Today In Hip-Hop: Nelly Releases ‘Country Grammar’ Debut

On this day, June 27, in hip-hop history…

2000: Nelly released his blockbuster album Country Grammar. The St. Louis native’s debut LP entered the charts at No. 3, and stuck around in the top 10 before landing at No. 1 on August 17, 2000. It remained there for several weeks, selling over three million copies by that October. The album was eventually certified nine-times Platinum, making it one of the best-selling albums in U.S. history.

Country Grammar spawned a series of popular singles, including “Ride wit Me (featuring City Spud),” “Country Grammar (Hot Shit),” and “E.I.,” which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at numbers 3, 7, and 16 respectively. “Ride wit Me” also went on to win an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video in 2001, while “E.I.” shot to fame in 2003 after Nelly released its controversial “Tip Drill (Remix).”

The success of Country Grammar, as well as his follow-up album Nellyville, prompted several publications to include Nelly in their Most Successful Artists of the 2000’s lists. Today, he’s once again riding high on the charts, as his remix to “Cruise” by country duo Florida Georgia Line currently sits at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.— Chris Mench