St. Louis hitmaker Nelly will be honored for his years of dedication to the game at the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards with the I Am Hip Hop award. This is the top honorary award at the show. Prior recipients of the award are LL COOL J, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Master P, Grandmaster Flash, KRS-One, Russell Simmons, Ice Cube, Salt-n-Pepa, Rakim, MC Lyte, Doug E. Fresh, Scarface, Luther Campbell and Lil’ Kim.
The “Hot In Herre” rapper has received a BET award in 2001 for the best new artist. Nelly also holds three Grammy’s, four American Music Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, a MTV Video Music Award, three Soul Train Awards, and four Teen Choice Awards.
“I am honored to receive this award and humbled to be in such great company of past artists who have received this award,” Nelly said in a statement. “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.”
Nelly To Receive 'I Am Hip Hop' Award at 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards | Entertainment Tonight https://t.co/aQAnk58W53
— Nelly_Mo (@Nelly_Mo) September 21, 2021
Nelly will be celebrated “for his massive contributions to music and the culture at large," BET said in a statement.
The emcee has had a very successful career, with three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, including Country Grammar, Nellyville, and Suit. The emcee has sold a total of 22 million albums throughout his career.
The rapper is also a serial entrepreneur. Best known for his uber popular jean company,Apple Bottoms. Nelly also played as himself in the hilarious BET mockumentary series, Real Husbands of Hollywood.
The BET Hip Hop Awards premieres Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.