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Nelly, who was presented the award by his wife, Ashanti, marked the honor by performing a medley of some of his biggest hits, including “Air Force Ones” and “Hot in Herre.”
It got a little “Hot In Herre” at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards, as Nelly was given his flowers for his contribution to the industry.
On Monday night, the “Dilemma” singer was honored with the 2025 iHeartRadio Landmark Award, which the show said celebrates “artists whose album releases have inspired and shaped culture over multiple decades.”
His impressive career includes 21 million albums sold in the US — and more than 75 million units globally, making him one of the best selling rappers of all time.
While Nelly didn’t give a speech while accepting the honor, he got a sweet intro from his wife, Ashanti, who affectionately called him her soulmate.
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“Okay, so he did not know that I was coming up here; he thought I just went to the bathroom,” Ashanti, who shares 7-month-old son, Kareem, with the rapper, adorably revealed. “Back in the day, when people thought about rap, they thought about the East and West Coast. But in 2000, a rapper emerged out of St. Louis who would change the game forever and put the Midwest on the map. That rapper was Nelly.”
She continued, “This year marks the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking album, Country Grammar. It topped the charts for 6 consecutive weeks and became one of the best-selling hip-hop records of all time and sold over 10 million albums. He created a movement, shaped the culture and made history doing it. I’m so proud to honor Country Grammar and the talented guy who made it, my soul mate, my hu-u-usband, Nelly, with the iHeartRadio Landmark Award.”
“Alright, it’s about to go down, down baby. He’s St. Louis’ own, but he’s my man, give it up for Nelly!,” Ashanti excitedly announced before her man took the stage to perform a medley of some of his biggest hits, including “Country Grammar,” “Ride Wit Me,” “Air Force Ones,” “Hot in Herre” and more.
The honor and performance comes just days before he’s set to kick off his Where the Part At world tour, which begins March 21 in New Zealand and will include appearances from collaborators like Ja Rule, Eve, St. Lunatics, Fabolous, Jermaine Dupri and Chingy.
