Nelly Will Receive the "I Am Hip Hop" Award at the 2021 BET Hip Hop Award

It is getting "hot in herre" and that's because BET just announced multi-platinum, Grammy award-winning rapper, Nelly, as the 2021 recipient of the "I am Hip Hop" award.

The double diamond selling rap superstar, who first set the music industry ablaze with his chart-topping hit, Country Grammar, will be celebrated for his massive contributions to music and the culture at large. From chart-topping hits that include Hot in Herre, Dilemma (feat. Kelly Rowland), Ride Wit Me, and Cruise (with Florida Georgia Line), to his popular fashion line Apple Bottoms, to starring in the hit series Real Husbands of Hollywood, and his own reality show Nellyville, the charismatic music icon says that he is "honored to receive this award and humbled to be in such great company of past artists who have received this award. I have been blessed to work with some incredible people in my career, making 22 years go by in the blink of an eye. This award isn’t just about Nelly; it is about my fans, BET, and the people that continue to support me and allow me to do what I love to do.”

The music mogul has also left his mark in other aspects of the industry, including his hugely successful women’s clothing line, Apple Bottoms, and part-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats with Michael Jordan. Nelly also added sports commentator to his list of accomplishments with Fox Sports, making him one of few actors with three television shows airing simultaneously at the time with Fox Sports, Nellyville and Real Husbands of Hollywood. In 2005, he made his big-screen debut in the Adam Sandler and Chris Rock hit remake The Longest Yard and Reach Me with Sylvester Stallone in 2014.

Currently, he supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and is the only music artist to own a college, EI University, which provides education surrounding the music industry while Nelly himself provides scholarships. In addition to touring shows and promoting his latest single High Horse from the upcoming Heartland album, Nelly is also filming the new season of BET smash hit series Real Husbands of Hollywood, streaming exclusively on BET+ in 2022.

Make sure to tune into the 16th Annual BET Hip Hop Awards premiering on Tuesday, October 5th at 9 pm ET.