Earlier this week, we reported that Maryland rapper Logic had sold his entire music catalog in an eight-figure deal. Now, just days later, fellow emcee Nelly has followed up with a similar deal, selling about half of his published music catalog for $50 million.
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On Wednesday (July 5), TMZ reported that the 48-year-old entered a deal with HarbourView Equity Partners to sell them “select” music assets from his catalog in exchange for the massive, aforementioned sum. Although the entire terms of the deal have not been made available, hit songs included in this purchase are “Ride Wit Me” (2001), which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Hot in Herre” (2002), which hit No. 1, and “Dilemma” featuring Kelly Rowland, which also peaked at No. 1. All three of these cuts landed on our “Top 10 Nelly Songs of All Time” list which we published in 2022.
Attached to the press release announcing the sale, Nelly offered a quote about how meaningful his music is to him.
“As artists, we put our heart and soul into each track and there comes a time when you consider preservation of that artistry,” he wrote. “My music is my legacy which I want to last beyond me, continuing to make my existing fans happy while reaching new generations and new audiences. I am excited to partner with HarbourView to create opportunities for discovery of my music decades from now.”
Additionally, HarbourView Equity Partners’ founder Sherrese Clarke Soares explained the impact of the acquisition. “This catalog has made an incredible impact on generations of fans,” Soares said. “Works such as ‘Hot in Herre’ and ‘Shake Ya Tailfeather’ defined an era of music of a unique blend of hip-hop, R&B, and country music that is undeniable. We are thrilled to add these influential pieces to our repertoire and work with the team to continue supporting the artistry within our ecosystem.”
Although Nelly has only put out one studio album since 2013 (Heartland in 2021), he still works on music occasionally, evident in his desire to work with Chance The Rapper, which he expressed in a recent interview with ET. It’s unknown if the rights to any future Nelly music will belong to him or HarbourView.
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