R&B singer R. Kelly [ tickets ] and rapper Jay-Z [ tickets ] will co-headline a 40-city autumn tour that kicks off on Sept. 30 in Chicago and runs for two months.

The itinerary for the outing, dubbed The Best of Both Worlds, hasn't been released, but organizers expect the tour to wrap up in Phoenix on Nov. 28.

The embattled Kelly, who is facing charges on more than a dozen child pornography counts in Illinois, had to receive permission from a judge to embark on the tour. During the trek, Kelly reportedly must check in with his probation officer daily.

Despite his legal troubles, Kelly has been as prolific as ever. He issues his eighth album, the two-disc set "Happy People/U Saved Me," on Aug. 24. In addition to selling more than 30 million albums over the course of his career, according to Jive, Kelly has written and/or produced for Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Kelly Price, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and others.

Tourmate Jay-Z continues to support "The Black Album," which hit stores in late 2003. The album, which he has billed as his final release, features production by Rick Rubin, Eminem, Kanye West, The Neptunes and Just Blaze.

Jay-Z has released 10 consecutive multi-platinum albums since 1996, and has sold over 25 million units, according to a press release. He is the leading nominee for the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, with 6 nods.