It’s getting hot in here, so Nelly is selling 50 percent of his catalogue; including said hit ‘Hot In Herre’

Count Nelly as the latest artist to sell his music catalogue among the ever-growing list, with news that he has sold his entire catalogue to HarbourView Equity Partners for a deal estimated to be worth $50 million USD. 

However, the astute business acumen of Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. means that only 50% of the ownership was sold off, leaving him with 50% of the residuals songs like “Dilemma” featuring Kelly Rowland and “Hot in Herre” to still tick over into his bank account.

Nelly has stated that he is excited to partner up with the equity firm, with it allowing him and his music to reach new generations and last beyond his lifetime, with HarbourView themselves expressing their happiness regarding the deal. 

The firm, backed by Apollo Music Management, have been amassing a number of music catalogues in the past twelve months, and Nelly’s acquisition brings their total number of songs to over 20,000 and the acquisition itself was facilitated by Steven Shapiro of Davis Shapiro Lewit & Grabel LLP.

Nelly’s music, like it or not, has left an indelible impression in music history, with a number of his songs, in particular “Hot In Herre,” being used in movie and television soundtracks alongside commercial exploitation in the form of advertisements and even venue music. 

Nelly's career spans two decades, and he has collaborated with numerous superstars, earning several Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, and Billboard Music Awards, while the rapper has also had a small acting career, notably in Adam Sandler’s 2005 remake of “The Longest Yard.”

Where does Nelly’s music catalogue sale place compared to others?

Back to the PeopleWorld Music Catalogue league table we go once again; as of July 5 2023, the current top five music sales on record are:

1. Bruce Springsteen: $500 million USD (to Sony)
2. Bob Dylan: $300-400 million USD (publishing catalogue to Universal Music Publishing)
3. Sting: $300 million USD (entire music catalogue to Universal Music Publishing)
4. Neil Diamond: $300 million USD (estimated - complete song catalogue and master recordings to Universal)
5. David Bowie: $250 million USD (entire catalogue to Warner-Chappell)

So Nelly doesn’t dent the top five we’ve been following over the last year, however the twist here is that Nelly, having only sold off 50% of his ownership, can still make money from his back catalogue and have “some” control over its use.