Cornell Haynes, Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor, CEO, and entrepreneur. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly made his solo debut in 2000 with Country Grammar, the title track of which was a top ten hit.
With his following albums, Nellyville (2002) and the same-day dual release Sweat and Suit (2004) and compilation Sweatsuit (2006), Nelly continued to generate many chart-topping hits. The rapper’s fifth studio album, Brass Knuckles, was released released on September 16, 2008 after several delays. It is Nelly’s first album not to be certified platinum. The first official single, “Party People, which features Fergie, was released on March 18, 2008, and peaked at 40 on the US “Billboard Hot 100” and 14 on the “UK Singles Chart”. “Stepped on My J’z” which features Ciara and Jermaine Dupri, was released as the second single from the album on June 11, 2008. It peaked at numer 90 on the US Hot 100. The third official single, “Body on Me”, which features Akon and Ashanti, was released on June 9, 2008 and peaked at number 42 on the US Hot 100 and 17 on the “UK Singles Chart”.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelly