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Nelly Gets A Record Deal:
When Nelly first debuted nationally in summer 2000, he seemed like a novelty, but it quickly became
apparent that he was, in fact, an exceptional artist, a rapper with truly universal appeal. He wasn't from the East or West
Coast, and wasn't really from the Dirty South, either. Rather, Nelly was from St. Louis, a Midwestern city halfway between
Minneapolis and New Orleans. His locale certainly informed his rapping style, which was as much country as urban, and his
dialect as well, which was, similarly, as much Southern drawl as Midwestern twang. Plus, Nelly never shied away from a pop-rap
approach, embracing a sing-along vocal style that made his hooks incredibly catchy. As a result, Nelly became an exceptional
rapper capable of crossing all boundaries, from the Dirty South to the TRL crowd and everything in between. His first hit,
"Country Grammar (Hot...)," became a summer anthem, and many more hits followed. In particular, his popularity peaked in summer
2002, when he topped seemingly every Billboard chart possible with his Nellyville album and its lead single, "Hot in Herre."
Nelly was born Cornell Haynes Jr. in St. Louis, where he encountered the street temptations so synonymous with rap artists.
And like so many of his contemporaries, a change in circumstance at a pivotal time in his life may have changed the course
of Nelly's life. In his case, when he was a teenager, Nelly was taken away from those streets when his mother moved to nearby
suburban University City. It was there that he shifted his attention to playing baseball, storytelling, and writing rhymes.
With some high school friends, Nelly formed the St. Lunatics, who scored a regional hit in 1996 with a self-produced single,
"Gimmie What You Got." Frustrated with failed attempts to land a record deal as a group, they collectively decided that Nelly
would have a better chance as a single act, confident that his stage presence and rhyming skills would win through. The rest
of the group could follow with solo albums of their own.
The gamble paid off, and soon Nelly caught the attention of Universal, who released his debut album, Country Grammar, in
2000. What distinguished Nelly's take on rap from others was his laid-back delivery, deliberately reflecting the distinctive
language and Southern tone of the Midwest. The album featured contributions from the St. Lunatics as well the Teamsters, Lil'
Wayne, and Cedric the Entertainer, and spent seven weeks on top of the U.S. album charts. All along, Nelly's goal was to put
his hometown of St. Louis and the St. Lunatics on the hip-hop map. Though Nelly had become a star as a solo artist as planned,
he said that he is and always will be a member of the St. Lunatics, a collective that also includes Big Lee, Kyjuan, Murphy
Lee, and City Spud. Nelly fulfilled his promise in 2001 with the release of Free City, the debut St. Lunatics album featuring
the hit single "Midwest Swing."
The following summer Nelly returned with his second album, Nellyville, and lived up to his self-proclaimed "#1" billing.
The album topped the Billboard album chart while the Neptunes-produced lead single, "Hot in Herre," remained atop the singles
chart. In all, Nelly impressively held the number one spot on ten different Billboard charts the week of Nellyville's release.
Few rap artists could boast such numbers, and Nelly surely savored his number one status, particularly after being dismissed
as a novelty two summers earlier when he debuted. You could call him a pop-rapper if you liked, but you surely couldn't challenge
his number one status. With his Platinum status assured and street cred solidified, Nelly made a series of moves designed
to establish his own fiefdom alsongside those of hip-hop moguls ean Combs and Jay-Z. He launched his VOKAL clothing line,
which quickly racked up multi-million dollar sales. In 2003, he lit up summer radio yet again with "Shake Ya Tailfeather",
a collaboration with Puff Daddy and Murphy Lee. The track didn't cause the immediate addiction of Nelly joints past; nevertheless,
as the lead single from celluloid hype machine Bad Boys II, "Tailfeather" was irrepressible. The savvy MC piggybacked this
success with the launch of Pimp Juice, his audacious entry into the crowded energy drink market. Named for the hit song of
the same name, the product stirred up plenty of controversy. Of course, this only made the Nelly name stronger. In September
of that same year, the burgeoning hip-hop mogul debuted his Derrty Entertainment empire with the release of Murphy Lee's full-length
effort. With the power of Universal behind it, Derrty was Nelly's boldest move yet, bolder even than his ownership stake in
a NASCAR team. Even so, things got a little bolder with Da Derrty Versions [The Reinvention]. Dropping in late November 2003,
the album featured retooled and remixed versions of Nelly favorites like "Hot in Herre", "Ride Wit Me", "E.I.", and "Air Force
Ones". With production work from within his crew and guest shots from existing St. Lunatics members (City Spud; Ali) as well
as up and comers (King Jacob; Prentiss Church; Tru; Chocolate Tai), Versions was yet another way for Nelly to brighten his
own star power while sharing the spotlight with his longtime homies. As he looked toward 2004 and his third proper solo album,
Nelly's portfolio was diversified and strong.
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