Nelly quit wearing his trademark facial plaster when the unusual accessory started attracting more attention than his music.

The hip-hop star's Band-Aid featured throughout the video for his 2002 duet with Kelly Rowland, DILEMMA, and Nelly admits he was quick to ditch the look when it became a hot topic in media circles.

The rapper also insists the plaster was never meant as a fashion accessory - it was merely a symbol of friendship to an imprisoned pal.

He says, "I used to wear it for my friend CITY SPUD, who's in jail. The idea was that when he saw me on TV or whatever he'd know I was thinking about him.

"But I had to take it off because it was becoming more of a story than I really wanted it to. It was becoming bigger than me. Everybody's asking about the Band-Aid and I'm like, 'It's just a fricking Band-Aid. I tell you what, I'll just take it off.'"

05/01/2005 09:09