As the academic year comes to a close, rapper Nelly is scheduled to speak and perform April 9 during a Student Government Productions and ACCENT Speakers Bureau event.
The event will be held at 7 p.m. in the O’Connell Center. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
Tickets for the concert will be freely accessible to UF students starting April 3 at noon, and they will only be purchasable at the Gate 1 Box Office located within the O’Connell Center. To secure a ticket, students should bring their Gator1 ID. A maximum of two tickets can be given out per Gator1 ID.
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., better known by his stage name Nelly, has had four No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and he’s sold more than 21 million albums throughout his career. His No. 1 singles include “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” “Dilemma,” “Grillz” and “Hot in Herre.” “Dilemma” maintained its No. 1 spot on the charts for a total of 10 weeks.
In 2001, Nelly made his acting debut, starring in the independent film “Snipes,” and in 2005, he starred in the remake of “The Longest Yard.” Nelly also appeared in a few television shows, including “CSI: NY,” “90210,” “Nellyville,” “Real Husbands of Hollywood” and “Dancing with the Stars.”
“I am a firm believer in creating new lanes and new energy,” Nelly said in a 2021 interview with Hustle & Soul Magazine. “That helps you stand the test of time. It keeps you on a level where other people are trying to be involved as opposed to being creative. I love being creative, and that is what my fans have allowed me to do.”
Although his career has been highly successful, Nelly has also had his fair share of controversies. In 2015, he faced a misdemeanor drug offense conviction, and in 2016, he was reported to have a $2.4 million tax lien against him. His most serious crimes occurred in 2017 and 2018, when Nelly was accused of sexually assaulting three women.
“Let me say that I am beyond shocked that I have been targeted with this false allegation. I am completely innocent,” Nelly tweeted in a since-deleted response to the first allegation. “I am confident that once the facts are looked at, it will be very clear that I am the victim of a false allegation."
SGP and ACCENT are both agencies of UF Student Government. SGP hosts concerts for UF students to attend at a free or reduced cost, and ACCENT invites prominent individuals to speak at the university.
In the past, SGP has organized concerts showcasing artists such as Don Toliver, Two Friends, Joey Bada$$ and Roddy Ricch. ACCENT has invited speakers such as Rainn Wilson, John Green, Josh Peck and more controversially, Josh Richards.
Students with any questions are advised to visit the FAQs document created by SGP and ACCENT organizers.
Contact Annie Wang at awang@alligator.org. Follow her on X @wynwg.
Annie Wang is a sophomore journalism student and the Fall 2024 University Administration Reporter. She previously wrote for the University Desk as a General Assignment reporter. In her spare time, she can be found reading and writing book reviews.
