Back in the early 2000s, MTV Cribs was the original flex. Rappers, ballers, and other celebrities showed fans inside their multimillion-dollar mansions, which boast garages filled with flashy cars, swimming pools the size of Africa, and closets stocked with designer gear, for many a chance to show off their success. But Nelly said his 2002 appearance on the show was what he now describes as "the worst thing" he ever did.
In a recent sit-down on 'The Cruz Show,' the St. Louis-raised rapper looked back on the experience and associated unintended after-effects. "Hell yeah, that one was real," Nelly said when asked whether the episode accurately reflected his home around that time. "I sold it. I had to get rid of it. It was the worst thing that I did."
In contrast to some of the staged episodes of MTV Cribs, where one might find rented mansions and borrowed cars, Nelly's was a fundamental property. He owned a beautiful lakeside dwelling in a historic area of St. Louis. He didn't expect how much exposure it would generate, risking his family's safety.
"People were pulling their boats to the dock, and my mom was out by the pool," Nelly remembered. "Muthaf*as rolled a boat up on the dock. Walk up the dock. And you all don't know my mom, but my mom is off the chain. She started, 'Yo, what the? Get your ass, you know what I'm saying?"
The exposure and lack of security were so alarming that Nelly said, "his home was no longer a peaceful space." Although Mr. Sherrill initially attempted to install gates and enhance security, he eventually chose to sell the property.
"I thought I was going to spend my life there," he said. "I never knew. I was like, 'This is it. This is fly. I'm going to live here forever.' No, I'm not going to do another year here.'"
Now, Nelly wants to turn the page and move to a more peaceful and expansive space, possibly Tennessee.
"We're probably going to move down to Tennessee or some s###," he said. "No state tax. Need Old Nashville right about now. Somewhere quiet. Some acreage."
He loves being in Los Angeles but acknowledges that the lack of privacy has become frustrating.
"You can't p### off your balcony without hitting the neighbor," he joked. "We're crowded on top of each other out here. It's insane."
As for moving to other places, Vegas is a go for Nelly since he loves to gamble.
"I gamble too much. I'm not going to lie to you," he said. "I think I'm a winner. I'm going to fight. To the end. To the very end."
While MTV Cribs is a nostalgic classic for many, Nelly's story reminds us that too much exposure can have a price. For him, that cost meant losing a home he thought he would never leave.
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