Nelly does fashion

Yo, yo, yo! Attention all you rappers in da house - or whatever a white girl can get away with saying. Three-time Grammy Award winner Nelly has signed a deal with sporting goods giant Reebok to develop a collection of apparel, footwear and accessories, the company revealed on Tuesday.

Nelly, born Cornell Hayes Jr, has become a permanent fixture on the hiphop scene, scoring hits with songs like "Hot in Herre". Now he joins the ranks of 50 Cent and Jay-Z in entering the sports fashion arena with Reebok. The company has been signing young artists in an effort to appeal to a younger audience. Nelly is the latest celeb to collaborate with the firm on a collection.

The sale of the collection will start with a small selection of men's footwear launching in time for the holiday season this year, according to a company spokeswoman. Apparel and accessories are planned for spring 2006, and the name of the collection will be revealed during this year's holiday season.

Footwear prices will retail for between $75 and $85 and will be sold at specialty chains and department stores in the US. Reebok's spokeswoman said that women's products may be introduced at a later stage, with no exact agenda as yet. Further to the collection, Nelly will also feature in Reebok's multimillion-dollar "I Am What I Am" adverstising campaign, which began earlier this year.

Reebok recently emerged from a lawsuit it filed against musician and producer Pharrell Williams, with whom the company had started a similar fashion collection. Reebok sued Williams claiming breach of contract, but the lawsuit has now been settled. "I've always wanted to have a signature pair of sneakers that truly reflect my personal style," Nelly said in a statement. "It made the most sense for me to partner with Reebok because they fully understand and respect the culture of sports, music and entertainment."