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 in 1999 as a solo act to release his debut studio album,
Country Grammar (2000) in June of the following year. Its namesake lead single and follow-up, "Ride wit Me" both entered the top ten of the
Billboard Hot 100, while the album peaked atop the
Billboard 200 and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His second album,
Nellyville (2002) spawned two consecutive
Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma", along with the top-five single, "Air Force Ones".