Nelly

Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop group St. Lunatics. He signed with Universal Records as a solo act in 1999 to release his debut studio album, Country Grammar (2000). Its two lead singles, "Country Grammar (Hot Shit)" and "Ride wit Me" (featuring City Spud), both entered the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. The album peaked atop the Billboard 200 and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His second album, Nellyville (2002), spawned two consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma" (featuring Kelly Rowland), along with the top-five single, "Air Force Ones" (featuring Murphy Lee and St. Lunatics).

The same-day dual release of his next albums Sweat and Suit (2004)—bundled into the 2005 compilation album Sweatsuit—was met with continued success. Sweat debuted at number two while Suit debuted at number one, selling an estimated 700,000 combined units in their first week. His fifth studio album, Brass Knuckles (2008), was supported by the singles "Party People" (featuring Fergie), "Stepped on My J'z" (featuring Jermaine Dupri and Ciara), and "Body on Me" (featuring Akon and Ashanti). His sixth album, 5.0 (2010), delved further into pop. Its lead single, "Just a Dream", received triple platinum certification by the RIAA and was followed by "Move That Body" (featuring T-Pain and Akon) and "Gone" (featuring Kelly Rowland). His seventh and eighth albums, M.O. (2013) and Heartland (2021), were both met with lukewarm commercial response and mixed reviews; the latter was released by Columbia Records and marked a full departure from his previous styles in favour of country rap.

Nelly has won multiple accolades throughout his career, including three Grammy Awards and nine Billboard Music Awards. He has been referred to by Peter Shapiro as "one of the biggest stars of the new millennium". In 2014, Nelly was ranked as the fourth-best-selling hip hop artist in American music history according to the RIAA, with 21 million albums sold in the United States. In December 2009, Billboard ranked Nelly at number three on the Top Artists of the Decade list for the 2000s. Outside of recording, he starred in the 2005 sports film The Longest Yard alongside Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. He launched the clothing line Vokal in 1997 and the line of womenswear, Apple Bottoms, in 2003. His record label imprint, Derrty Entertainment, was launched in a joint venture with Motown in 2003, though it has been largely inactive.

Life and career

1974–2000: Early life and start of career

Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. was born on November 2, 1974, in Austin, Texas, the only son of Cornell Haynes and Rhonda Mack. His father served in the Air Force for much of his childhood, and when he was seven, his parents divorced. As a teenager, Haynes moved with his mother from St. Louis, Missouri, to University City, a St. Louis County suburb. While in high school, Nelly formed the St. Lunatics with his friends Ali, Murphy Lee, Kyjuan, Slo Down, and his half-brother City Spud. The group enjoyed moderate local popularity with their single "Gimme What Ya Got" in 1996.

Despite being popular in Missouri and the surrounding areas, the group struggled to achieve success outside of St. Louis. The rest of the group agreed to let Nelly go solo after a major record deal failed to appear. Later in 1999, Nelly was signed to Universal Music Group by A&R Kevin Law. Law told HitQuarters that Nelly was largely disliked by the label when he first signed, with the feedback he received from his colleagues on the rapper's music being "extraordinarily negative".

Nelly was unusual for being a rapper from the Midwest at a time when hip-hop was dominated by the East Coast, West Coast and the South. The label used this to their advantage by branding him as a star of the Midwest, hoping to inspire pride in the people of St Louis and the surrounding regions. Despite the negative feedback he received from the label, his debut single, "Country Grammar (Hot Shit)", was a success, peaking at number 7 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and UK singles chart. Recognising Nelly's potential, the label began to change their mind and allowed work to begin on his debut album. The label decided to do a solo record with him first and then reunite him with the St. Lunatics the following year.

2000–2003: Breakthrough with Country Grammar and Nellyville

The label released his debut album, Country Grammar, in 2000. The success of its title track as a single, reaching number 7 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 Hot Rap Tracks, led to the album debuting at number three in the Billboard 200 in the U.S. Other singles from the album included "E.I."; "Ride wit Me", featuring City Spud; and "Batter Up", featuring the St. Lunatics. The album was certified 9× platinum by the RIAA in April 2004. In January 2001, Nelly performed as a special guest in the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show.

In 2002, Nelly's second album, Nellyville, was released, debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 Music Albums. Its lead single, "Hot in Herre", was a number-one hit. Other singles included "Dilemma", which featured Kelly Rowland and sold over 7.6 million records worldwide, "Work It" featuring Justin Timberlake, "Air Force Ones" featuring Murphy Lee and the St. Lunatics, "Pimp Juice", and "#1". This album was highly successful and was certified 6x multi-platinum in June 2003. "Hot in Herre" won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo Performance in 2003.

In 2003, Nelly released Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention, which featured the hit single "Iz U" from the soundtrack to Walt Disney's The Haunted Mansion. The music video of a Tip Drill Remix became a source of controversy due to perceptions of misogynistic depictions of women. The controversy forced him to cancel an appearance at a bone marrow drive at Spelman College, a historically black college in Atlanta. Similar claims of misogyny surrounded his single "Pimp Juice". RIAA has certified the album as Platinum. For the Bad Boys II soundtrack album, Nelly contributed the single "Shake Ya Tailfeather" featuring Diddy and Murphy Lee. Another number-one hit, "Shake Ya Tailfeather", won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

2004–2008: Continued success; Sweat, Suit, and Brass Knuckles

In February 2004, Nelly performed in the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, his second time performing in a Super Bowl halftime show.

On September 14, 2004, he released two albums, Sweat and Suit. Suit, an R&B-oriented album, debuted at number one on the Billboard albums chart, and Sweat, a rap-oriented album, debuted at number two. From Suit, the slow ballad "Over and Over", an unlikely duet with country music star Tim McGraw, became a crossover hit. On the 2004 NBC television concert special Tim McGraw: Here and Now, McGraw and Nelly performed the song. A feud with another St. Louis-based rapper, Chingy, emerged at the end of 2004. Tsunami Aid: A Concert for Hope, a 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake benefit concert special produced by NBC, featured Nelly. In the winter of 2005 came Sweatsuit, a compilation of tracks from Sweat and Suit with three new tracks. "Grillz", produced by Jermaine Dupri, was a number-one hit. To date, both albums have sold over 5 million units in the United States.

Brass Knuckles was released on September 16, 2008, after several delays. Initial release dates for the album were October 16 and November 13. Its original lead single was "Wadsyaname", a ballad-oriented track produced by Ron "NEFF-U" Feemstar and sampling the piano riff from "All My Life" by K-Ci & JoJo. Nelly later confirmed that "Wadsyaname" was never going to be on Brass Knuckles. He recorded "Party People", featuring Fergie and produced by Polow da Don, which turned out to be his first official single off the album. "Stepped on My J'z" was the next single, produced by Jermaine Dupri; it features Dupri and Ciara. Next was "Body on Me", produced by Akon, which features Akon and Ashanti. Nelly appeared on Rick Ross's third single, "Here I Am", featuring label mate Avery Storm.

2009–2010: Collaborations and 5.0

In the summer of 2009, Nelly made a public announcement in Las Vegas about the yet-to-be-titled album. In October 2009, in an interview with SOHH.com he said that the album was going to be released sometime in 2010. In an interview with Semtex TV, he told reporters that he planned to release the album under the name Nelly. In April 2010, Nelly's cousin Michael Johnson was murdered in Missouri. Nelly said that he delayed releasing the album because of the tragedy. Guests featured on the album were T-Pain, Chris Brown, Akon, Plies, T.I., Kelly Rowland, Birdman, DJ Khaled, Avery Storm, and Diddy-Dirty Money.

In May 2010, Nelly confirmed that the title of the album was 5.0. The album was released on November 16, 2010. The album's lead single, "Just a Dream", was released on August 17, 2010, through iTunes along with the promotional single "Tippin' in da Club". The two songs were released to mainstream and Rhythm/Crossover radio on August 10, 2010. "Just a Dream" made its first chart appearance, debuting on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 12 and peaking at number 3 in its fourth week. The song debuted at number 3 on the Billboard Digital Songs chart, selling 888,000 downloads in its first week.

"Just a Dream" is Nelly's highest-charting song since his 2005 single "Grillz" and debuted at number 7 on the Billboard Rap Songs. The song entered the Canadian Hot 100 in August 2010 at number 32. It debuted in Australia (ARIA Charts) on the Singles Chart at number 3, in New Zealand Singles Charts at number 29, and in Switzerland (Media Control AG) at number 52. The second single, "Move That Body", which features T-Pain and Akon, was released on October 12, 2010. The song made its first chart appearance, debuting on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 54 and reached number 29 in Australia.

In October 2010, Nelly featured on the second single by singer Mohombi entitled "Miss Me", produced by RedOne. In November 2010, Nelly appeared on the Pacquiao vs. Margarito pay-per-view at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. "Gone" is the sequel to his 2002 worldwide number-one single "Dilemma", also with Rowland, and is the third single from the album
 

2011–2014: M.O. and The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep

In June 2011, Pitbull released a song off the deluxe version of the album Planet Pit featuring Nelly titled "My Kinda Girl". In December 2011, he released his first solo mixtape, entitled O.E.MO, which stands for "On Everything MO". The mixtape features guest appearances from T.I., 2 Chainz, Bei Maejor, St. Lunatics and more.

In August 2012, Nelly became a coach on The CW's The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep, along with Gloria Estefan, John Rich and Joe Jonas. Nelly released his second mixtape, entitled Scorpio Season, on November 2, 2012. In February 2013, he released "Hey Porsche", the lead single from his seventh studio album M.O. The song peaked at number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit the top ten in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In April 2013, a remix of "Cruise", the breakthrough single of country music duo Florida Georgia Line featuring Nelly, was released. In July 2013, his single "Get Like Me" featuring Nicki Minaj and Pharrell Williams was released on iTunes.

Nelly's album M.O. was released on September 30, 2013, by Republic Records.

2014–present: Television series and Heartland

From 2014 to 2015, Nelly starred in the reality TV show Nellyville, which ran for two seasons. The BET series is about Nelly's career in music and acting. His four children are featured, two biological, the other two from his late sister. On August 6, 2015, he premiered the single "The Fix", which was released on his own label, "RECORDS". In an interview with Big Boy, Nelly said that there may or may not be a new album related to The Fix.

As of 2018, Nelly is signed to Columbia Records.

In 2020, he released the song "Lil Bit", a collaboration with Florida Georgia Line from his "country-influenced" album titled Heartland. He also joined country singers Kane Brown and Brett Kissel for remixes of their songs, "Cool Again" and "She Drives Me Crazy". In February 2024, Nelly was featured on the Jermaine Dupri single "This Lil' Game We Play", featuring Ashanti and Juicy J.

In August 2024, it was revealed that Nelly was now frequently performing at the Hollywood Casino and Hotel in Maryland Heights, Missouri. In January 2025, it was announced that Nelly would have a residency at Zouk Nightclub in Resorts World Las Vegas, with dates running through the end of August 2025. The same month, he performed at Donald Trump's Liberty Inaugural Ball to commemorate his second inauguration.

Film and television career

Nelly's film debut began in 2001 in the independent film Snipes, playing a famous rapper named Prolifik. He starred in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. The movie's soundtrack includes his songs "Errtime" and "Fly Away". In June 2008, in an interview with Kiwibox, Nelly revealed that he is reluctant to continue his acting career, noting that he does not want to "take away from the culture of acting".

In 2008 and 2009, he appeared in episodes of the CBS crime drama CSI: NY. In 2011, he made a cameo appearance on 90210. From 2014 to 2015, he appeared in his own reality TV show, Nellyville, based on the title of his second studio album. The show ran for two seasons. From 2013 to 2016, Nelly was in the main cast of the mockumentary series Real Husbands of Hollywood.

In September 2020, Nelly was announced as one of the celebrities competing on the 29th season of Dancing with the Stars. He and his partner, Daniella Karagach, finished in third place.

Artistry

Nelly's rapping style has been described by Peter Shapiro as using "unforgettable hooks based on schoolyard songs, double-dutch chants, and nonsense rhymes" and has a "Missouri twang". AllMusic suggests Nelly's style is based largely on where he comes from: "Nelly's locale certainly informs his rapping style, which is as much country as urban, and his dialect as well, which is as much Southern drawl as Midwestern twang".

Nelly explains his method of writing in the book How to Rap, describing how he freestyles most of the lyrics before going back over them to "make it a little tighter", he generally writes in the studio rather than at home, he normally comes up with a chorus for a song before writing the verses, and he likes to write to the music he will be rapping over. AllMusic notes his "tongue-twisting" hooks, which are often sung rather than rapped.

Personal life

Nelly dated singer Ashanti from 2003 to 2013 after meeting at the 2003 Grammy Awards. The two began dating again in 2023. In December 2023, it was reported that the couple were expecting their first child together and had married on the 27th. In April 2024, Ashanti confirmed her pregnancy and the couple's engagement in Essence magazine. On July 18, 2024, the couple welcomed their first child.

Nelly has two children from previous relationships: a son named Cornell Haynes III (Tre) and a daughter named Chanelle (Nana). Nelly also has two adopted children from his stepsister, Jaqueline Donahue, who died of leukaemia on March 25, 2005. Nelly has been a longtime fan of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. Likewise, a fan of the former St. Louis Rams during their tenure in St. Louis from 1995 to 2015, he expressed ongoing support for the team following their relocation to Los Angeles in 2016, even attending their appearance at Super Bowl LVI in 2022.