NELLY - NELLY SPEAKS OUT AGAINST UNDERAGE DRINKING

Hip-hop star NELLY is set to warn the American public about the dangers of underage drinking in a new TV campaign.

The HOT IN HERRE rapper tells parents that their children are their biggest fans in the ad, which will debut this evening (18MAY05).

In the ANHEUSER-BUSCH-sponsored 30-second spot, Nelly admits that some of the parents watching him may not recognise him as a hip-hop icon, so he pretends to be a chef, a boxer and a golfer, reports MTV NEWS.

He says in a statement, "Underage drinking is a serious issue, and working with parents to address the problem is the responsible thing to do.

"It's very important for parents to talk with their children about everything, and underage drinking prevention is definitely one of those things you need to jump on early."