The four-time Grammy Award-winning rapper and actor, often referred to as "one of the biggest stars of the new millennium," began his music career in high school.
This pop rapper is quick-witted and has a peculiar and unique crossover that makes him extremely popular among his fans.
He debuted with Country Grammar, which took his career to great heights. After the release of his first album, he gained unprecedented popularity and began to enjoy the fruits of success with his next albums.
His passion for music developed while he was still in high school, during which time he became part of the hip-hop group 'St. Lunatics'.
The group proved successful and gained immense popularity, after which he soon signed a contract with Universal Records.
This exceptional musical artist is known for his versatile appeal, pop rap approach and elegant signature vocal style that make his vocals incredibly catchy.
His notable albums include "Nellyville", "Sweat" and "5.0".
Childhood and youth
Cornell Haynes Jr., better known by his professional name Nelly, was born on November 2, 1974 in Austin, Texas, to Cornell Haynes Sr. and Rhonda Mack, where his father served in the military.
After his parents divorced when he was seven years old, he lived with his mother in St. Louis and later moved to University City, Missouri during his teenage years.
In 1995, while still in high school, he became part of the hip-hop group 'St. Lunatics'.
The group became popular and their single "Gimme What Ya Got" became a hit, but there was no recording.
Frustrated by failed attempts to secure a record deal as a group, St. The Lunatics collectively decided that Nellie would have a better chance of going solo.
The rest of the band may have signed on to solo albums of their own.
The idea paid off, and Nelly soon caught the attention of Universal, who signed him to a solo deal.
First album: "Country Grammar"
On June 25, 2000, he released his debut album entitled "Country Grammar", which borrows a hook from the old song "Down, down baby" and includes material from St. Lunatics, as well as Teamsters, Lil Wayne, and Cedric the Entertainer.
Since this album was released, Nelly's music career has been extremely exciting as "Country Grammar" debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 40.
He managed to get past Eminem and Britney Spears on the Billboard charts by August 26, 2000. In line with the success of the LP itself, Nelly was nominated for two 2001 Grammy Awards, Best Rap Album and Best Rap Solo.
On July 18, 2001, a year after its release, the Country Grammar album had already reached 7x platinum.
Nelly's music was different from others in which he offers a laid-back message, deliberately reflecting the distinctive language and southern tone of the Midwest.
Nelly said that he is a member of the St. Lunatics and will always be a member. So he released his debut album, St. Lunatics "Free City" in 2001 with the hit "Midwest Swing".
Second album: Nellyville"
The following summer, Nelly returned with his second album, Nellyville, and lived up to his self-proclaimed "#1" billing as one of the most famous rappers of the early 2000s, with a portrayal of equal parts handsome neighbor and hardcore gangsta.
Along with its success, the album «Nellyville topped the Billboard album chart while the single "Hot in Herre" remained at the top of the singles chart.
It charted decently at number one on ten different Billboard charts in the week following the album's release. When it came to 2002, the single "Hot in Herre" became incredibly popular, as did its follow-up "Dilemma", which featured vocals from Destiny's Child's Kelly Rowland.
"Dilemma" peaked at number one for ten weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first rap song in history to achieve that feat.
Successful albums (and not only)
In 2004 his third studio album "Sweat" was released. The album received positive reviews from music critics and peaked on the music charts in the US and internationally.
On September 13, 2004, he released his fourth studio album Suit, which was a commercial success. The album included the singles "My Place", "Over and Over" and "N' Dey Say".
In 2005, he played the role of "Count Megget" in the sports comedy film The Longest Yard directed by Peter Segal. The film was a success at the box office.
In 2008, he released his fifth studio album titled Brass Knuckles to mixed reviews but peaked on the music charts. The album included the singles "Party People" and "Body on Me".
Also in 2009, his compilation titled "Best of Nelly" was released in Japan. The album was released under the Universal-International label and consisted of 18 tracks.
In 2010, he released his sixth studio album, 5.0, released under Universal Motown and Derrty Ent. The single "Just a Dream" from this album became a real hit.
In 2011, he made several appearances on various television shows. The show includes reality TV, I TI and "Baby: Family Rumble" and some episodes of "90210".
In 2012, he released a mixed tape titled "Scorpio Season", which was his second. That same year, he played himself on the reality show Next: Glory At Your Doorstep.
In 2013, he released the single "Hey Porsche", which was part of his album titled "MO". He also announced that the album would feature singer Chris Brown on the song "Marry Go Round".
His 2013 efforts with M.O. featured features with Farrell, plus Nicki Minaj and Nelly Furtado, they were guest stars. Nellyville, a BET reality series, began airing in November 2014.
"The Fix", featuring Jeremy, was released the following year and became his 27th Hot 100 single.
Main works and awards
His 2002 album Nellyville reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and sold 714 copies of the album in its first week of release.
His hit single "Just a Dream" was one of his most successful singles, peaking at number one on the US Pop Songs Chart. The song received a triple platinum certification.
In 2001, he received a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance for "Country Grammar".
And also, in 2003, once again in the nomination "Best Rap Collaboration" for "Dilemma".
That same year, he also won a Grammy Award for "Best Male Rap Solo" for "Hot In Herre".
In 2004, he won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Shake Ya Tailfeather".
Personal life and legacy
Nelly is not yet married, but she has two children - Chanel Haynes and Cornel Haynes III. There is no reliable information about who is the mother of two children. He previously dated Karrin Steffans.
After that, Nelly began an affair with singer Ashanti in early 2003. They first met at the pre-Grammy pre-conference. The couple dated for about 11 years.
Nelly has also dated several other Hollywood divas such as model Lashontae Heckard and actress Chantel Jackson.
His fans also state that Nelly is always very stylish. His attractive t-shirts and performances in stage programs impress many girls.
A lot of people want to date him. However, Nelly is always aware that this is just his public image, but in real life he is completely different. Nelly is in high demand on social media.
He is very popular on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and many other sites.
