Nelly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nelly
Nelly in 2007
Born	Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (1974-11-02) November 2, 1974 (age 50) Austin, Texas, U.S.
Education	University City High School
Occupation	Rapper singer songwriter actor
Years active	1993–present
Works	Discography filmography
Spouse(s)	Ashanti ​ (m. 2023)​
Children	5
Family	City Spud (half-brother) Yomi Martin (cousin)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop R&B pop country
Labels	RECORDS Columbia Derrty Republic Universal Motown Universal

Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), known as Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He started his music journey in 1993 with the Midwest hip hop group St. Lunatics.

In 1999, Nelly signed with Universal Records as a solo artist. He released his first album, Country Grammar, in 2000. This album was a huge hit, selling over 10 million copies in the U.S. and becoming a diamond certified album. His second album, Nellyville (2002), had two number-one songs: "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma" (featuring Kelly Rowland).

Nelly continued to have success with albums like Sweat and Suit (both 2004). He has won many awards, including three Grammy Awards and nine Billboard Music Awards. He is one of the best-selling hip hop artists in American history. Besides music, Nelly has acted in films like The Longest Yard (2005) and had his own reality TV show, Nellyville.

Early Life and Music Start

Growing Up in St. Louis

Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. was born on November 2, 1974, in Austin, Texas. His parents divorced when he was seven. As a teenager, Nelly moved with his mother to University City, a suburb of St. Louis County.

While in high school, Nelly formed the group St. Lunatics with his friends Ali, Murphy Lee, Kyjuan, Slo Down, and his half-brother City Spud. The group became popular locally with their song "Gimme What Ya Got" in 1996.

Becoming a Solo Artist

Even though St. Lunatics was popular in Missouri, they struggled to get a big record deal. The group decided to let Nelly try going solo. In 1999, Nelly signed with Universal Music Group. He was unique because he was a rapper from the Midwest, a region not as known for hip-hop at the time. The record label used this to promote him as a star from the Midwest.

Music Breakthrough and Success

Country Grammar and Nellyville

Nelly's first album, Country Grammar, came out in 2000. It was a huge success, selling millions of copies. The album's main songs, "Country Grammar (Hot ...)" and "Ride wit Me", were very popular. Nelly even performed at the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show.

In 2002, Nelly released his second album, Nellyville. It went straight to number one on the music charts. The album featured hit songs like "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma" with Kelly Rowland. "Hot in Herre" won a Grammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo Performance in 2003. Nelly also contributed the song "Shake Ya Tailfeather" to the Bad Boys II movie soundtrack. This song, featuring Diddy and Murphy Lee, also won a Grammy Award.

Sweat, Suit, and Brass Knuckles

Nelly performed again at the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show in 2004. On September 14, 2004, he released two albums on the same day: Sweat and Suit. Suit focused more on R&B music and debuted at number one. Sweat was more rap-focused and debuted at number two.

A popular song from Suit was "Over and Over", a duet with country singer Tim McGraw. In 2005, Nelly released Sweatsuit, which combined songs from both albums plus new tracks. The song "Grillz" from this album became another number-one hit.

His fifth album, Brass Knuckles, came out in 2008. It included songs like "Party People" (with Fergie) and "Body on Me" (with Akon and Ashanti).

5.0 and Later Albums

Nelly in 2010

In 2010, Nelly released his sixth album, 5.0. The lead single, "Just a Dream", was a big hit, selling millions of downloads. Other songs from the album included "Move That Body" and "Gone", which was a follow-up to his earlier hit "Dilemma" with Kelly Rowland.

Nelly continued to release music, including his mixtapes O.E.MO (2011) and Scorpio Season (2012). His seventh album, M.O., was released in 2013. It featured the popular song "Hey Porsche". He also collaborated with country duo Florida Georgia Line on a remix of their song "Cruise".

In 2021, Nelly released his eighth album, Heartland. This album showed a new direction, focusing on country rap music. He also worked with country singers Kane Brown and Brett Kissel on remixes of their songs.

Film and TV Roles

Acting Career

Nelly made his acting debut in the 2001 film Snipes. He played a famous rapper named Prolifik. His most well-known film role was in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard. In this sports comedy, he starred alongside Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. His songs "Errtime" and "Fly Away" were also featured on the movie's soundtrack.

Nelly has also appeared in several television shows. He was in episodes of the crime drama CSI: NY in 2008 and 2009. In 2011, he had a cameo in 90210.

Reality TV and Competitions

From 2014 to 2015, Nelly starred in his own reality TV show called Nellyville. The show, which ran for two seasons on BET, followed his life and career. His children were also featured on the show.

Nelly was also a coach on The CW's reality competition show The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep in 2012. In 2020, he competed on the 29th season of Dancing with the Stars. He and his dance partner, Daniella Karagach, finished in third place.

Nelly's Music Style

Nelly's rapping style is known for its catchy parts, called "hooks." These hooks often sound like schoolyard songs or rhymes. His voice has a unique "Missouri twang," which mixes sounds from both country and city areas.

When Nelly writes music, he often starts by making up the lyrics on the spot, which is called freestyling. Then, he goes back and makes them sound even better. He usually writes his songs in the studio while listening to the music he will rap over. He also likes to create the chorus of a song before writing the verses.

Personal Life

Nelly has two children from previous relationships: a son named Cornell Haynes III (Tre) and a daughter named Chanelle (Nana). He also adopted two children from his stepsister, Jaqueline Donahue, who sadly passed away from leukemia in 2005.

Nelly has been a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team for a long time. He also supported the former St. Louis Rams football team.

In December 2023, Nelly married singer Ashanti. They welcomed their first child together in July 2024.

Other Ventures

Business and Sports

Allen Iverson and Nelly at a Reebok endorsement photo shoot in 2007

Nelly has been involved in several business ventures. In 2003, he partnered with Nike to release a special sneaker called the "Air Derrty." He also signed a shoe deal with Reebok in 2005. He has appeared in advertisements for "Got Milk?" and the Ford Motor Company.

He owns two clothing lines: Apple Bottoms, which is for women, and Vokal, which is for men. Nelly was also one of the owners of the Charlotte Bobcats basketball team (now the Charlotte Hornets) for a period.

Other Activities

Nelly enjoys playing poker and has competed in major tournaments like the 2007 World Series of Poker. In 2010, he hosted an afternoon radio show on WHHL HOT 104.1 in St. Louis.

In 2011, Nelly helped create the Ex'treme Institute By Nelly, a music production school in St. Louis, in partnership with Vatterott College. He has also collaborated with food brands. In 2015, he teamed up with Mike and Ike candy. In 2021, he worked with Burger King to create the "Cornell Haynes, Jr. Meal," which included a Whopper, fries, and a Sprite. In 2023, Nelly launched his own moonshine brand called "MoShine."

Giving Back

Nelly is very involved in charity work through his non-profit organization, 4Sho4Kids Foundation. In 2003, he and his sister Jackie Donahue started the Jes Us 4 Jackie campaign. This campaign aimed to teach African Americans and other minority groups about the importance of bone marrow transplants and to encourage more people to become donors.

Since 2006, Nelly has hosted a "White and Black Ball" in St. Louis to raise money for scholarships. He has helped send two students to college every year for over ten years. He also set up a scholarship fund in honor of Michael Brown.

In 2010, Nelly supported Do Something's Tackle Hunger campaign. He filmed a public service announcement encouraging teenagers to collect food for the holiday season.

Discography

Studio albums

• Country Grammar (2000)
• Nellyville (2002)
• Sweat (2004)
• Suit (2004)
• Brass Knuckles (2008)
• 5.0 (2010)
• M.O. (2013)
• Heartland (2021)

Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games

See also

In Spanish: Nelly para niños