Subscribe to The St. Louis American‘s free weekly newsletter for critical stories, community voices, and insights that matter. Those were the first words Nelly uttered in the first verse of his debut ...

Nelly’s “Country Grammar (Hot Shit),” the lead single from his 2000 album Country Grammar, is comfortably at home in 2025. He mentions AI, Donald Trump, and lighting up and taking a puff of chronic, ...

It’s hard to believe it’s been two and a half decades since Country Grammar.Nelly’s smash debut album stands out even 25 years later; the perfect example of a regional record with universal appeal.

On this day in Hip-Hop, St. Louis native and rap icon Nelly released his groundbreaking debut album, Country Grammar, via Universal Records. Dropping in the heat of summer 2000, the project blended ...