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Nelly? Here? Whoa! Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Sisters Angelica Espinoza, 15, left, and Sara, 16, both students at South Medford High School, are among the thousands of Nelly fans who await the rap star's visit to the Jackson County Expo next month. The popular rapper will appear at the Expo, a sign that the Rogue Valley might be growing hipper By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune So why, exactly, is a chart-topping rap star from the streets of St. Louis coming to sing for 4,000 Southern Oregon kids at the Jackson County Exposition Park? Hey, must be the money. That's the only reason teenagers, parents, county officials and concert organizers can offer for the unprecedented show scheduled Feb. 25 by Nelly and his group, the St. Lunatics. The force behind teen radio hits such as "Country Grammar," "Ride Wit Me" and "Batter Up" costs $240,000 for two one-night shows here and in Eugene, investors say. "He'd go to a graveyard if you paid him enough," says Jim Hester, the Medford clothing store owner who's helping coordinate the show. Financial backing has been proffered by Lie Tan, owner of Advantage Mortgage in Medford, and Lonnie Jacob of Medford Car Wash and Deli. That matters little to Medford fans such as Sara Espinoza, 16, and her 15-year-old sister, Angelica, who are still stunned that the wildly popular rap star would set foot on a Southern Oregon stage for any sum. The pair gladly paid $35 apiece for tickets the first day they went on sale; so far, nearly 600 other teens and adults have anted up for the privilege. "It is amazing," said Sara. "To have that famous of a person come is just amazing." Sara and Angelica will be part of a small mob of friends at the show expected to attract between 3,500 and 4,000 young people to the Central Point concert venue. "It's going to be crowded," said Sara. "I've never really been to a concert before. I'm hoping to get a close-up look at him." Even with crowds, Expo Manager Chris Borovansky wants to reassure parents that the event will be safe - and relatively sane. "Nelly draws very young crowds: 13, 14, 15, plus a few older kids," Borovansky says. "It'll be a pretty young show; hence, no beer." There will be other no-nos as well: no alcohol, no drugs, no weapons, no violence. And Borovansky says he's got the security staff to ensure it. "The key is no surprises," he says. But who wants to talk security when a hot act is coming to town? Nelly's appearance comes on the heels of a December show by hip-hop artist Coolio and a postponed performance by gangster rapper Ice-T. Together, they're evidence that Southern Oregon is ready to host hipper shows than ever before, says Hester, who owns U Clothing, a retail shop. "It's time to put Medford on the map," says Hester, who's offering free tickets to some youth groups as a community outreach gesture. Still, not every boy with baggy pants and a backward baseball hat will be able to see Nelly. The rapper's lyrics, some of which celebrate sex and drug use, have made some parents leery of letting their kids go. Tom George, for instance, the 14-year-old son of Medford Police Lt. Tim George, will be staying home while Nelly's playing. "He's a middle-schooler. He's got better places to be on a Monday night," the senior George said. "I don't like the whole gangster rap idea. Listen to the lyrics: What is he talking about and who is he talking to?" They're lyrics that can't for the most part be reprinted in a family newspaper. Truth to tell, Nelly does little to assuage fears of parents concerned about raw language, sex and drug use. Stars of all types usually request certain amenities when they travel to a new town. Among the young rapper's requirements for the Central Point show are cold cuts, bread, soda pop, a 50-count box of Swisher Sweets and three 36-count boxes of condoms, Hester says. "We told him no alcohol," he adds. For fans such as Angelica Espinoza, the rap star's questionable lyrics aren't the main reason she listens to Nelly's music. "It's got a good beat and a good sound," she says. And even if the content is too explicit for adult tastes, that's to be expected, says Michael Moon, a radio personality of KISS-FM, the station promoting the show. "I'm 36 years old; I lived on AC/DC," Moon says. "When you look back at rock music, it was the same thing. When you listen to classic rock, it's the same thing -and I grew up OK." For information about tickets to the concert, call 773-2851. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.