nelly

You have a new CD coming out this summer. I hear there’s a follow-up to your mega-hit ‘Dilemma’ with Kelly Rowland.

‘DL2!’ This is one thing, we know we can’t in no way shape of form can we outdo part one. There’s no way. You’re in a lose situation if you go in trying to do that. What the new song is doing is a continuation of the story. It’s produced by my man Jim Jonsin and my man Rico Love. We were in the studio in Miami and I called K and she was in the bed and just shot down to the studio.

Any other standout collaborations on the CD?

I got a collaboration with Taraji P. Henson that was produced by Jermaine Dupri. It’s crazy.

You’ve had several successful business ventures, from your own Apple Bottom apparel collection to endorsement deals the Sean Jean underwear line and Reebok. How have you been able to thrive in the corporate realm?

I think it’s kind of like, from the beginning, you have to know where you want your career to go instead of going where the career takes you. You have to already have that mentality when you get into the game. If I have this type of success, this is where I want to go. If I have this type of success, then this is where I want to go. This is what I want to manifest this into. You see what I’m saying? So when you get that opportunity, you strike. What I try to do, I just try to do things that relate to what I’m doing so it makes sense. It doesn’t look like a stretch or like I’m just out there for a check. -BV