S. Samuel
Nelly has recently reflected on his controversial, adult-themed "Tip Drill" music video, stating that it showcased another side of his creativity.
For Nelly, the 2003 visual gave him an opportunity to have fun.
“I’m not bound by anything in terms of my freedom to create, who says everything you create has to be accepted by everyone? If I only did one thing, one way then I wouldn’t be an artist. Everything in the history of art and music wasn’t accepted at first. Not to say what I did wasn’t risqué, but it was needed at the time. All I did was entertain adult fans. It even came on an adult show at 3 a.m. It wasn’t like the girls in the video were offended by it. Never will I take any of that back. I didn’t make 10 of them. I made one video and people wanted to condemn me for it. And people wanted that video to outweigh all the other good things I’ve done. All my not-for-profit work, helping find marrow donors, community programs and take all that away from me. I was just young and having fun.” (VIBE)
The video landed Nelly into some heat around 2005 after a college cancelled his appearance due to the buzz surrounding “Tip Drill.”
The music video for “Tip Drill” became a source of controversy due to perceptions of misogynistic depictions of women. The controversy forced Nelly to cancel an appearance at a bone marrow drive at Spelman College, a historically black college in Atlanta, Georgia. Similar claims of misogyny also surrounded Nelly’s single “Pimp Juice”. RIAA have certified the album Platinum. (Wikipedia)
Following the controversy, Nelly defended his visual.
“I respect women, and I’m not a misogynist. I’m an artist. Hip-hop videos are art and entertainment. Videos tell stories; some are violent, some are sexy, some are fun, some are serious. As for how women are shown in the videos, I don’t have a problem with it because it is entertainment…No one knows what a particular woman’s situation is, what her goals are. Being in that video may help her further those goals. Several women who have been in my videos have gone on to do TV appearances and movies. No one can dictate other people’s choices and situations.” (CNN)
The record is featured on his 2003 compilation, Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention.
Nelly’s venture into the remix arena aims to be an interesting complement to his canon — an album that is intended to showcase the production genius of his right-hand man, Jason “Jay E” Epperson, and expand upon big hits like “Country Grammar (Hot Sh*t),” “Hot in Herre,” and “Dilemma” with new beats and guest rappers. For instance, Nelly even narrates the album in an interviewer/interviewee format that is intended to shed light on his creative process (and also showcase his cooler-than-thou fronting). (All Music Guide)
Check out “Tip Drill” below:
