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Tavis: I am pleased to welcome hip-hop superstar Nelly to this program. The 3-time Grammy winner made history last fall when he became the first solo artist ever--I love saying this--the first person ever to debut not one but 2 CDs at number one and number 2 on the top albums chart. I ain't mad at you, Nelly.This summer he's not only acting in the remake of the film "The Longest Yard," he's also a contributor and E.P., executive producer, of the soundtrack. The film opens nationwide this weekend. Here now a scene from "The Longest Yard."

Earl Megget: Hold up. Y'all got a running back?

Paul Crewe: Not any good ones.

Earl: No disrespect, D, but any man that can take that kind of beating out here, can't wait to see what he can do in a contact sport. I'm in. Earl Megget.

Caretaker: Well, we didn't get the whole chocolate bar, but we got a Hershey's kiss.

Tavis: ha ha ha! What's up, Nelly?

Nelly: What's up?

Tavis: How you living, man?

Nelly: I'm all right. How are you?

Tavis: I'm well, man. Nice to have you on the program. So now you're doing the acting thing?

Nelly: I'm trying.

Tavis: Selling records ain't enough for you, huh? You just ain't got enough money yet, so now you want to start acting. Tell me how did you end up in this particular project 'cause I'm always fascinated by how people choose what that first project is really gonna be.

Nelly: Well, part of the reason why I chose this project was I thought it would be easy to relate to. I mean, play a little football, hang out with the guys, you know. I didn't do no prison time.

Tavis: Ha ha ha ha ha! That's a good thing.

Nelly: Yeah. I thought it was a cool way to, you know, kind of get my feet wet and everything.

Tavis: Did I hear somewhere...-I heard or read somewhere, speaking of how talented you are--you still got the shape and everything, still.

Nelly: Oh, yeah, might as well kept it. I got it for the movie.

Tavis: Yeah, you kept it, OK. I heard or read somewhere that your stunt double on the movie wasn't as good at some of the scenes on the field as you were. So they had you doing some of the stuff they'd hired him to do?

Nelly: No. Well, the thing was, it was like--I wanted to do a lot of it. I wanted to do it. Every time they'd get ready to call the stunt guy, I'm like, "What is he doing? I'll do it," you know, and I had the director and the producers, everybody, holding their breath. And I'm like, "Man, don't worry about it." It was fun for me.

Tavis: I'm sure the insurance company must have been holding their breath.

Nelly: Everybody. Every time you get up, it's like an entourage of people coming: "You OK? You OK?" I'm like, "We're playing. Move!" You know what I'm saying?

Tavis: So tell me, what did you--did you enjoy the experience of doing this?

Nelly: I loved it. I loved it, man. I mean, you know what I'm saying, like, the first day I came in there and I'm getting dressed and I'm putting on this uniform, this football uniform. I'm looking over and I see Michael Irvin, he's getting dressed. And I see, like, Bill Romanowski and Brian Bosworth and all these--Terry Crews, everybody's just putting on this football equipment, and it's like, wow, you know. It was like a fantasy football camp.

Tavis: Burt Reynolds was here a few nights ago on this program. We talked to him about that. He said he had a lot of fun remaking it.

Nelly: Yeah, definitely.

Tavis: Um, the soundtrack. You're doing the soundtrack, too?

Nelly: Yeah. I executive produced the soundtrack. The soundtrack is also on my label, Dirty Entertainment. Also did the first single called "Errtime" with 2 artists that are also on my label...-new artists, that is, King Jacob and Young True. And, yeah, we had fun doing the song. The song was, you know, upbeat.

Tavis: Tell me the process for you as a rap artist putting together a soundtrack for a movie that you are in. I mean, what did you draw on to put the soundtrack together that would work for a remake of a classic like this movie?

Nelly: Well, first of all, you know, I wanted to make sure that everybody was happy with what was going on, so, you know, I kind of talked to the producers of the movie. I talked to Adam a lot--Adam Sandler, that is...-and he was just basically putting on me, like, "Nelly, just do your thing, you know. Make it an all hip-hop soundtrack from top to bottom," and I was like, "Yo, I can handle that." So I just reached out to a few friends, man, and see who all would be willing to contribute. And, man, we got a host of songs coming in and I just took what I thought would be good as far as like, you know, boasting well with the movie and also--

Tavis: I'm glad you said it. I wanted to ask you that. So when they give you the opportunity to do the soundtrack, do you, like, see the movie first, and then try to find songs to match it, or do you say, "You know what? Give me a bunch of hip-hop stuff we'll match it up--we'll put it where we think it looks best?"

Nelly: This one was kind of different because, per se before I've done a song, I had to see the movie. This one I was in, so I'm knowing how this is going.

Tavis: But the soundtrack came after you'd seen the movie--after you'd done the movie.

Nelly: Right. Right. After I was doing the movie, I'm on set, and I'm working and I'm thinking of concepts and I'm thinking of songs and I'm also thinking of people what they want, might be hot for the situation.

Tavis: Tell me, we promoted, of course, that you were coming on the program tonight. I got tons of responses from people who love you, watching right now, they're glad--we're glad that Nelly's gonna be on the program. But I also got some folk who said, don't have this brother come on the show and not ask him what happened to Spellman. Because there's been so much written about that. I know it's an old story. And I know how this feels because I've been asked 'bout B.E.T. a thousand times. All these many years later, I still get asked that B.E.T. question. Now, I promise you one question, and I'll move off of this. But for those who've heard about this controversy that some sisters that Spellman had with you and the lyrical content or the shooting of one of your videos, from your perspective, what happened?

Nelly: First of all, let me say that what the sisters were trying to get--the point that they were trying to get across was not in vain. I didn't see it that way. I just thought that the time--the timing was all off. I just thought--

Tavis: What was the issue as you saw it?

Nelly: Well, I mean, from their standpoint, they were saying that, you know, some of my videos were, you know, were portrayed that they didn't see as being demeaning towards women, or they did see it as degrading towards women, which-- which is a controversy they made on the whole because I don't really see it like that. As far as what we did, we got adult women, we went to the clubs. You know, I've been to nightclubs. I've been to adult dance clubs. I just said--

Tavis: Not you. I can't imagine that. Can you imagine Nelly going to an adult club?

Nelly: And all we did... We portrayed what some would consider a bachelor party, and that's what we did, you know, and I'm--everybody's been to 'em. Every guy's been to 'em. Every guy wants to go to 'em, you know. I didn't see it as degrading. We weren't in the school, but I think what we were trying to do is we were trying to hold something that was there to save lives. We were there to help save lives. Particularly on the campus. We were there to hold a bone marrow drive, there to save lives, and I just thought that their timing, to pick that opportunity right there to make a statement when the school is 8 blocks away from a strip club. Why aren't they out in front of the strip clubs picketing? They have several students attending their schools that also dance at these clubs, and they didn't make any reference or try to go to any of these students and talk to 'em. I just feel if you really wanna get the roots out of your grass, don't cut it at the top. Dig down; you know what I'm saying? Dig down deep and pull it from the bottom if you really wanna get this situation resolved. I just think they took a shot at me at a vulnerable situation.

Tavis: OK. Let me move off this Spellman thing. I promised one question, but I do want to follow up on though is how as an artist producing and performing today's music, you respond to people who think that the music, hip-hop, has gotten too misogynistic, that is not as true, as real, as socially redemptive as it used to be back in the day when it first got started. Essentially, that it's gone too far. Do you think it's gone too far?

Nelly: I think we do have some instances where some people push the limits, you know, but that's in everything. Some people push the limits on daytime television. Some people push the limits in movies. Some people push the limits in sports and athletics, you know. We push limits. I don't really think that anyone is really out to demean women. I know, I'm not, considering 85% of my fans are women, and I thought--if they thought I was doing something demeaning towards them, they wouldn't support Nelly the way they do. You know, I give women more credit than I think a lot of people do. You know, I think they're definitely smart enough to say, well, this brother is doing this on purpose. He's out to hurt us, and he's not participating in anything in the community. He's not trying to help sisters at all. He belittles his mother and all the women around him, which is not true. You know, the precious thing in my life is my daughter. I have an 11-year-old daughter, and she loves her daddy. And she's never seen the video that a lot of these people were saying. Now, how is it that I'm on the road the majority of my time, and I can stop my kids from seeing a video when you can't, and you're at home all the time?

Tavis: That's a very good point. How important is that to you? To know that your material is being seen by kids who are age-appropriate?

Nelly: Well, I don't--I don't think it should be seen by those who shouldn't see it. I mean, it goes the same as, you know, when you're 10 years old and you find your father's Playboy books under the mattress. You know, I don't think he put 'em there for you to find them.

Tavis: Nelly outs his daddy on PBS. Anyway, go ahead, Nelly.

Nelly: But I mean, you know, sometimes as kids your curiosity leads you in a different way. I think it's up to a lot of the parents to, you know, we have to just address these issues and walk with our kids hand-in-hand. You know, sometimes kids do certain things, and we say something and we don't follow up on it, as opposed to making sure that this is not something they're embedding in their brain that this is how it's supposed to be.

Tavis: Where are you taking this career? And I'm asking where you're taking it because you have your hands right now in a little bit of everything.

Nelly: I don't know, brother.

Tavis: Tell me all the ventures you're involved in right now.

Nelly: Oh, well, right now--

Tavis: Movies, music. Go ahead. Brag a little bit.

Nelly: I also have 2 clothing lines that are doing extremely well. Vokal for men and Apple Bottoms for the young ladies, which has been unbelievable. Also, I have 2 not-for-profit organizations. My 4sho 4kids Foundation. Also, my Justice for Jackie, which gets people signed up on the bone marrow stem cell situation. I'm also part owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. I'm also part owner of a Nascar truck series team.

Tavis: Brothers are getting into Nascar now.

Nelly: I'm working on my shoe deal now. I mean, I just think we want to take advantage of every opportunity that we have coming to us as artists, man. You know, it's not just about being a dumb rapper anymore.

Tavis: What's more important to you long term? To stay true to the music game or to use the music to build this empire that you're trying--

Nelly: Stay true to myself, brother. That's all I can do. You know what I'm saying? The music is a part of me. The business is a part of me. To make sure that my kids have a future. That's the most truest thing I could ever do. You know, to let anybody else dictate how my life should go and how it should run, that's not being true to anybody.

Tavis: What were your dreams as a kid? I see what you've become, but what were your dreams? Were these your dreams?

Nelly: My dreams were diverse, man. You know, I went from wanting to be a movie star to wanting to be a trash man to wanting to be a, you know, a policeman to wanting to be a fireman.

Tavis: Hold the phone. Tell me about the dream you had to be a trash man. I want to hear this.

Nelly: I wanted to be the trash man. You know, as a 6-year-old kid, you see the guy hanging on the back of the truck, and you're like, "Man, that's kind of fun to ride down the street hanging on the back of a truck." And I was like, "Man, that's what I want to do."

Tavis: Yeah.

Nelly: Luckily, I changed that one. No offense to the trash men out there, 'cause I don't want nobody--you know, they might stop picking up my trash, and then I got a lawn full.

Tavis: I don't know--in all of my years of doing this for a living, I don't know that I've ever had to follow up a question after a comment about wanting to be a trash man. I got a minute to go, and I don't know where I'm supposed to go with this minute.

Nelly: Well, you asked, man.

Tavis: After the trash man comment. All right, so, let me just use my last 45 seconds to ask this. So what's next? The movie comes out, should do well. You got more acting stuff you want to do?

Nelly: Hope so, man. It's all up to the fans. You know, if the fans want to see Nelly on film a little more then so be it. I'm here to do that. But as far as the future, you know, the soundtrack is out right now. I hope everybody go get that.

Tavis: Who all's on the soundtrack other than you?

Nelly: Myself, M&M D-12, Akon. I would say Lil Wayne, T.I.

Tavis: My mom just said, "Not Lil Wayne. Not Lil Wayne."

Nelly: Right. Ali & Big Gipp, Murphy Lee, W.C. We have Trillville.

Tavis: All right. There you have it. The soundtrack is out now to "The Longest Yard," executive produced by Nelly. Of course, the movie "The Longest Yard," starring Chris Rock and Adam Sandler and Burt Reynolds and Nelly, in theaters. Go check it out. Nelly, nice to meet you.

Nelly: Thanks, man.

Tavis: Glad to have you on the program, man. That's our show for tonight. I'll talk to you on the radio this weekend, public radio this weekend, and for that matter, every weekend on PRI: Public Radio International. Check your local listings. See you back here next time. Until then, thanks for watching and keep the faith.