Nelly Bio

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This is the honest-to-goodness truth: in late 2002, I could not walk one block without hearing the song “Dilemma.”

Why exactly was this track so ubiquitous? While Kelly Rowland’s heavenly voice is a damn good reason, I’d ultimately point to the artist who’s telling the irresistible tale of forbidden love: Nelly.

The song’s incessant AAHs would amount to little more than a cute side effect if it weren’t for the flirtatious lines from the Midwestern maestro. “Dilemma” dominated the airwaves in the midst of a glorious four year-run, in which Nelly’s box office hits conquered multiple charts in the music industry.

While I have no plans of labelling Nelly as a top-tier lyricist (a title that rightfully belongs to his contemporaries Eminem, André 3000, and Tip), I’d gladly acknowledge his rightful place in hip hop industry. When it comes to pop rap and crossover appeal—a lane that’s since been occupied by Flo Rida and Drake—Nelly is a trailblazer whose credentials cannot be questioned.

Quick Facts

Birth Date November 2, 1974
Birth Place Austin, Texas
Nationality American
Zodiac Sign Scorpio
Siblings Jackie Donahue (sister)

 

Lavell Webb (half-brother)

Children Chanelle (daughter)

 

Cornell (son)

Sydney (niece)

Shawn (nephew)

Most Successful Songs “Dilemma” (feat. Kelly Rowland)

 

“Hot in Herre”

“Just a Dream”

“Over and Over” (feat. Tim McGraw)

Net Worth Estimated value of $60 million (as of 2022)
Social Media twitter.com/nelly_mo

 

instagram.com/nelly

facebook.com/nelly

Major Awards 3x Grammy Award winner

 

2001 Best New Artist, BET Awards

9x Billboard Music Award winner

4x American Music Award winner

Last updated October 2, 2022

Early Years

He was born Cornell Hayes Jr. on November 2, 1974 in Austin, Texas. When Nelly was seven, his parents—Cornelly Hayes Sr. and Rhonda Mack—divorced. Three years later, Nelly and Rhonda moved to downtown St. Louis; and in Nelly’s teenage years, they relocated to the nearby suburb of University City.

In an alternate universe, Nelly would be swinging a baseball bat for a living. In the aftermath of his parents’ divorce, the sport became his solace (though his small-time drug dealings might have also been somewhat of an outlet). Nelly’s passion for baseball grew to the point that he was being scouted by a couple of MLB teams in the early ’90s. (One of these teams, of course, was his hometown St. Louis Cardinals. Did you see Nelly give a double-high five to Albert Pujols after The Machine hit his career 685th home run?)

Though Nelly had some considerable potential as an athlete, an MLB career would not be in the cards for him. That was because another passion ended up consuming his life: music. In a 2010 Wall Street Journal interview, he named LL Cool J, E-40, Tupac Shakur, and The Notorious B.I.G. as the emcees that influenced him the most. That’s some pretty heady company right there.

A Rousing Debut

St. Lunatics
Image from Pinterest

When Nelly was in high school, he decided to form a musical group called St. Lunatics. In this group, he was joined by his buddies Ali, Murphy Lee, Kyjuan, and Slo Down; and his half-brother City Spud. Though St. Lunatics gained some notoriety in Missouri and the adjacent areas—particularly with their 1996 single “Gimme What You Got”—they could not secure a record deal as a group.

With the blessing of his fellow Lunatics, Nelly vied for a deal as a solo act. In 1999, his big break finally came when he signed with Universal Music Group. It’s not a stretch to say that Universal was taking a gamble on the Missouri native, as the Midwest was not exactly a hotbed for nationally acclaimed hip hop acts. As it turned out, the record label put their faith in the right man.

On June 27, 2000, Nelly finally made his solo debut by dropping his first studio album Country Grammar. Talk about a unique St. Louis sound: Country Grammar had a refreshing blend of pop rap’s melodious sound, Southern drawl, and a nice little touch of country (duh). In more ways than one, this album is all Nelly; with the exception of bit parts by Cedric the Entertainer and rising star Lil Wayne, there are no big-name features on Country Grammar, thereby keeping the spotlight front and center on the boisterous newcomer.

Really, Universal could have thrown darts at a wall to see which track would be its lead single. While that distinction belongs to the party anthem “Country Grammar (Hot Shit),” the headliner could have easily been the City Spud-assisted “Ride wit Me” (a song that, much like “Dilemma” years later, I could not escape), the infectious dance track “E.I.”, or even the deeply emotional “Luven Me” (written in loving tribute to Nelly’s mother).

As Country Grammar took the nation—nay, the world—by storm, three of its singles (“Country Grammar,” “E.I.,” and “Ride wit Me”) went to be certified gold. The album itself debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Barely a month after hitting the shelves, the album had already snatched the top spot and gone double platinum. And, in 2016, Country Grammar was officially certified diamond—a rare feat achieved by his childhood idols Tupac and Biggie.

To put these impressive achievements into context, I’d like to point out that Nelly’s pop rap masterpiece was contending with, well, both pop and rap juggernauts. In May 2000 (just weeks before Country Grammar dropped), Britney Spears had released Oops!…I Did It Again and Eminem had put out The Marshall Mathers LP. Nelly, then, deserves all the flowers that he got for reigning atop the charts amidst the stiff competition from established acts (who also happened to be music icons).

2001-2002: More Fun with More Folks

nellyville

After the staggering success of Country Grammar, more musical acts would be invited to the Nelly party, so to speak. I’d say that it was a win-win situation for all: the strong momentum on Nelly’s side would provide a boost to the careers of those who worked with. On the flipside, these collaborators would also help his star shine brighter.

In 2000, Nelly got in the studio with his St. Lunatics buddies (who had also been signed to Universal) as the group started to put together their debut album as a collective unit. As opposed to their ’90s run in the local Missouri scene, the St. Lunatics now had an incredible asset that could propel their project to commercial success: the star power of their standout member Nelly. And propel it did—their 2001 album Free City debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and went platinum just a month later.

Nelly kept the hits coming when he released his second album Nellyville in June 25, 2002. (The man sure knows how to make summer anthems, huh?) First-class begets first-class, so I am hardly surprised that big-name producers like The Neptunes and Just Blaze signed on for this highly anticipated sequel. And, aside from the delightful Kelly Rowland on “Dilemma,” Nelly got a feature from a young buck named Justin Timberlake (who was a few months away from releasing his solo debut Justified).

Frankly, I’m surprised that Nellyville didn’t go diamond as well. If anything, the production sounds more polished and Nelly sounds more confident than ever in both his singing and his rapping. “Dilemma” was actually the second single spawned by this album, after the highly sensual “Hot in Herre” titillated partygoers and infuriated grammar nazis for weeks on end. The sexual energy was on full blast as well in the tracks “Pimp Juice” and the Timberlake-assisted “Work It.”

Having clearly found his lane (namely, the pop rap shoulder of hip hop), Nelly bolstered his claim as the king of the road. Nellyville debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and went on to be certified 7x platinum. The album spawned three hits that cracked the top five of the Billboard Hot 100: “Hot in Herre,” “Dilemma,” and “Air Force Ones.” At the 2003 Grammy Awards, “Dilemma” was named Best Rap/Sung Performance while “Hot in Herre” was hailed as the Best Male Rap Solo Performance.

Breaking New Ground

Shake Ya Tailfeather

In 2003, Nelly teamed up with P. Diddy and his fellow Lunatic Murphy Lee on the song “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” which was included in the soundtrack of the action-comedy hit Bad Boys II. “Shake Ya Tailfeather” went on to win Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2004 Grammy Awards, marking Nelly’s third Grammy win. As it turned out, this would not be the last time that Nelly would make a valuable contribution to a film production.

I should also mention that, in the early 2000s, Nelly had the honor to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show twice. At Super Bowl XXXV (held on January 28, 2001), he was a special guest for a rock and pop ensemble that included Aerosmith, NSYNC, Britney Spears, and Mary J. Blige. Then, at Super Bowl XXXVIII (which went down on February 1, 2004), he performed “Hot in Herre” in a string of performances that culminated with the infamous wardrobe malfunction involving Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. (Bet you didn’t remember that Nelly was there, huh?)

Speaking of doing things in pairs, Nelly broke new ground once again on September 14, 2004 when he dropped two stylistically different albums on the same day. On Sweat, Nelly goes with a more up-tempo, adrenaline-pumping vibe exemplified by the celebratory track “Heart of a Champion” and the party anthem “Flap Your Wings.” On Suit, Nelly opts for a smoother R&B concoction that Snoop Dogg (“She Don’t Know My Name”) and Tim McGraw (“Over and Over”) can easily slip into.

Though the double release was no doubt a ballsy move from the chart-topping rapper, I do wonder why Nelly didn’t just release Sweat and Suit as two halves of a double album (instead of putting them out there as separate entities). As it turned out, Suit outperformed Sweat from a commercial standpoint; the R&Bish album went triple platinum in comparison to its more energetic counterpart that “only” went platinum. (I can’t say I blame Nelly’s fans. Among all the songs of these two albums, my personal favorite is the silky smooth “My Place,” off the Suit tracklist.)

In 2005, Nelly once again contributed music to the soundtrack of a motion picture. Aside from chipping in the songs “Errtime” and “Fly Away,” he had a supporting role in the remake of “The Longest Yard” (which was headlined by Adam Sandler and Chris Rock). If his screen time as running back Earl Megget was any indication, Nelly would have a blast if a slew of film and TV roles came his way.

Nelly closed out the decade strong by putting out another top 5 album in 2008. Though Brass Knuckles received mixed reviews from the critics, it managed to peak at number three on the Billboard 200. Four of its singles (“Party People” feat. Fergie, “Body on Me” feat. Akon and Ashanti, “Stepped on My J’z” feat. Jermaine Dupri and Ciara, and “Warrior”) were able to crack the Billboard Hot 100. In other words, Nelly had enough in the tank to ensure his staying power throughout the highly competitive 2000s.

Ever the Entertainer

Nelly as Terrence Davis

Let’s get this out of the way: among the last three albums released by Nelly, none have managed to match the success of his previous blockbusters. Though his 2010 album 5.0 and 2013 project M.O. cracked the top 15 of the Billboard 200, neither managed to get a gold or platinum certification. To date, his latest album release was 2021’s Heartland, which peaked at number 45.

With that said, Nelly’s entertainment value has not waned one bit. After his wave of commercial success as a rapper in the 2000s, he was able to find other outlets for his oozing charisma and wit.

Three years after playing a running back in the 2005 film The Longest Yard, Nelly made his first appearance as gang member-turned-informant Terrence Davis on CSI: NY. Between 2008 and 2009, Nelly appeared on four CSI episodes. In 2011, he made a cameo appearance as himself in the teen drama series 90210.

More reality TV opportunities would present themselves to Nelly in the 2010s. From 2011 to 2013, he had cameos on the first two seasons of T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle. (I wonder…what if Nelly and Tip did a comedy or reality show together? That would be hilarious!) From 2013 to 2016, Nelly had a recurring role in the BET mockumentary Real Husbands of Hollywood; and from 2014 to 2015, he starred in (and executive produced) a BET reality series called Nellyville, which cast the spotlight on him and his family.

I suppose the competitive edge of Nelly’s sports background never went away, because two of his TV ventures were pretty intense contests. In 2012, he was one of the four music mentors in the CW competition The Next: Fame is at Your Doorstep. Nelly fielded his proteges against those mentored by Joe Jonas, Gloria Estefan, and John Rich (whose contestant Michael Ray became the grand champion).

Then, in 2020, Nelly made it all the way to the finale of Dancing with the Stars. Though he and his partner Daniella Karagach gave it their all on the dance floor, they could only finish in third place. But I do love how, in the last three episodes of the season, Nelly and Daniella staged two dance numbers to a couple of iconic hip hop tracks. In week 9, they put on a jazz routine to the tune of “California Love” by Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre. And, in the finale, Biggie Smalls’ “Hypnotize” gave an extra spring to their step during their freestyle number.

I may be seeing things here, but those two Dancing with the Stars episodes were emblematic of Nelly’s career. As an emcee, what he does so well is to reel in a global audience—that is, fans with varying degrees of love for the rap genre—and get them grooving to music that is sensationally pop and faithfully hip hop. Nelly has a penchant for being the life of the party, and as a result, millions around the world have come to share his hip hop passion.

Don’t believe me? Shout “It’s getting hot in here” in front of any millennial and listen to them shout back the rest of that hook. ‘Nuff said—that’s Nelly right therrre.

Legacy

While some hip hop purists might push back at the thought of Nelly being a top-tier talent of the genre, his legacy needs to be framed in the right perspective. While I have never heard of him being included in anyone’s “top 5, dead or alive” list, I do recognize that rap has taken many shapes and forms over the passage of time. It would be foolish to claim that pop rap doesn’t exist, or that it hasn’t contributed to the growth the genre’s popularity across the globe. With that said, I’d point to Nelly as a pioneer who paved the way for the likes of Flo Rida, Drake, Rick Ross and Cardi B (plus, to a lesser extent, Wiz Khalifa and Nicki Minaj) to make it big in the industry.

Why is Nelly Influential?

Nelly bio

Nelly’s gift for seamlessly adding musicality to rap has been his strongest asset since the beginning of his career. Thanks to his radio-friendly hooks and verses, scores of fans have had the easiest time memorizing his songs and subsequently pumping money into his record sales. Plus, in his music videos and film and TV appearances, Nelly comes across as the party beast that everybody wants to get a piece of. All of this has magnified his influence and contributed to a career that’s the stuff of legends.

FAQs

Question: Does Nelly have a family of his own?

Answer: On his 2014 show Nellyville, Nelly revealed that he has raised four kids (mostly on his own). These are his biological children Chanelle and Cornell; and the children of his deceased sister (who go by the names of Sydney and Shawn).

Question: What legal woes has Nelly run into?

Answer: In the mid-2010s, Nelly got on the wrong side of the law. In 2015, he pled guilty to charges of marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession; this led to a one-year probationary sentence. In 2016, TMZ reported that there was a federal tax lien against Nelly that was north of $2 million. And, in 2017, he faced a rape accusation after a tour in the Seattle area.

Question: Aside from his music and acting career, what are Nelly’s other ventures?

Answer: Nelly has signed lucrative endorsement deals with Nike, Reebok, and Ford. He co-owns two clothing lines: Apple Bottoms for women and Vokal for men. In 2011, he teamed up with the Midwest-based Vatterott College to establish the ex’treme Institute, a St. Louis music production school.

Bottom Line

I’d love to hear Nelly say the word “ubiquitous.” With that distinct Midwestern twang, he’d certainly get jiggy with this highfalutin term. It’s no hyperbole to say that, in the context of the music industry, Nelly became synonymous with that very word in the early 2000s. Thanks to the extreme popularity of his seductive music, Nelly has carved a comfortable niche for himself in the rap game. And, if it weren’t painfully obvious at this point, that niche happens to be replete with sweatsuits, Air Force Ones, and pimp juice.

Sources

  • https://www.biography.com/musician/nelly
  • https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nelly-mn0000861351/biography
  • https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nelly-idUSTRE6BM40I20101223
  • https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-SEB-54084
  • https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/9-musicians-who-couldve-played-major-league-baseball-76083/nelly-5-146734/
  • https://www.ksdk.com/article/sports/mlb/stl-cardinals/st-louis-celebration-pujols-high-fives-nelly-after-685th-home-run/63-ddd354d3-8206-45f1-86dc-9fec2a8789e9
  • https://www.stlmag.com/Nellys-New-School-Takes-Education-to-the-Extreme/
  • https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/nellyville-boots-eminem-out-of-no-1-75207/
  • https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/4646750/nelly-rapper-kids-how-many/
  • https://www.tmz.com/2016/09/11/nelly-tax-lien/
  • https://news.amomama.com/214532-nelly-was-enraged-his-sister-jackie-died.html
  • https://www.therichest.com/celebnetworth/celeb/rappers/nelly-net-worth/

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