Rapper Nelly will be releasing a fitness DVD which he hopes will encourage people to get in shape.

In an interview with Allhiphop.com, the rapper, who is rumoured to have rekindled his romance with R&B singer Ashanti, revealed that he keeps fit by playing basketball, softball and other sports but it was as he became more famous he took more notice of his body.

Nelly said: "People think I just woke up all of a sudden and I was this big, but they haven't been paying attention. If you look at the pictures from '04 to now, you can see the change.

"You can see me go from 160 to 170, 170 to 175, 175 to 180 to 190. You put in all this hard work and people want to discredit you. But you can transform your body in six to eight months. In two years, you can create a whole new person."

Nelly's 'Celebrity Sweat' DVD which features the rapper will be sold from 28th September. Who's going to be buying it?

Check out our pictures of Nelly and Ashanti - do you think they make a cute couple?