Nelly

Mega-influencer • United States • EN

Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., 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 Midwest hip hop group St. Lunatics. He signed with Universal Records as a solo act in 1999 to release his debut studio album, Country Grammar. Its lead single of the same name and follow-up, "Ride wit Me", 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. His second album, Nellyville, spawned two consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma", along with the top-five single, "Air Force Ones". The same-day dual release of his next albums Sweat and Suit —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, was supported by the singles "Party People", "Stepped on My J'z", and "Body on Me". His sixth album, 5.0, delved further into pop.