<p id=”par-1_53″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/rappers/page/3/”>Rapper</a> Nelly once found himself in the headlines again after reestablishing his relationship with his current girlfriend and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/ashanti-pregnant-singer-partner-nelly-massive-fur-coat.html/”>mother of his child Ashanti</a>. But several years ago, he was in the headlines for another reason. The artist was in a rough spot financially, but his dedicated fan base quickly came to his rescue.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-how-nelly-financially-bounced-back-after-years-of-legal-issues”>How Nelly financially bounced back after years of legal issues</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Debt-Nelly.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Nelly smiling while performing at 2024 BottleRock at Napa Valley Expo.” class=”wp-image-3765380″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Nelly | Miikka Skaffari/FilmMagic</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-2_105″>Nelly’s finances have gone through many ups and downs over the years. He made most of his money from his successful music career, which officially launched in 2000 with his debut album <em>Country Grammer</em>. The album proved to be far from a fluke, and Nelly continued its success with records like <em>Nellyville </em>and <em>Sweat</em>. Overall, Nelly has sold a whopping 40 million records worldwide over the course of his career. He’s also owned clothing lines like Vokal, an alcohol brand named Moonshine, energy drinks and his own record label. This has all contributed to his <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/old-nelly-rappers-net-worth.html/”>$70 million net worth</a> today, according to <a href=”https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/richest-rappers/nelly-net-worth/”>Celebrity Net Worth</a>.</p>
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<p id=”par-3_64″>However, his net worth wasn’t always as high. In 2022, <a href=”https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/4643662/nelly-net-worth-rapper/”>The Sun</a> asserted that Nelly had accumulated $40 million that might’ve plummeted to a modest $8 million. A few documented legal issues were responsible for this financial setback. In 2016, the IRS hit Nelly with a $2.4 million tax lien for unpaid taxes. He also owed $150,000 in unpaid state taxes to Missouri. </p>
<p id=”par-4_99″>When Nelly’s fans heard what he was going through, however, they banded together to help their favorite artist. According to <a href=”https://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2016/sep/14/nelly-fans-hope-to-pay-his-taxes-play-hot-in-herre-on-spotify-savenelly”>The Guardian</a>, Nelly fans planned to stream his hit single, ‘Hot in Herre,’ multiple times to help the artist pay off his taxes. But the publication calculated that fans would need to play Nelly’s song between 280 to 403 million times to settle his debt. That wouldn’t be necessary, however, since Nelly sold his music catalog in 2023, which earned him $50 million. The money he earned from the deal makes up a good portion of his net worth.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-nelly-s-inspiration-behind-his-money-making-moves”>Nelly’s inspiration behind his money-making moves</h2>
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<p id=”par-5_44″>Nelly had a lot to motivate him to become as successful as he could be. He knew what it was like to grow up without much. Like many in his position, not having a lot of money quickly taught him the value of it.</p>
<p id=”par-6_78″>“I’ve been fairly independent for a long time,” Nelly said in an interview with <a href=”https://crperry84.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/interview-nelly-rapper-producer-and-entrepreneur/”>Clayton Perry</a>.” My parents got divorced when I was probably like six years old. And neither one of them could afford to keep me on their own. So I bounced around a lot and I moved and lived with different people. I’ve been to like eight different schools. So when you do that, you get used to bouncing around and just making it work.”</p>
<p id=”par-7_28″>However, Nelly also credited other rappers, who also turned out to be savvy businessmen, for helping guide him towards financial independence. One of those artists was MC Hammer.</p>
<p id=”par-8_146″>“If you look at Hammer when he first came out, everybody was dissing Hammer saying that he was too commercial,” he said. “Why? Because he had a Pepsi deal. He had a cartoon. He was working on a cereal deal and all that. All the things you wish you could have today. You know what I’m saying? So those are some of the doors that I walked through to get where I’m at. And so have a lot of other brothers. We can now step into that realm. And he showed that we could be just as marketable as the ‘pop star.’ So when doors get opened for me, they go back to the doors others have opened up for me, the Jays, the Puffs, the Dr. Dres, the Ice Cubes – everybody that’s made money outside the realm of music. I use them as inspiration.”</p>
<p id=”par-9_25″>Nowadays, Nelly continues earning his living through music. He’s even blended <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/nelly-says-country-music-and-rb-are-more-similar-than-people-think.html/”>hip-hop and country music together</a> to show the two genres go hand in hand.</p>