Nellyville artist and 2000s legend Nelly (real name Cornell Haynes) is the latest rapper to sell his hit-filled catalogue for a large sum of money. The St Louis emcee has reportedly handed over his discography to HarbourView Equity Partners, who now have their hands on some of his most well-known tracks such as ‘Hot In Herre’ and ‘Dilemma,’ and many more.
The unprecedented pandemic of 2020 saw a slew of artists sell their material due to touring restrictions and cash flow difficulties. However, three years later, it seems as if MCs are continuing to let go of their creations for large money handouts.
Haynes latest deal hasn’t just seen him pen a deal for his most successful singles but has, in fact, seen him let go of eight full-length studio albums, including the projects that made him a 2000s hip-hop and R’n’B icon.
‘Hot In Herre’ and ‘Dilemma’ earned the Nelly several prestigious Grammy Awards, and the deal has also seen him the Neptunes-produced anthem ‘Shake Ya Tailfeather.’ However, the full details of his contract are still unknown.
Nelly is most definitely not the first rap musician to part ways with his catalogue. Last year, Atlanta rapper Future sold a large amount of his publishing to Influence Media Partners for an eight-figure sum. Maryland emcee Logic also penned a deal with this company. Future’s contract saw him let go of at least 612 tracks, including some of his iconic releases like ‘Mask Off.’ Logic was not so imprudent selling only 185.
Other artists and producers that have penned similar deals to Nelly include the producer Metro Boomin who earned a lump sum of approximately $70m from Shamrock Capital, and Lil Wayne, who reportedly penned a nine-figure deal with UMG for the Young Money masters.
