# That New Rap Singer is SO Nelly!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-new-rap-singer-is-so-nelly/116886>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 1, 2002, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-new-rap-singer-is-so-nelly/116886 "2002-07-01T19:20:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-new-rap-singer-is-so-nelly/116886/21 "2002-07-02T17:40:21Z")

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I’m 30 and have heard the term “nelly” used as slang for homosexual (especially effeminate homosexual) plenty of times.

**RickJay** perhaps the people you polled have not been personally exposed to gay culture (watching _Will and Grace_ does not count). BTW, that’s not a criticism, just a suggestion that the people you polled have not heard it because they have not been in situations where it would be used and not because it is not currently in use.

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-new-rap-singer-is-so-nelly/116886/22 "2002-07-02T18:17:49Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Walloon \*  
> \*\ ***Revtim** , “nelly” is _current_ slang for effeminate homosexual. It originated in the 1940s, it didn’t die in the 1940s. \*\*

From what I’m hearing in this thread is that it’s only well known in gay subculture. For a young rapper, that might as well be feudal Japan.

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**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-new-rap-singer-is-so-nelly/116886/23 "2002-07-02T19:22:51Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Revtim \*  
> \*\*From what I’m hearing in this thread is that it’s only well known in gay subculture. For a young rapper, that might as well be feudal Japan. \*\*

\<Chuckle\> While Revtim has a point, this suburban 30-something housewife’s first thought was “gay rappers?” when seeing the thread title. I don’t have much contact with gay subculture, and even less with ganstas/rappers/black subculture.

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**Author:** ![The\_Wrong\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b782af/32.png) [@The\_Wrong\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Wrong_Girl)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-new-rap-singer-is-so-nelly/116886/24 "2002-07-02T19:40:17Z")

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And besides, everyone knows that DMX is the true Nelly in the rap industry.

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**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2002, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-new-rap-singer-is-so-nelly/116886/25 "2002-07-03T00:12:57Z")

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DMX? I’ve always heard it was Dr. Dre.

BTW, twenty-something, white, straight male from Alabama here; who has even less contact with gay or rap subculture than _The Devil’s Grandmother_ most likely (damn, that’s an odd sentence). Even I got the gist of the thread from the title.

[hijack] **TDG** , you have now made my Top 3 list of Dopers with the coolest names.[/hijack]

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