Apparently Iraqi Kurdistan is a huge fan of rappers from the late '90s and early 2000s. Because after reports that Akon would perform, turns out Nelly is currently there. Yes, "Country Grammar" and "Hot in Herre" Nelly.
He's there performing at a charity concert for an annual soccer tournament in the city of Erbil, as part of a larger event hosted by a social welfare nonprofit called the Rwanga Foundation.
The group, whose mission is to "assist the most vulnerable people residing in Kurdistan, Iraq, and in the greater global community," said Nelly is "the first American artist to perform in the city’s 8,000-year-old history."
The concert was touted as a fundraiser to raise money for the peshmerga, the Kurdish fighting force that has been combatting ISIS. Rumors are circulating though that Nelly was paid nicely for his appearance. The Rwanga Foundation did not immediately respond to an email from BuzzFeed News asking about the fees paid to the rapper.
Heavy Rotation, which normally handles Nelly's bookings, told BuzzFeed News it did not handle scheduling Nelly for the overseas concert. ICM Partners, Nelly's agency, declined to comment on any fees the rapper was paid for his performance when reached by BuzzFeed News.