In the summer of 2000, Cornell "Nelly" Haynes Jr. did the incredible. Nelly, an unknown rapper from St. Louis, Missouri, sold over a quarter of a million copies of his debut album, Country Grammar, during its first week of release. Thanks to its first single "Country Grammar (Hot...)", the album spent seven weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart. Its subsequent hits, "EI" and "Ride Wit Me", would propel the album to over 9 million units sold nationwide. Not bad for a kid no one had ever heard of before. Two years later, in the summer of 2002, Nelly proved he was no one-hit wonder when his second album Nellyville hit number one on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart. . That same week, the rapper also controlled the top spot on ten separate Billboard charts. Nellyville has sold over 6 million records nationwide and earned its creator two Grammy trophies for the singles "Hot In Herre" (best male rap solo) and "Dilemma" (best rap/sung collaboration). In 2003, he released a platinum album. hugely successful remix album, Da Derrty Versions (The Reinvention). As a member of the St. Lunatics, consisting of Nelly, Ali, Murphy Lee, Kyjuan and Slo Down, he released the platinum Free City in 2001. And last year he won another Grammy for his collaboration with Murphy Lee and Slo Down. P. Diddy for "Shake Ya Tailfeather" (Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group). Overall, Nelly has sold nearly 30 million singles/albums worldwide, establishing him as one of the best-selling artists of our time. On the musical front, Nelly has expanded his role beyond that of a simple artist. He is also the CEO of his own label, Derrty Entertainment, a venture with Universal Records that saw success with the release of his remix album and Murphy Lee's platinum-bound solo debut, Murphy's Law. Nelly's risk-taking, growth and diversity should come as no surprise. His professional success can be directly linked to his willingness to expose himself. From the sing-song melodic rap hybrid that has become his trademark to his business ventures, Cornell Haynes, Jr., has colored outside of traditional rap lines. It has Vokal and Apple Bottoms, the necessary clothing lines for men and women. But the young man who was once seriously scouted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves - who still plays hoops at the local community center in his hometown - has continued to show his love for the sport.