A hit-maker and heat conductor

“You feeling that, L.A.?” a sweaty Nelly asked the capacity crowd Friday, 15 minutes into his headlining performance at the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk. The good-natured St. Louis rapper, best known for his high-energy dance songs, had just finished performing the sensual “Flap Your Wings,” the lead single from “Sweat,” one of the two albums he released on the same day last September.

After a near-deafening response from the mostly female audience, Nelly added, “Well, we’re just getting started.” He then kept the crowd grooving by launching into an animated performance of “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” his catchy 2003 hit with P. Diddy and Murphy Lee from the “Bad Boys II” soundtrack.

There’s good reason that Nelly has emerged as one of hip-hop’s most consistent and most popular artists in the last five years. He knows how to make hit records. On Friday, Nelly largely stuck to his signature tunes during his lively 80-minute performance, which also featured his St. Lunatics rhyme family (of which Lee is a member) and surprise guests Lil’ Wayne and Adam Sandler. Nelly appears with Sandler in the forthcoming film “The Longest Yard.”

Despite his tendency to wear mounds of flashy jewelry, as he did Friday, Nelly kept his stage show a largely stripped-down affair. Backed by a DJ, the St. Lunatics and dancers during the more sexually suggestive selections, Nelly served as both lead performer and co-host with Lunatics member Ali. The two often engaged in playful banter to introduce songs and guests.

Cognizant that many music critics have been bemoaning the lack of creativity in hip-hop, Nelly patted himself on the back for releasing the smash country rap tune “Over and Over” with Tim McGraw last year as part of his “Suit” album, showing that he could poke fun at his detractors without sounding bitter.

Before Nelly’s set, Atlanta rapper T.I. delivered a potent 30-minute performance that showcased his intense catalog, and New York’s Fat Joe performed a solid 25-minute set that included a tribute to his late protege, Big Pun.