Nelly reveals why she uses a Band-Aid on her face during shows at Rock in Rio 2026

Singer Nelly in an excerpt from the music video 'Dilemma' — Photo: Reproduction/YouTube

One of the biggest rap stars of the 2000s, Nelly will perform at the Palco Mundo do Rock in Rio 2026 on September 6th.

And, in addition to the songs, the singer was marked by his style — more precisely by wearing a Band-Aid on his face at all times.

For many years, there was speculation about why the rapper wore the bandage all the time. Was it just style? Was he hiding something?

In March 2025, Nelly revealed to the "Big Boy" podcast the real reason for the different adornment. According to him, the band-aid on his face was a tribute to a friend, fellow rapper City Spud. The two were part of the group St. Lunatics in the 1990s.

"Right when we finished the album ['Country Grammar'], he went to court and ended up in prison. So, he didn't have the chance to be on the street when the album was released. I used [the band-aid] in honor of City, because he was in prison", he said.

Released in 2000, "Country Grammar" was the singer's first album and its main hit was "Ride Wit Me", precisely a partnership with City Spud.

However, it was with "Nellyville", his next album, released in 2002, that the singer achieved global success.

The album cover features an image of the singer with a black headband and a band-aid on his cheekbone.

The main success of this second work was "Dilemma", a partnership with singer Kelly Rowland. The music video has accumulated more than a billion views on YouTube (and, of course, it shows Nelly in baggy clothes and a bandage on her face).

"Someone once told me, 'Man, you only really win when you become a costume.' If you're not a costume on Halloween, you're a star. Rams jersey, baggy jeans, Band-Aid on your face. That still happens to this day at parties. I'm so grateful for that."