Nelly If there's one thing that's certain about Nelly, it's that the rising star wants to generate an excitement about the burgeoning St. Louis, Mo., hip-hop scene that's comparable to the thrills Mark McGwire generates on the city's big league baseball diamond. And on the evidence thus far, it seems a sure bet he'll succeed. Barely out of his teens, Nelly has already been hailed as hip-hop's brightest new talent, an assessment borne out by his chart-topping debut CD, Country Grammar. Just as important, in the midst of his meteoric rise, the young hip-hopper has demonstrated a grounded perspective that his more flamboyant peers would do well to pay attention to.
Nelly's story begins 21 years ago in Texas, where the future hip-hopper was born to a military father and a mother who would later make her living working in fast food restaurants. Christened Cornell Haynes Jr., Nelly spent his diaper years in Spain, where his father was stationed for Air Force duty. By the time the youngster reached grammar-school age, the Haynes family had settled in St. Louis, where Nelly eventually attended eight different schools — four of which he was reportedly kicked out of. When Nelly was 8 years old, his parents divorced, and subsequently, the duties of raising the precocious youngster were divided among various family members.
By his own admission, Nelly was always getting into fights. By the time he reached high school, however, he'd developed a passion for baseball that served as an anchor to keep him out of real trouble. A crucial move came in 1993, when Nelly and his mother left inner-city St. Louis and settled in the more suburban environs of University City. There, while continuing to hone his skills on the baseball diamond, Nelly hooked up with school pals Kyjuan Ali and Murphy Lee, and along with his little brother, City Spud, formed a rap outfit dubbed the St. Lunatics. Two years later, in 1996, a newly recruited manager financed studio time for the group, which yielded a 12-inch single titled "Gimme What Ya Got," which sold nearly 10,000 copies thanks in part to massive local airplay.
Meanwhile, Nelly divided his time between playing shortstop in the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association (he would later be invited to attend try-out camps sponsored by the Atlanta Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates, before setting his sights exclusively on music), and trying to secure a record deal for the Lunatics. A second regional hit, "Who's the Boss," helped solidify the group's local reputation, but record company interest continued to elude the outfit.
Frustrated, the Lunatics headed temporarily for Atlanta, where they came under the wing of then-Mase manager, Kula. Eventually, Kula and the group concluded that Nelly would have better luck seeking a record deal on his own, with the idea that, afterwards, he could champion the Lunatics. Sure enough, with Kula's help, Nelly attracted the attention of Universal Records executive Kevin Law in 1999, who signed the 19-year-old to a contract.
From that launching point, success for Nelly came with startling speed. Recorded nearly a year ago, the single "Country Grammar" generated a buzz in Nelly's hometown. Taking its melodic hook from the children's song "Down, Down, Baby," the single soared to the top of the Billboard charts soon after its official release on Feb. 29, 2000. On June 6, that success was followed by the release of Nelly's full-length debut album, which sported the same title as the single. Having debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard charts, the album nudged past Britney Spears and Eminem to assume the No. 1 slot on the charts on Aug. 26.
Remarkably, the accomplishment marked the first instance in which an artist raised and residing in St. Louis could claim title to the No. 1 album in America.
True to his word, Nelly has, in interviews, taken every opportunity to sing the praises of the St. Lunatics, who played an integral role in the making of Country Grammar. Moreover, under the auspices of their group moniker, Nelly and his mates recently contributed a hip-hop version of the Lovin' Spoonful classic "Summer in the City" to the Original Kings of Comedy film soundtrack. Plans for the coming year call for solo releases by each member of the Lunatics (which now includes Jason Epperson and Ali, in addition to its founders). And if that's not enough, Nelly himself is reported to be readying a follow-up to Country Grammar, to be released in 2001.
Meanwhile, Nelly continues to evidence a humility that's refreshingly at odds with the prevailing hip-hop ethos. Reflecting on his success thus far, he told Wall of Sound, "It feels good. I appreciate it, but we're still working hard, and hopefully this is just the beginning. The good thing is that people are excited now; they're starting to believe they can make it up out of here. It's all about the love now."


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