Born Cornell Iral Haynes Jnr., Nelly is undoubtedly one of the most successful rappers in the U.S. Let us get some things straight; You cannot talk about the success of Hip Hop and R n B without mentioning the name Nelly. He is also an actor and entrepreneur.

Nelly Wiki / Age / Music Career

Nelly was born on November 2, 1974. Nelly lay the foundation for his success in high school, where he began rapping with a group called ‘The Lunatics’. He signed with Universal Records and released his solo debut album 4 years later in 2000. Impressively, the title-track, ‘Country Grammar’ became a top ten hit, peaking in the Billboard 200. It still remains Nelly’s most sold album to date.

See Also: Dj Khaled Wife, Son, Girlfriend, Net Worth, House, Height, Wiki, Parents

His next 4 albums were also successful, making it to the top 3 on the Billboard chart. Many of his singles made it to the top 20 while 4 made it to number 1 spot.

Nelly has released 7 albums and has sold over 21 million records. He has also won two Grammys for his music. The first was in 2003 for his single ‘Hot in Here’ from the album ‘Nellyville’, and the second was in 2004 for his hit song ‘Dilemma’, which featured Kelly Rowland.


Nelly Net Worth / Business / TV and Film

Nelly has a net worth of 60 million dollars, thanks to his music career and other projects. Nelly couples music with several other projects. He has two clothing lines, ‘Vokal’ and ‘Apple Bottoms’. The former is a male clothing line while the latter is a female clothing line. He is a co-owner of NASCAR and Bobcats Basketball Holdings, LLC, which owns and operates the Charlotte Bobcats, an NBA team. He is also a co-owner of Pimp Juice, a drink that was inspired by his song with the same title. Nelly has signed to represent brands like Nike and Ford.

His deal with Nike which lasted for a year saw the release of a limited edition sneaker – Air Derrty. That of Ford was more or less a PR strategy by the company who offered to customize the 2009 Flex for the rapper.

Apart from the aforementioned, Nelly has also signed to represent other brands like Reebok, Got Milk and others.

Nelly has appeared on a number of TV shows, including, ‘The World Series of Poker’ and ‘CSI: NY. His TV show ‘Nellyville’ began airing in November 2014. He began to air his own TV show, ‘Nellyville’ which is also the title of one of his albums in November 2014. The show is all about his career and how he raises his kids.

Nelly made his debut movie appearance in ‘Snipes’ where he played the role of an upcoming rap star. This was a reflection of where he was at the time in his music career. His next movie was ‘The Longest Yard’ where he played Earl Megget, a prisoner who gets recruited to play for a football team that competes against prison guards. Nelly had played football since he was a kid, therefore the role was personal and easy for him.

See Also: Justin Timberlake Net Worth, Wife, Son, Height, Age, Wiki

Charity Work

Nelly founded a charity called ‘4Sho4Kids Foundation’. It raises awareness and funding for various health issues that affect children.


Felony Drug Charges

In April 2015, cops stopped Nelly tour bus in Tennessee. The bus allegedly did not display the proper tickets, causing the cops to conduct a further search which led to the discovery of meth, marijuana, and guns. Nelly was charged with possession of hemp and drug paraphernalia while Brian Jones, a passenger in his bus was arrested for possessing a handgun. Both were put in Putnam County jail before being released on a $10,000 bail bond.

Relentless fights by Nelly’s team headed by his lawyer saw to a later assertion that the substances discovered were not related to meth. But the singer later pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana and other drug kits. Nelly for this reason, bagged a one-year probation.

Nelly also got caught up in a legal issue that had to do with rape. The ‘Dilemma’ singer was arrested in 2017 after he was considered a suspect in a rape case. The matter came to a halt that same year after Nelly contested the allegation.

Nelly Girlfriend or Wife / Kids / Height

Nelly is dating Shantell Jackson, former girlfriend of heavyweight boxer Floyd Mayweather. The couple’s relationship became known in 2014 when they were spotted together in a game.

Before Shantel, he dated several other women like Lashontae Heckard, Nicole Narain, Ashanti and Kelly Rowland. His relationship with two of his former girlfriends saw the birth of his two children Chanelle Haynes and Cornell Haynes. Nelly also takes care of his nephew and niece Shawn and Sidney, born to his late sister Jacqueline Donahue.

Nelly has never been known as a very tall man both on and off screen. The “Hot in Here” singer stands at an average height of 5 feet 8 inches and has a proportional weight of about 175 pounds.
