(UMe) Nelly, the St. Louis-bred hip-hop juggernaut celebrates the 25th anniversary of the June 27, 2000 release of his stone-classic debut album Country Grammar featuring the omnipresent radio hits "Country Grammar," "E.I.," "Ride wit Me."
Hailed upon release by Rolling Stone as "the best thing to come out of St. Louis since Redd Foxx," by NME as the "album of the year so far," and by People, who proclaimed that Nelly "marked his hometown of St. Louis as a major contender," Country Grammar debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 and soon vaulted to No. 1. In 2016, the RIAA certified the album Diamond, selling more than 10 million copies to date, a feat which placed Nelly among rock superstars like Led Zeppelin, the Doors and Bruce Springsteen.
As a creative heavyweight from St. Louis during a time when most rappers were from the East Coast, the West Coast, or the South, Nelly's breezy, twangy approach proved to be a breath of fresh air for the genre. When his debut single "Country Grammar (Hot Sh*t)," which was hung on the children's clapping game "Down Down Baby," was released in February 2000, became a smash hit and peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100, the foundation was laid for his blockbuster debut album to break into the mainstream. He continued his parade of hits with No. 1 hits like "Grillz," "Hot in Herre," "Dilemma," and Grammy-winning "Shake Ya Tailfeather".
Whether revisited digitally or on wax, Country Grammar's beloved hits, like "Ride Wit Me" (No. 3) and the airwaves-conquering title track have dominated global culture for more than two decades. The album was produced by Jason "Jay E" Epperson, who himself did a tremendous amount to craft the sound of 2000s Midwestern hip-hop.
Born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. in Austin, Texas, the rapper showed early promise, forming The St. Lunatics in 1993 with his childhood friends, MCs "Ali" Jones, Torhi "Murphy Lee" Harper, Lavell "City Spud" Webb, and Robert "Kyjuan" Cleveland. After Jay E workshopped the music with Nelly, they shopped for labels in New York and the rapper was signed to Universal Records in 1999. The pair drew deeply from the sounds that surrounded them in the Midwest - urban, country, hip-hop - and fused them into a fresh, infectious, unforgettably hooky whole.
Country Grammar's evergreen appeal also stems from its astonishing array of guests, including Cedric the Entertainer on "Intro," Lil Wayne on "For My," The Teamsters on "Never Let 'Em C U Sweat," and most of all his trusty collaborators St. Lunatics on "Steal the Show," "Thicky Thick Girl" and "Batter Up." The album went on to sell more than 10 million copies, making it the ninth best-selling rap album of all time in the U.S Country Grammar was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2000 Grammy Awards (along with its title track for Best Rap Solo Performance) and Nelly was crowned Best New Artist at the 2001 BET Awards.
Country Grammar - A mini-documentary was created for the 20th anniversary with animated clips, performance footage, and sees Nelly telling his story of the early beginnings as an artist with a unique style and sound, the creation of his Diamond-selling classic, Country Grammar, and how he put St. Louis on the hip-hop map.
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