Known for his charitable
work and philanthropic contributions, rapper Nelly has received his own star
on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
The Star is given to St.
Louis natives whose accomplishments have had a national impact on the cultural
heritage of St. Louis.
The honor is a first for
the Grammy-award winning rapper and the St. Louis, Missouri native will be the
youngest inductee for the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Nelly, who attended University
City High School in St. Louis, is being honored because he often makes reference
to and promotes his hometown through his music and videos.
There are approximately
250 natives of the city from the past and present, that represent national luminaries
from fields such as art, music, architecture, literature, journalism, civil
rights, education, science, sports, acting, entertainment and broadcasting.
Nelly has been synonymous
with charitable work as of late. His non-profit, 4 Sho 4 Kids has sponsored
several bone marrow campaigns across the country to raise awareness and increase
the number of marrow donor members.
He also recently presented
a $50,000 check as a donation to the Martin Luther King Memorial Project Foundation.
The donation will go towards
helping to build a memorial on the mall in Washington, D.C., in honor of the
civil rights legend, who was assassinated in 1968.
In other news, Nelly recently
struck a chord with parents on underage-drinking prevention by collaborating
with Anheuser-Busch on a series of ads.
The ad features Nelly talking
to parents about placing an emphasis on the important role they play in helping
teens make smart, responsible choices about not drinking.