Is St. Louis Rapper Nelly the latest target in the hate based attack on black men in Hip Hop culture? Nelly has been a loving son, brother, and father to the women in his family, and has always connected with his fans. What appears to me as an innocent gesture no different than The Beatles interacting with fans of all ages in their era, is being pitched as something inappropriate, and possibly sparking this rumor of rape. It's a full on attack on our culture, and those in positions to use their voice are being picked on. As of now, Nelly has been released with no charges. Smells like canned tuna to me. None the less, here's the story.
According to the Auburn police department in Washington, Rapper Nelly who's given name is Cornell Haynes Jr., was taken into custody at 4:37 AM Saturday morning after a woman made a 911 call alleging she'd been sexually assaulted on the rappers' tour bus. In a Page Six article, Nelly's lawyer Scott Rosenblum says, the rapper is “the victim of a completely fabricated allegation;” speculations are being made however, calling Nelly's onstage behavior awkward. As a father himself, we don't personally believe the 42-year old meant anything inappropriate but it was taken as such. Fans went as far as calling it, "creepy" even though it's clearly been embedded as a theatrical element in Nelly's shows. I can't say I'm a Nelly fan; and I'm definitely not a fan of creeps but I hope this accuser isn't just a relative of one of these kids Nelly brought on stage being spiteful. Nelly told US Magazine, "I'm completely innocent;" and to be honest, I mostly believe him. Black men have been under attack in Hip Hop for some time now. Not saying anything conclusively either way. See the video clips of the on stage performance here on WhenRapWasReal.com and let us know what you think on our Facebook Page.
Image Credit: Upscale Magazine
Image Credit: When Rap Was Real