Who is Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr.?

Who is Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr.? ,[1] The world knows him by his stage name Nelly, he is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1996 and was signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly has five solo studio albums released and several number-one hits.[1] [2] He also won Grammy Awards in 2003 and 2004.[3] He also starred in the 2005 remake film The Longest Yard alongside Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. In addition, Nelly played in the Main Event at the 2007 World Series of Poker.[4] He is also one of the owners of the Charlotte Bobcats, along with Robert L. Johnson and NBA legend Michael Jordan.[5] Nelly has two clothing lines: Vokal (for men) and Apple Bottoms (for women). He also owns Pimp Juice.

Nelly was born November 2, 1974 in St. Louis and moved with his mother to suburban University City, Missouri as a teenager. He joined rappers Big Lee, Kyjuan, Murphy Lee, and City Spud to form the group St. Lunatics; the group became popular with its single "Gimme What You Got".^[2]

Watch more My Video videos on AOL Video

Nelly was signed by the Mase's manager Chudda Love to Fo'reel Entertainment. He was soon signed to Universal Music Group, which released his major label debut Country Grammar

Watch more Country Grammar videos on AOL Video

in 2000. The success of its title track as a single(#7 on the Hot 100 and #1 hot rap tracks) led to the album debuting at the third spot in the Billboard 200 in the U.S. Other singles from the album included "E.I.",

Watch more MTV Overdrive videos on AOL Video

"Ride Wit Me",

Watch more Country Grammar videos on AOL Video

and "Batter Up".

Watch more Country Grammar videos on AOL Video

Free City, which Nelly recorded with the St. Lunatics, followed in 2001 with the hit single "Midwest Swing". Free City was certified platinum by RIAA. Nelly featured on the All Star tribute track "What's Going On"

Watch more Dailymotion videos on AOL Video

(song). Nelly also recorded a hit track titled "#1" for the soundtrack to the film Training Day that year. The song featured in Nelly's 2002 album Nellyville... [1] Nelly appeared on the song Where the Party At

Watch more MTVM videos on AOL Video

by Jagged Edge and 'N Sync's 2001 album Celebrity on the song Girlfriend.

Watch more Dailymotion videos on AOL Video

In 2002, Nelly's second album Nellyville was released and reached number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart (selling nearly 800 thousand copies in it's first week); its lead single "Hot in Herre"

Watch more Nellyville videos on AOL Video

was also a number-one hit. Other singles included "Dilemma"

Watch more Yahoo! Music videos on AOL Video

featuring Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child(this song is still Nelly's most successful song ever,topping all the charts), "Work It"

Watch more Nellyville videos on AOL Video

featuring Justin Timberlake, "Air Force Ones"

Watch more Yahoo! Music videos on AOL Video

featuring Murphy Lee and the St. Lunatics, and "Pimp Juice".[1]

Watch more Yahoo! Music videos on AOL Video

In 2003 Nelly formed Derrty and it's first release was Murphy Lee's platinum debut Murphy's Law and the Nelly released his highly successful remix album titled Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention. This was highly successful as it was certified platinum.. It featured the hit single "Iz U"

Watch more Da Derrty Versions videos on AOL Video

which also featured on Walt Disney's The The Haunted Mansion (film)...A music video of his titled "Tip Drill",

Watch more MusicPlayOn videos on AOL Video

which was distributed only on the Internet and underground rap video outlets, became a source of controversy due to perceptions of misogynistic depictions of women in the video. The controversy forced Nelly to cancel an appearance at a bone marrow drive in Spelman College, a historically black college in Atlanta, Georgia.[6] Similar claims of misogyny also surrounded Nelly's single "Pimp Juice".[7] This year proved to be Nelly's most successful year,with the help of rap mogul and friend Sean John Combs he created Applebottoms
a clothing line for women.It is now one of the most selling clothing brands in the United States,and has chosen by Oprah as has one of her favorite things in 2004.Nelly also founded the highly successful Pimp Juice (drink) in 2003,which sells over 1 million cans a week in the US.It is sold Worldwide as of 2007.


Nike and Nelly agreed on a one-year deal in 2003 to release a limited-edition sneaker called the "Air Derrty" which was a retro remake of Charles Barkley's
signature sneaker the Nike Air Max2 CB '94 which was released in 2003 at select NIKE town stores in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles, as well the Squad 1 shoe store in St. Louis, Nelly's hometown.[8] He later made a deal with Reebok, stating, "I’ve always been into sneakers and throughout my career I’ve always wanted to have a signature pair of sneakers that truly reflect my personal style. It made the most sense for me to partner with Reebok because they fully understand and respect the culture of sports, music and entertainment."[9] Nelly featured on Brian Mcknight's

single "All night Long".

Watch more U Turn videos on AOL Video

He has done adds for Got Milk and other major companies like Ford Motor Company.


At the 2003 Grammys, he received two awards; one for Best Male Rap Solo Performance, and another shared with Kelly Rowland for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.[3] Additionally, Nelly won the 2003 American Music Award for "Fan's Choice" and received four other nominations.[10] He won his third Grammy in 2004 for his and P. Diddy's
guest vocals in Murphy Lee's number-one hit single "Shake Ya Tailfeather"

Watch more Yahoo! Music videos on AOL Video

from Lee's album Murphy's Law.[3]

The Jes Us 4 Jackie campaign began in March 2003 by Nelly and his sister Jackie Donahue, after she was diagnosed with leukemia, in a search for donors.Nelly also has a charity organisation named Fo sho 4 kids and a scholarship called the Pimpjuice Scholarship. Donahue died in March 2005, almost exactly two years after the campaign began.[11]

On September 14, 2004, Nelly released two albums simultaneously, 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 in the same week.On the same day of it's release he performed the songs Flap Your Wings

Watch more Yahoo! Music videos on AOL Video

and My Place

Watch more AOL Music Live videos on AOL Video

on the roof of Mtv's Total Request Live.From the Suit album, the slow ballad "Over and Over",

an unlikely duet with country music star Tim McGraw,
became another crossover hit.[12] On the 2004 NBC television concert special Tim McGraw: Here and Now, McGraw and Nelly performed the song.[13].Nelly could be heard on Mase's comeback album. A minor feud with another St. Louis-based rapper, Chingy, came up near the end of the year.[14]
Tsunami Aid: A Concert for Hope, a 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake benefit concert special produced by NBC featured Nelly in its lineup.[15] Nelly could be heard on rapper T.I's track "Get loose".


T.I. - "GET LOOSE" (ORIGINAL AUDIO) HD - Funny blooper videos are here

Nelly released a UK only Sweat / Suit compilation disc. In the winter of 2005 came Sweatsuit, a compilation album consisting of selected tracks from Sweat and Suit and well as three new tracks including "Grillz"

Watch more Yahoo! Music videos on AOL Video

produced by best friend Jermaine Dupri,
another number-one hit.
Also in 2005, Nelly was featured on The Notorious B.I.G.'s
posthumous song "Nasty Girl" alongside Jagged Edge, P. Diddy and Avery Storm. "Nasty Girl"

was on the Notorious B.I.G's posthumously released album Duets: The Final Chapter, and Nelly's own Sweatsuit. Nelly was also featured on the track "To the Floor"

on Mariah Carey's 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi and Get It Poppin'

Watch more All or Nothing videos on AOL Video

by Fat Joe

Then in 2006, he was featured on "Call on Me"

Watch more 20 Y.O. videos on AOL Video

, Janet Jackson's first single from her 20 Y.O. album.


In 2007, he appeared on tracks for the albums Double Up by R. Kelly and T.I. vs. T.I.P. by T.I.. He also appeared on Ashanti's track "Switch" and Kiss Kiss remix by Chris Brown. A street single called "Cut It Out" was released later that year for his upcoming album, Brass Knuckles,

which was released on September 16, 2008 after several delays,[16] Initial release dates for the album targeted October 16[17] and November 13[18] but was never intended for the album.
Nelly appeared on Rap City in april 2008,and gave one of the best freestyles the show has ever witnessed. Its original lead single was "Wadsyaname",

a ballad-oriented track produced by Neff-U and sampling the piano riff from the R&B song "All My Life"

Watch more Love Always videos on AOL Video

by K-Ci & JoJo.[18][17]
Nelly later confirmed that "Wadsyaname" was never going to be on 'Brass Knuckles'. He explained, he "had to turn in a single, but not the whole album". Nelly then recorded a song called "Party People"[17] featuring Fergie and produced by Polow da Don which turned out to be his first official single off the album.[16] "Stepped On My J'z" was the next single, produced by Jermaine Dupri and featuring Dupri and Ciara; following that was "Body On Me",

Watch more MusicPlayOn videos on AOL Video

produced by Akon and featuring him and Ashanti. Nelly appeared on Rick Ross's third single "Here I Am".

Watch more Trilla videos on AOL Video

A video has been shot and released for the track "One & Only"

Watch more MTVM videos on AOL Video

off the album.This song has not yet hit the top 100 charts. Nelly gave one of his best live performances at the BET Awards when peformed the single Stepped On My J'z

Watch more Yahoo! Music videos on AOL Video

with Jermaine Dupri and Ciara and Party People

with Fergie



At the Brass Knuckles listening party at the Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on the weekend of June 7, 2008, Nelly brought up the possibility of forming a supergroup with Akon and Pharrell.[19] He also mentioned that he might work on a collaboration album with rapper T.I. [20]


Nelly made his film debut in 2001 in the film Snipes. He was also featured in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard starring Adam Sandler and Chris Rock.[21]
This blockbuster was a hit and racked up a good promising future for this hip hop star. The film debuted at number three at the American box office behind Star Wars Episode III
and Madagascar (the latter of which also stars Chris Rock) and became MTV Films' most successful release, grossing over US$100 million in the U.S. alone. Nelly also completed a song for the soundtrack, "Fly Away." In a June 2008 interview with Kiwibox.com, Nelly revealed that he is reluctant to continue his acting career, noting that he doesn't want to "take away from the culture of acting."[22] In 2008, Nelly appeared in the episodes of the CBS crime drama CSI: NY "Turbulence"
playing a character called Terrence Davis and again on November 19, 2008 in the episode "My Name is Mac Taylor".

[edit] Discography
Main article: Nelly discography

Studio albums
2000: Country Grammar
2002: Nellyville
2004: Sweat
2004: Suit
2008: Brass Knuckles

Others albums
2003: Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention
2005: Sweat / Suit
2008: 6 Derrty Hits
2009: The Best of Nelly

Collaborations
2001: Free City (with St. Lunatics)
2006: Who's the Boss (with St. Lunatics)
2009: Untitled (with T.I.)[23]
2009: Untitled (with Pharrell Williams, Akon, and T-Pain)[24]
2009: City Free (with St. Lunatics)

more