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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 Midwestern 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—were 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 music. 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 favor of country rap.
Nelly has won multiple accolades throughout his career, including three 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.
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. Recognizing 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.
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, (in Italian) "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 , 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 misogyny 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 Sean Combs and Murphy Lee. Another number-one hit, "Shake Ya Tailfeather", won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
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 music 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.
In May 2010, Nelly confirmed that the title of the album was 5.0. The album was released on November 16, 2010. "Nelly Revs Up for Fall Album Release" . Rap-Up.com. Retrieved August 9, 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. "Available For Airplay" . FMQB. Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report. Retrieved August 12, 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. Nelly's Just a Dream Makes Debut on Charts . Rap-Up. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
"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. "Move That Body – Single by Nelly" . Apple Music Retrieved October 13, 2010. The song made its first chart appearance debuting on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 54 and reached number 29 in Australia. Chartifacts – Week Commencing: 8th November 2010. webcitation.org. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
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.
In August 2012, Nelly became a coach on The CW's 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.
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 music-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." Nelly announces 2025 Las Vegas residency at Resorts World", KSNV News 3, January 13, 2025, accessed January 22, 2025 The same month, he performed at Donald Trump's Liberty Inaugural Ball to commemorate his second inauguration.
In 2008 and 2009, he appeared in episodes of the CBS crime drama . 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.
Nelly explains his method of writing in the book How to Rap, describing how he freestyle rap most of the lyrics before going back over them to "make it a little tighter",Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, pp. 151-152. he generally writes in the studio rather than at home,Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 153. he normally comes up with a chorus for a song before writing the verses,Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 190. and he likes to write to the music he will be rapping over.Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 169. AllMusic notes his "tongue-twisting" hooks, which are often sung rather than rapped.
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 leukemia 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.
Nelly has played the Main Event at the 2007 World Series of Poker. He has played The PokerStars European Poker Tour and PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. In August 2010, he began a stint as the afternoon host on WHHL HOT 104.1 in St. Louis. He was taking the place of regular PM drive personality, Stacy Static, who left on pregnancy leave.
In September 2010, Nelly released a fitness DVD entitled Celebrity Sweat, walking viewers through various exercises and weight training techniques. In 2011, he and Vatterott College worked together to found the Ex'treme Institute By Nelly, which is a music production school in the heart of St. Louis.
In 2015, Nelly teamed up with Mike and Ike candy after a halt in collaborating a year earlier. He and the owners of Mike and Ike released a movie trailer the same day titled "The Return of Mike and Ike" describing the split and reunion. In 2021, he collaborated with Burger King on the "Cornell Haynes, Jr. Meal", part of a line of celebrity-themed meals that the establishment created to promote its "Keep It Real Meals", in recognition of their removal of 120 artificial ingredients from its menu items. The meal consisted of a Whopper, small French fries, and a small Sprite.
In April 2023, Nelly launched a moonshine brand called "MoShine".
Nelly dropped a verse on the song 'Anotha one' on his 2004 album Sweat with a line in the song saying, I like it how you do it right thurr there/You just to remember why you do that right thurr, I made it tight to be country/ They thought country was bummy/ Till country start making money which was perceived by Chingy as a diss track. In an interview with Nelly in December 2004, he stated that he believed the lyrics were taken out of context, later claiming: "I wasn't going at him. If you listen to the song, it says, 'I like the way you do that right thurr.' I could have said, 'Fuck the way you do that right thurr!' It ain't even like that".
Angered by the song, Chingy leaked a song in response taking aim at Nelly entitled 'We Got' on January 7, 2005. In December 2005 at the Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas, Chingy alleges he approached Nelly to end the feud, but claims he refused to discuss in private but was ignored repeatedly.
Months later, Chingy approached Nelly's cousin, who allowed both rappers to put an end to the feud in 2006. During an interview in November 2022, Chingy alleged Nelly's sister Jackie had also approached him at an airport, diligent for both to resolve the feud prior to her death due to cancer complications in March 2005, claiming "At that point, she said she had a wish, and that wish was for me and him to come together... When I heard that, I had to end this; for her. This can't go on. She had a wish for this to happen, she really wanted me and her brother to be cool."
In 2006, Nelly started hosting a "White and Black Ball" in his hometown of St. Louis as a fundraiser to collect funds for scholarships. He has sent two students to college every year for over a decade, and set up a scholarship fund named after Michael Brown was shot and killed.
In 2010, Nelly endorsed Do Something's Tackle Hunger campaign. In a public service announcement he filmed for the cause, he challenged teens to fight hunger by collecting one million pounds of food for the holiday season.
Nelly was initially charged with felony drug possession, simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. After further testing proved that the seized substance was not methamphetamine, the felony charge was dropped. In December 2015, the case was resolved when he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of marijuana and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, and was sentenced to one year probation. Nelly entered a diversion program, in which the misdemeanor convictions were cleared from his record after 11 months.Corrine Heller, Nelly Cuts Plea Deal on Drug Charges in Tennessee—Get the Details, E Online (December 14, 2015).
At the end of January 2018, Nelly was again accused of sexual assault after a gig at the Cliffs Pavilion in Westcliff-on-Sea, England, at the end of 2017. There was an additional allegation of assault reported at the time. In 2019, it was reported that he had reached a settlement with the woman who was at Cliffs Pavilion.
The arrest was made after the December 2023 arrest warrant was discovered, following a required background check which occurred after Nelly scored jackpot wins at the Hollywood Casino and Hotel in Maryland Heights. After Nelly was pulled over and handcuffed, for the no proof of insurance charge, his car was searched, and the four ecstasy pills were discovered in his possession. According to a statement released by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the initial patrol contact with Nelly occurred during an "identification verification in accordance with the Missouri Gaming Commission regulations." The arrest warrant had been issued based on a June 2018 infraction, which involved Nelly operating a vehicle without proof of insurance.
On November 12, 2024, Chris King, a spokesperson for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, stated that Nelly would not face charges. King claimed that "We don't believe the facts in this case warrant the issuing of charges."
| 2001 | Snipes | Prolifik | Lead role |
| 2005 | The Longest Yard | Earl Megget | Supporting role Also sang on the soundtrack |
| 2014 | Reach Me | E-Ruption | Supporting role |
| 2008–2009 | 4 episodes | ||
| 2011 | 90210 | Himself | Cameo appearance; Episode: "Revenge with the Nerd" |
| 2011–2013 | Cameo appearances; season 1, episode: 3, "America's Sweetheart"; season 2, episodes: 2 "Birthday Bash", 4 "Bitter Sweet 16" & 6, "Who's the Boss?" | ||
| 2012 | Reality television | ||
| 2013–2016 | Real Husbands of Hollywood | Recurring role | |
| 2014–2015 | Nellyville | Reality television | |
| 2017 | The Platinum Life | ||
| 2020 | Dancing with the Stars | Contestant | |
| 2003 | NBA Street Vol. 2 | Himself | Playable character |
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