Why Has Everyone Forgotten About Nelly’s Sexual-Assault Allegations?

Twitter has confirmed to be an efficient software in propelling light stars again into the highlight. It’s on this vogue that Nelly’s profession has gained noticeable traction over the previous 12 months—because of the highly effective PR that comes with taking part in a Verzuz battle that, by design, elicits reward and recognition on social media for one’s contributions to the tradition. Nonetheless, his sudden re-emergence into the zeitgeist, that features a new partnership with Burger King and lifelong achievement award from BET, has led many to miss the numerous allegations of sexual assault that the St. Louis rapper has confronted over the previous 4 years.

In October 2017, Nelly, born Cornell Hayes Jr., was arrested and charged with second-degree rape after a then-22-year-old school scholar named Monique Greene claimed he assaulted her on his tour bus forward of a Florida Georgia Line live performance the place he was set to carry out. Nelly’s legal professional referred to as the accusations false, citing “greed and vindictiveness” as Greene’s motivation. Every week later, the case was dropped after Greene did not cooperate—her purpose being that she believed the “system would fail her,” in keeping with her legal professional.

In December of that 12 months, Greene sued the “Scorching in Herre” rapper for sexual assault and defamation after he publicly denied the incident. Court docket papers filed within the lawsuit additionally included allegations from two anonymous women in England claiming that the musician groped them and masturbated in entrance of them after being invited to hang around with him and his entourage in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Nelly filed a countersuit in January 2018, calling the accusations “utterly fabricated and an try to provide credibility to his accuser’s far-fetched story.” By September, Greene and Nelly had reportedly mutually settled the lawsuit.

Essex police additionally halted an investigation into the case of one of many English girls, who accused Nelly of assaulting her after a gig at Cliffs Pavilion in Southend, on account of her failure to testify. Nonetheless, Nelly publicly thanked U.Ok. police for “completely investigating” the allegations. His assertion additionally included a piece the place he frustratingly mentions that he “stands with girls and actual survivors.”

Regardless of this harrowing sequence of occasions that acquired mass information protection on the time, Nelly’s public picture has seemingly by no means been higher. Other than his look on Verzuz—a platform that has welcomed different artists accused of sexual assault, together with accused serial rapist Russell Simmons—cultural discussions about Black individuals’s involvement within the nation style and nostalgia for Y2K acts on social media has created an ideal storm for a Nellyssance. Likewise, the musician competed on the twenty ninth season of Dancing with The Stars within the fall of 2020 and positioned third, regardless of the recency of these accusations. Throughout that point, he additionally launched his second collaboration with Florida Georgia Line after 2013’s profitable “Cruise (Remix)” referred to as “Lil Bit” that went platinum. The music is from his 2021 “country-influenced” album Heartland, which landed within the high 10 on the Billboard High Nation Albums chart and contains options from different nation hitmakers reminiscent of Darius Rucker and Kane Brown. And he was capable of promote the album on Good Morning America, The Kelly Clarkson Present and CMT Crossroads.

Most not too long ago, you might have noticed Nelly in commercials for Burger King’s new Maintain It Actual Meals. Launched in response to the wave of movie star quick meals partnerships at firms like McDonalds and Taco Bell and to advertise Burger King’s ban of sure synthetic elements, the marketing campaign sells a number of meals below the precise names of well-known artists Anitta, Lil Huddy, and Nelly. Whereas public figures of various reputation generally seem in advert campaigns, the present highlight on fast-food chains and their extravagant, typically celebrity-focused advertising ways within the social media period—to not point out the clout artists like Saweetie and Lil Nas X obtain for what number of offers they will land and with which manufacturers—appears like Nelly benefiting from a bigger cultural second exterior no matter artwork he’s producing of his personal.

Undoubtedly, one of many largest moments in Nelly’s profession over the previous decade will likely be on Oct. 5 when he receives the I Am Hip Hop Award on the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards “for his huge contributions to music and the tradition at massive,” in keeping with the community. Previous recipients of the lifetime achievement award embody Doug E. Contemporary, LL Cool J, Grasp P and Snoop Dogg, amongst others.

“I’m honored to obtain this award and humbled to be in such nice firm of previous artists who have acquired this award,” Nelly stated in a press release. “I’ve been blessed to work with some unimaginable individuals in my profession, making 22 years go by within the blink of a watch. This award isn’t nearly Nelly; it is about my followers, BET, and the those who proceed to assist me and permit me to do what I like to do.”

The disregard for Nelly’s alleged predatory conduct from manufacturers and business leaders alike sadly doesn’t come as a lot of a shock—not solely as a result of the music industry has struggled to hold artists accountable for sexual misconduct within the wake of #MeToo in comparison with different sectors of leisure, however as a result of he sits at a tough axis, as sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom has written about radio host Charlamagne tha God in her guide THICK, of “males that aren’t Invoice Cosby large and males that didn’t principally [assault] white girls like Harvey Weinstein.” Likewise, it’s straightforward to feign ignorance about an older, much less related, non-white musician’s authorized troubles, significantly within the at present oversaturated panorama of standard music and celebrities.

Admittedly, when the primary accusation emerged, there weren’t as many extremely seen, mainstream alternatives to cancel Nelly from. However his case exhibits how simply abusers can slip via the cracks when social media doesn’t apply sufficient ardor and consistency to those conversations, an sadly pressing think about looking for justice these days.