Nelly Recalls Taylor Swift Paying Him $50K In A McDonald's Bag

Getting paid $50,000 for a three-minute performance is a pretty sweet deal. Receiving that money in a McDonald's bag makes it even more memorable, especially when Taylor Swift is the one footing the bill. Nelly recently recalled the unusual arrangement during an appearance on The Breakfast Club with his wife, Ashanti, explaining how an unexpected phone call from the pop superstar led to a lucrative concert appearance.

The rapper said Swift contacted him while he was in St. Louis and asked whether he'd travel to Houston to perform after she and her friends created a dance routine to his hit "Hot in Herre." She apparently worried about offending him with her budget, telling him, "I don't really have a budget like that." Her offer, however, included $50,000, a private jet to bring him and his children to Houston, and hotel accommodations. Nelly wasn't complaining. "Can you put that in a McDonald's bag?" he recalled asking. Sure enough, someone from Swift's team handed him the cash in exactly that packaging.

Despite the generous payment, Nelly insisted money wasn't his motivation. "I would've did it for free," he said. Swift had also reserved a presidential suite for him and his family, but they never even checked into the hotel. After his brief appearance, they headed straight back to the airport, where her plane was available to take them home.

Their friendship has lasted well beyond those concert appearances. Nelly and Ashanti attended Swift's July wedding to Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden, with Ashanti describing the celebration as "so magical." During an interview with Good Day New York, the couple also discussed their longtime relationship with the singer. Nelly called himself a Swiftie, while Ashanti affectionately referred to her as "Tay Tay," per People. Their friendship has even extended to Nelly's performances, where he said Swift has joined him onstage to sing "Dilemma."

Check out the clip above of Nelly sharing his story.