Nelly Apologizes for Felony Drug Arrest

Nelly made headlines over the weekend when he was arrested on felony drug charges after drugs and guns were found on his tour bus, but the rapper and his lawyer proclaim his innocence. On April 11, Nelly's tour bus was pulled over by the Tennessee Highway Patrol for not having a required Department of Tranportation and INternational Fuel Tax Association sticker. Cops smelled marijuana and after a search discovered five rocks that tested positive for meth (his lawyer says the substance was MDMA), plus a small amount of marijuana. Officers also found 100 small Ziploc bas that are commonly tused to bag and sell drugs along with several guns.

"I feel the need to take responsibility for my choices in needing to be more aware of all the people I associate with and allow onto my property," the rapper told TMZ and later posted to Instagram. "While my instinct of course, is to be accessible to my friends, fans and acquaintances, the last thing I would want to do is compromise the respect and admiration of my friends, family and fans."

Nelly and his legal team claim that 15-20 people had access to the bus prior to the stop. "Nelly was one of several individuals that was on a tour bus that was stopped and searched while traveling through Tennessee," Nelly's lawyer told Billboard. "In fact, there had been 15-20 people that had access to the bus prior to the stop. Allegedly, a small quantity of contraband (MDMA aka Molly or Ecstasy) was discovered during the routine search. We are extremely confident that when the facts come out, Nelly will not be associated with the contraband that was allegedly discovered."

A concert the St. Louis rapper was scheduled to perform at next week on April 23 in Springfield, Mo. at Missouri State University was canceled due to his arrest in Tennessee. The New York Daily News reports Missouri State officials announced the cancellation in a statement but did not give a reason.

Filed Under: Nelly, TMZ

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