As the violent disturbances in Ferguson, Missouri continued into a ninth day, rapper Nelly decided to address the protestors on Monday and appeal for calm.

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Nelly arrived in Ferguson, Missouri to appeal for calm among protestors [Getty/Joe Raedle]

Speaking in front of a large crowd, the St. Louis resident said “We've got to understand that we have options and stop choosing the reaction option ‘cause at the end of the day we’re gonna pay - our brothers are gonna be the ones in jail.”

Days earlier, Nelly had been criticised for being out of touch after some initial comments on the Ferguson troubles via social media. He told TMZ on Saturday “I understand the frustration, but we have to strategise before we overreact. We don't get no do-over on s**t like this, so we have to do it right the first time.”

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Nelly has come in from criticism for being out of touch with the situation on the ground in Ferguson  [Getty/Joe Raedle]

Nelly, most famous for his 2002 Number 1 single ‘Dilemma’ with Kelly Rowland, is just one of many urging peace, along with President Barack Obama and Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson.

His visit to the St. Louis suburb came on the same day that the National Guard arrived in the vicinity to help the local authorities quell the violence. Protestors will now be subject to heavier surveillance, including a prohibition from marching on West Florissant Avenue, which has become the central focus of the protestors.

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Nelly is a resident of St. Louis, the city of which Ferguson is a large suburb  [Getty/Joe Raedle]

The clashes between protestors and police have been raging since the fatal shooting of 18 year old Michael Brown by the authorities the weekend before last. Officer Darren Wilson, 28, killed the unarmed teen on 9 August by firing six shots at him, a second independent autopsy declared on Sunday, including a 'kill shot' to the head. Wilson is currently on suspended with pay pending the outcome of the investigation.