropped Aaliyah from its annual Superfest tour because of the singer's tender age. The brewery decided it wasn't proper for a 15-year-old to be featured in an alcohol-sponsored event. A similar situation took place several years ago when the underage group Hi-Five was dropped from a Superfest tour.

But on the marriage certificate, according to a story in the Chicago Tribune, Aaliyah Houghton is listed as 18 years old. Apparently she or her publicist shaved a few years off her age, which adds a new dimension to her Kelly-produced hit, "Age Ain't Nothin' But A Number."

Despite Kelly's newlywed status, don't expect him to tone down the suggestiveness in his Tacoma Dome appearance tonight. His whole shtick is as a come-on artist, best exemplified by his crossover No. 1 hit, the smoldering, almost X-rated "Bump N' Grind."

Aided by a steamy video, the song, from his triple-platinum "12 Play" album, first topped the R&B chart, then jumped over to the No. 1 spot on the pop chart.

Kelly scored a couple of other No. 1 R&B hits off the album with "Sex Me Parts 1 & 2" and "Your Body's Callin'." The latest single is "Summer Bunnies."

Backed by a trio of negligee-clad dancers, Kelly's set reportedly consists entirely of his trademark, slow-jamming sex songs. He delivers them with a lot of showmanship, including a partial strip-tease.

Coolio at the beach

In contrast to Kelly's boudoir antics is the fun-loving hip-hop of Coolio, whose wacky saga of a trip to the beach, "Fantastic Voyage," was a summertime smash. With MTV playing the funny video practically nonstop - the clip's big sight gag shows dozens of people climbing out of a car trunk - the tune slowly rose up the charts, and is still in the Top Ten.

Heavy D. and the Boyz provide the strongest dancing rhythms in the Superfest show. All of the group's songs are propelled by pumping, enticing rhythms, over which Heavy D. raps his clever rhymes, often having to do with his persona as "The Overweight Lover." Although his songs can lean toward sexiness, he's basically a "clean" rapper who does not deal in explicit sex or "gangsta" fantasies. Most all of his songs are about love, family and friendship. His latest album, "Nuttin' But Love," ends with his young cousin reciting the Lord's Prayer.

Onstage, he and his band are joined by six dancers. Heavy D. also executes some smooth moves, showing that a big guy can be sexy and graceful.

The most interesting and promising act on the bill is Warren G., whose easygoing, cool style mixes rap and R&B vocalizing.

Snoop's pal arrives

Warren G. came out of the Long Beach, Calif., scene along with his best friend Snoop Doggy Dog, whom he has known since elementary school, and his older stepbrother, Dr. Dre.

The 23-year-old G., whose real name is Warren Griffin III, worked in production and songwriting with Snoop, Dre and other artists before releasing a single, "Regulate," which soared to the top of the charts. The success of the single primed the pump for the release of his debut "Regulate . . . G Funk Era" album, which sold a million copies its first week out. It's now approaching triple platinum.

G.'s smooth rhymes sometimes tread the same territory as gangsta rap - vivid descriptions of ghetto life - but his approach is more detached and sympathetic. His raps are much more thoughtful, probing and introspective than those of his fellow Long Beach rappers.