Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., an American rapper, singer, actor, and businessman, goes by the stage name Nelly. With the hip-hop trio St. Lunatics, he began his musical career in 1993. In 1999, he signed with Universal Records.
Who Is Nelly? Early Life, Education, and Family
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. was born in Austin, Texas, on November 2, 1974. When Nelly was born, his father was a soldier in the Air Force. He relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, when he was seven years old due to his parent’s divorce.
As a youngster, Nelly formed the St. Lunatics with his half-brother City Spud and friends Ali, Murphy Lee, Kyjuan, and Slo’Down.
After the St. Lunatics failed to secure a record deal following the teens’ local smash “Gimme What Ya Got” in 1997, Nelly decided it was time to launch his solo career.
How Did Nelly Start His Rap Career?
Nelly and Universal Music signed a recording contract in 1999. The next year saw the release of “Country Grammar,” which remains Nelly’s best-selling album to date.
Two singles released to promote the album, “Country Grammar” and “Ride With Me,” both peaked at number ten. Moreover, his second album, “Nellyville,” was released in June 2002.
“Brass Knuckles,” Nelly’s fifth studio album, was released in September 2008 following the release of “Sweat and Suit” in 2004 and “Sweatsuit” in 2005, the latter of which produced the number-one singles “Dilemma” and “Hot in Here.” He released his album “5.0” in 2010.
Nelly, who won Grammys in 2003 and 2004, co-starred with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock in the 2005 remake of “The Longest Yard,” and made four appearances in the 2008–2009 season of “CSI: NY.”
Nelly appeared in 39 episodes of the BET satirical reality show “Real Husbands of Hollywood” from 2013 and 2016.
He was scheduled to give a full performance from his debut album Country Grammar at the Tennessee-based Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2020, but the event was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Breakthrough with Country Grammar and Nellyville
His debut album, Country Grammar, was published by the label in 2000. Due to the single success of the album’s title track, the album debuted in the United States at number three on the Billboard 200.
On April 27, 2004, the RIAA certified the album as 9-platinum[15]. A special visitor at the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show was Nelly. The album also featured the singles “E.I.”, “Ride wit Me,” with City Spud, and “Batter Up,” with the St. Lunatics.
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His second album, Nellyville, arrived at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 Music Albums in 2002 and featured the number-one smash “Hot in Herre” as its opening track.
Hot in Herre, which won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo Performance, also included Justin Timberlake’s “Work It,” Murphy Lee and the St. Lunatics’ “Air Force Ones,” “Pimp Juice,” and Justin Timberlake’s “#1” in addition to Kelly Rowland’s “Dilemma,” which went on to sell over 7.6 million copies worldwide.
Collaborations and 5.0
In the summer of 2009, Nelly made a public announcement about the untitled album in Las Vegas. Nelly revealed that he intended to release the album under the moniker Nelly at some time in 2010 in an interview with SOHH.com in October 2009.
He also mentioned that the record’s cover will feature him. Nelly claims that the murder of his cousin Michael Johnson in Missouri in April 2010 is what prompted him to delay the album’s release.
The second song, “Move That Body,” by T-Pain and Akon, was released on October 12. It debuted at number 54 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and is currently at 29 in Australia.
The second song by Mohombi, “Miss Me,” was produced by RedOne and features Nelly as a featured artist.
The third single from Nelly’s album, “Gone,” is the follow-up to the 2002 worldwide number-one hit “Dilemma,” which he co-wrote with Rowland. In Arlington, Texas, at Cowboys Stadium on November 13, 2010, Nelly appeared on the Pacquiao vs. Margarito pay-per-view.
Legal Issues
The Tennessee Highway Patrol pulled over Nelly’s tour bus in April 2015. A police officer claimed to have smelled marijuana on the bus.
The authorities found methamphetamine, many guns, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia when they searched the bus. Nelly was detained and then sent to the neighborhood jail.
He was set free on bail. In addition to other less serious infractions, he was charged with felony drug possession.
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The criminal charge was dropped once it was determined that the substance found aboard Nelly’s tour bus wasn’t meth. Moreover, Nelly entered a guilty plea to misdemeanor possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in December 2015.
Television series and Heartland
From 2014 to 2015, Nelly appeared in the two-season reality TV show Nellyville. Nelly’s four children, as well as his acting and music professions, were highlighted in the BET-aired program.
On August 6, 2015, “The Fix,” a song by Nelly that was released on his own record label “RECORDS,” made its debut. Nelly hinted that there might or might not be a new album after his new music in an interview with Big Boy.
In 2020, he released “Lil Bit,” a song off his “country-influenced” album Heartland that he co-wrote with Florida Georgia Line. Additionally, he worked on remixes of the country songs “She Drives Me Crazy” and “Cool Again” alongside Brett Kissel and Kane Brown.
Studio albums
- Country Grammar (2000)
- Nellyville (2002)
- Sweat (2004)
- Suit (2004)
- Brass Knuckles (2008)
- 5.0 (2010)
- M.O. (2013)
- Heartland (2021)
What is Nelly’s net worth and Income?
With $8 million in wealth, Nelly is an American musician, actor, and businessman. “Country Grammar,” his breakout album that was published in 2000, became his best-selling album to date after selling more than 10 million copies globally.
Real Estate
In 2002, MTV Cribs featured Nelly’s ranch-style home, which includes five bedrooms, four and a half baths, and 2,679 square feet.
The mansion was built in 1972 and is close to the Hidden Valley Country Club in the Missouri neighborhood of Eureka, a St. Louis suburb. In June 2010, he sold the home for $740,158.
Dating History
Relationship with Karrine Steffans
American author Karrine Steffans is best known for her Vixen book series. With over 20 music videos under her belt, she has experience as both an actress and a video vixen.
On college campuses, she frequently gives talks regarding her role in the hip-hop scene and its expectations of women. Although the duration of Nelly and Karrine’s relationship is unknown, it began in January 2000.
Eve Jihan Jeffers Cooper
Eve Jihan Jeffers Cooper is a Philadelphia-born rapper, singer, composer, and actress.
She has received a Grammy Award, a BET Award, and an MTV Video Songs Award for her music, as well as two Daytime Emmy Award nominations.
Nelly and Eve had sporadic relationships between December 2000 and April 2003.
Ashanti
Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas, an American actress, singer, and composer, is 41 years old.
Nelly and Ashanti dated intermittently from 2007 to 2014.
During a 2015 appearance on The Meredith Vieira Show, she first discussed the reason for their breakup with Nelly. She said:
“I think sometimes when people have their own insecurities, it allows them to act out of character.
“I’ve been betrayed. Again, you just have to grow, you have to grow up and accept responsibilities for the things that you do,”
She continued:
“I’m not a big fan of people being cowards.
“I think it’s really important to know yourself and understand what you want and get it. I’m in a different place right now.”
Body Measurements, and Tattoo
Nelly is currently 48 years old as he was born on 2 November 1974. Regarding his body measurement, he stands at a height of 1.73 m and weighs 83 kg.
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Rapper Nelly gets “Moses” artistically tattooed on his forearm because he most closely resembles a biblical figure. He explains,
“I can relate to [his] story, as far as leading people out.”
Social Media
Instagram: 3.5M followers
Youtube: 4.98M subscribers
Facebook: 10M followers
FAQS
Why was Nelly’s face covered in a bandage?
Nelly, like Monk, became infamous for starting to play basketball with a band-aid on his left cheek.
What is Nelly doing right now?
Eight gigs are coming up as Nelly is currently on tour in two different nations. Oshkosh Arena in Oshkosh will host their next tour stop before they head to Victoria Park, Brisbane in Herston.
How much is rapper Nelly currently worth?
Nelly’s net worth as of December 2022 is about $8 Million.
Quick Facts:
- Date of birth: November 02, 1974
- Full Name: Cornell Iral Haynes Jr
- Known As: Nelly
- Age: 48
- Zodiac sign: Scorpio
- Nationality: USA
- Occupation: Rapper
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Eyes color: Brown
- Hair color: Black
- Height: 172.7 cm (5 ft 8 in)
- Weight: 80 kg (176 lb)
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