Nelly Pitching Variety Show

The Dilemma hitmaker, real name Cornell Haynes, Jr., has created a series with the brains behind nightly news comedy The Daily Show and reality diet show The Biggest Loser in a bid to appeal to younger audiences, who he claims are overlooked by mainstream talk shows.

Nelly's Night in Vegas will feature performances, guest appearances and the star's own house band. The project will be filmed in Sin City's Planet Hollywood hotel, according to industry publication Variety.

The rap star says, "I was thinking about what was missing on TV, and when this idea came about, it made sense for me.

"We do have talk shows, but no one's speaking from the pop culture perspective. Let's get a little more pop, a little more edge, a little bit younger, and not look like you're sitting in the principal's office."

Nelly follows in the footsteps of hip-hop heavyweight Snoop Dogg, who recently announced news of his MTV variety show Dogg After Dark, which features celebrity interviews, sketch comedy and musical performances.