The early-to-mid-2000s was a particularly unique era in rap music. From the tall white T-shirts to the emergence of popular dance trends, rappers during this era kept listeners hungry to keep up with every trend they introduced. Nelly was among those influential rappers. Born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., Nelly burst onto the music scene in 2000 with his debut album, “Country Grammar.” The album and its title track earned Grammy nominations during the 2001 awards, prompting insight into the rapper’s trajectory. The current father of four would experience more success following his debut release with other songs such as “Hot in Herre,” “Air Force Ones,” and “Pimp Juice.” Nelly’s success would land him additional Grammy nominations, with him eventually earning three awards, according to the Grammys website. While the St. Louis, MO-raised rapper experienced significant success in the music industry, he did not subject himself to staying behind the mic. Nelly launched the record label Derrty...

When rapper and singer Nelly first found success , he wanted to share it with his mother. Nelly, whose given name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., was born in Austin, TX, but raised in St. Louis, MO. He adopted a “hustler” mentality as a teenager from witnessing his mother balance jobs in the fast food industry, he shared during an interview on “The Shop” podcast.  He revealed his mother, Rhonda Mack, helped him secure his first job at a food truck when he was 14 years old while she worked as a manager at the McDonald’s in Clayton, MO. At the time, Nelly was saving up to attend his high school’s homecoming. “She said, ‘Yo, I can’t give you a real job, but on the weekends they got a truck… She said, ‘I can give you a job there.’ I said, ‘Oh, I’ll take it.’ And the owner would pay me $25… I wound up getting about $140 by the time homecoming came,” Nelly recalled on “The Shop.” In high school, Nelly also found a position at McDonald’s by working at the grill, he told Access Hollywood. His...

In the early 2000s, Nelly had us all stomping in our Air Force 1s. Now, however, he’s suggesting that he might’ve also been why the price of the popular Nike sneakers has never been the same. While sneaker shopping with Complex, the St. Louis emcee revealed that the Air Force 1 sneaker just so happens to be one of his favorite pairs of kicks. He even began to elaborate on being partly responsible for reviving the popularity of the sneaker on his 2002 hit titled “Air Force Ones.”

In September 2020, Nelly earned a whole new legion of fans when he was announced as one of the cast members of the hit ABC reality competition series, “Dancing with the Stars.” But while many people believed that the rapper born Cornell Haynes Jr. in St. Louis was merely “washed up” and trying to become relevant again, the fact is, he was never irrelevant in the first place. As it turns out, the actor, rapper, and philanthropist is also quite the shrewd businessman, as well. So much so, in fact, that he’s earned an estimated $8 million net worth, according to Celebrity Net Worth. But how did he do it? Simply put, Nelly made a series of wise business moves that involved diversifying his business investments. He’s invested in everything from sports teams to fashion, all while still releasing new music for his devoted fan base. Even the music switched up over a period of time: though initially starting out with rap music, he eventually transitioned into a more country and western feel,...