Known by his stage name Nelly, Cornell Haynes, Jr. was born in St. Louis on November 2, 1974. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and was signed to Universal Records in 1999. On June 27, 2000, Nelly released his debut album, Country Grammar. It debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 and went on to peak at number one. The first single released was the song "Country Grammar (Hot Shit). Other singles from the album include "E.I.," "Ride Wit Me," and "Batter Up." It has been certified 3x platinum. In 2002, Nelly released his sophomore album, Nellyville. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard charts and nominated for "Album of the Year" at the 2003 Grammys. In 2004, he released Suit, which debuted at the number one position with over three hundred thousand copies sold it’s first week. It received a Grammy nomination. That same year Nelly released Sweat. It wasn’t as popular as Suit debuting at number two on the Billboard 200, while in the same week, the Suit album debuted at #1 on the same chart. The tracks "Flap Your Wings," "Na-Nana-Na," and "Tilt Ya Head Back" were released as singles.
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