The Evolution of Nelly
It's been a wild journey to stardom for the birthday boy.
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The Evolution of Nelly - Andalay andalay! Today, Nov. 2, marks Nelly's birthday. Over his 38 years on the planet, the St. Louis superstar has sold over 21 million records in the U.S. alone, won three Grammys and permanently implanted way too many infectious hooks into your subconscious. Click on to see Nelly's whirlwind journey. (Photo: John Amis/PictureGroup)
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"Country Grammar" - Nelly seemingly came out of nowhere with his debut smash, "Country Grammar." The surprise hit, which bubbled up slowly from regional phenomenon to No. 7 on Billboard, introduced the world to Nelly's sing-songy Midwestern flow.(Photo: Universal Motown)
Photo By Photo: Universal Motown Records/ Universal Motown Records
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Not a Fluke - "Country Grammar" wasn't just a flash in the pan though—it led Nelly's debut LP of the same name to a No. 3 debut on Billboard and over 9 million sales in the U.S. alone.(Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect
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St. Lunatics - Some superstars never look back, but not Nelly. After he got signed, he put on the crew he started with, the St. Lunatics. Their 2001 major-label debut Free City followed Nelly's platinum footsteps.(Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect/Getty Images)
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"Hot in Herre" - After his game-crashing debut success, Nelly returned in 2002 with a new, expanded sound, linking with hitmakers the Neptunes for the undeniable chart-topper "Hot in Herre."(Photo: Universal Motown)
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Nellyville - Nelly showed skeptics he was here to stay with his sophomore album, Nellyville, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard and pushed six-time platinum thanks to lead single "Hot in Herre"(Photo: Universal Motown)
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Grammy-Winner - Nellyville helped Nelly land his first Grammys in 2003: Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Dilemma," his duet with Kelly Rowland; and Best Male Rap Solo Performance for "Hot in Herre."(Photo: Adrees Latif/Reuters)
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"Tip Drill" - Nelly landed in hot water with 2003's "Tip Drill," with many criticizing the song and its accompanying video for being overly explicit and sexist. (Photo: Universal Motown)
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"Over and Over" - Talk about crossing over: Nelly linked with country music star Tim McGraw for his surprise Top 10 smash "Over and Over" in 2004.(Photo: Universal Motown)
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Body on Me - Though they rarely publicly comment on their relationship, and have even flat-out denied it at times, Nelly's been dating R&B songstress Ashanti for several years. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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He's a Business, Man - It was never just music with Nelly. He's caked off by expanding his brand to include fashion (AppleBottoms and Vokal), energy drinks (Pimp Juice) and acting (feature film The Longest Yard).(Photo: Valerie Macon/Getty Images)
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Don't Call It a Comeback - Believe it or not, Nelly hasn't really gone anywhere—his 2010 hit "Just a Dream" went triple-platinum, leading off his sixth album 5.0, which dropped that same year. (Photo: Jordan Strauss/Getty Images for Bud Light)
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Mixtape King - In December of last year, Nelly entered the mixtape for the first time with O.E.M.O. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
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Attention, Team Breezy - In July, Nelly leaked "Marry Go Round," featuring Chris Brown, the first single from his upcoming album M.O. (Photo: Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
