Nelly
Rap
artist Nelly (born Cornell Haynes, Jr.) grew up in St. Louis and experienced
first-hand the dangers and temptations of life on the street. His escape
came when he moved as a teenager with his mother to nearby suburban
University City. There, he discovered lures of a more constructive kind
- playing baseball, storytelling and writing rhymes.
With
some high school friends, Nelly formed a band, the St. Lunatics, who
scored a regional hit in 1996 with the self-produced single, "Gimmie
What You Got." Frustrated in attempts to land a record deal as
a group, they collectively decided that Nelly would have a better chance
as a single, banking on his winning stage presence and superior rhyming
skills. The gamble paid off - soon thereafter, Nelly caught the attention
of Universal, who released his debut album, Country Grammar, in 2000.
Discography
2000 Country Grammer
2000 Country Grammer [Edited]
2002 Nellyville
2003
Maximum
2004
Sweat
