Nelly is being given his flowers while he can still smell them, picking up the most prestigious award of the night at the upcoming “BET Hip-Hop Awards.” The rapper and country music star will receive BET’s 2021 “I Am Hip Hop” Award in recognition of his distinguished career and contributions going back to the early 2000s.
“I am honored to receive this award and humbled to be in such great company of past artists who have received this award,” said Nelly in a statement. “I have been blessed to work with some incredible people in my career, making twenty-two 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 award comes 22 years into Nelly’s career and will celebrate all his career accomplishments. Nelly hasn’t actually won a BET award in all his time in the game, one of the few accolades he was missing out on. Nelly joins an exclusive club of previous award winners including KRS-One, Ice Cube, Salt-n-Pepa, Rakim, MC Lyte, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, and Lil Wayne. Last year’s recipient of the award was rapper, record executive, actor, and entrepreneur, Master P.
Also up for awards on the night are Cardi B, Lil Durk, and Megan Thee Stallion who are in the lead for most nominations with an incredible 9 each followed by Drake who has to settle for 8. Tyler the Creator and Metro Boomin are almost among some of the most nominated acts.
The 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards go down on October 5. Have a look at some of the event’s best cyphers over the years.