Nelly

Nelly (born Cornell Haynes Jr. in St. Louis, Missouri on November 2, 1974) is an American hip-hop artist who rose to fame in 2000.

A self-described "army brat," Nelly spent the first few years of his life

Nelly (born Cornell Haynes Jr. in St. Louis, Missouri on November 2, 1974) is an American hip-hop artist who rose to fame in 2000.

A self-described "army brat," Nelly spent the first few years of his life living in Spain before moving to St. Louis, Missouri. Nelly's parents divorced when he was eight years old. Nelly admitted he used to get into a lot of fights but by the time he started high school he was into baseball instead. Although he had a promising baseball career, he decided to try his hand at music instead, forming the St. Lunatics with several neighborhood friends. He first came to mainstream audiences with Country Grammar (2000) and released Free City with the St. Lunatics in 2001. Country Grammar turned out to become a mainstream success that set the stage for his breakthrough album, Nellyville. Nellyville established him as one of the most famous rappers in the early 2000s, with an image of being equal parts handsome boy-next-door and tough gangsta. From the beginnings of his pop career, the lyrics of "Country Grammar" explored this dichotomy, posing the question: "Who says pretty boys can't be wild niggaz?" and containing references to gun violence and drug use while also sending shoutouts to billionaires Bill Gates and Donald Trump.