Last night, Nelly took the stage at the 2021 BET Hip-Hop Awards where he was the recipient of the I Am Hip-Hop Award. Upon receiving the honor, the diamond-certified St Louis rapper/country star joined the likes of Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Master P, and LL Cool J.
In addition to securing the prestigious award, Nelly also held it down for the fans with a medley performance lined with classic hits. Beginning with Country Grammar favorite “E.I,” the longtime veteran segued into “Country Grammar” without the faintest sign of a backing vocal track. Next up is a solo rendition of “Air Force Ones,” or at least the iconic chorus; that one might have been tricky without the Lunatics on board.
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Jermaine Dupri takes the stage for the Jagged Edge banger “Where The Party At,” while “Grillz” finds Nelly reuniting with an iced-out Paul Wall. Longtime Nelly fans will be pleased to see City Spud emerge to spit a fragment of his “Ride Wit Me” verse, before he teases the masses with a snippet of his Kelly Rowland-assisted “Dilemma.” “That’s enough of that shit,” he jokes, sliding into the rambunctious tandem of “Flap Ya Wings” and “Hot In Herre.”
Though Nelly has largely shifted away from the hip-hop sound, his recent performance highlights a time where he essentially had the game on lock in the early millennium. Check it out for yourself, especially if you look back fondly on that particular era. Congratulations to Nelly for solidifying himself as the latest winner of the I Am Hip-Hop award.
WATCH: Nelly puts on a show at the BET hip-hop awards.