Nelly releases 'Country Grammar: 25th Anniversary Expanded Edition' vinyl

UMe

The new edition features ten bonus tracks

St. Louis rapper Nelly celebrates the 25th anniversary of his stone-classic debut album Country Grammar featuring the omnipresent radio hits “Country Grammar,” “E.I.,” “Ride wit Me,” with the release of a special expanded vinyl edition via Republic/UMe. The limited-edition translucent blue 2 LP set and standard black 2 LP vinyl feature ten bonus tracks not available on the original album.

Country Grammar debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 and vaulted to No. 1. In 2016, the RIAA certified the album diamond, selling more than ten million copies, a feat that placed Nelly among rock superstars like Led Zeppelin, the Doors, and Bruce Springsteen.

As a creative heavyweight from St. Louis when most rappers were from the East Coast, the West Coast, or the South, Nelly’s breezy, twangy approach were a breath of fresh air for the genre. When his debut single “Country Grammar (Hot Shit),” which was hung on the children’s clapping game “Down Down Baby,” was released in February 2000, became a smash hit and peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100, the foundation was laid for his blockbuster debut album to break into the mainstream. He continued his parade of hits with No. 1 hits like “Grillz,” “Hot in Herre,” “Dilemma,” and Grammy-winning “Shake Ya Tailfeather.”

Whether revisited digitally or on wax, Country Grammar’s beloved hits, like “Ride Wit Me” (No. 3) and the airwaves-conquering title track, have dominated global culture for two decades. The album was produced by Jason “Jay E” Epperson, who himself did a tremendous amount to craft the sound of 2000s Midwestern hip-hop.

Born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. in Austin, Texas, the rapper showed early promise, forming The St. Lunatics in 1993 with his childhood friends, MCs “Ali” Jones, Torhi “Murphy Lee” Harper, Lavell “City Spud” Webb, and Robert “Kyjuan” Cleveland. After Jay-E worked the music with Nelly, they shopped for labels in New York, and the rapper was signed to Universal Records in 1999. The pair drew deeply from the sounds that surrounded them in the Midwest — urban, country, hip-hop — and fused them into a fresh, infectious, unforgettably hooky whole.

Country Grammar’s evergreen appeal also stems from its astonishing array of guests, including Cedric the Entertainer on “Intro,” Lil Wayne on “For My,” The Teamsters on “Never Let ‘Em C U Sweat,” and most of all his trusty collaborators St. Lunatics on “Steal the Show,” “Thicky Thick Girl” and “Batter Up.” The album went on to sell more than ten million copies, making it the ninth best-selling rap album of all time in the U.S. Country Grammar was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2000 Grammy Awards (along with its title track for Best Rap Solo Performance) and Nelly was crowned Best New Artist at the 2001 BET Awards.

Country Grammar, a mini-documentary, was created for the 20th anniversary with animated clips, performance footage, and sees Nelly telling his story of the early beginnings as an artist with a unique style and sound, the creation of his diamond-selling classic and how he put St. Louis on the hip-hop map.

The boundary-shattering hip-hop classic and the story of how an ambitious 25-year-old from St. Louis crafted a new form of urban music and changed the pop landscape forever. Nelly arguably put the Midwest on the rap game map.

Nelly and fellow Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum singer, songwriter, and actress Ashanti dated in the 2000s before splitting in 2013, only to reunite a decade later—officially tying the knot in December 2023. Nelly and Ashanti: We Belong Together is available now on Peacock and follows the electrifying journey of this beloved couple as they reignite their love, navigate the ups and downs of newlywed life, and the challenges of parenthood while juggling their thriving careers.

The rapper is currently in the midst of his highly anticipated Where The Party At Tour, celebrating the project. Featuring 54 dates across New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Europe, and the United States, this marks Nelly’s return to headlining following his success as a special guest for Janet Jackson’s Together Again Tour. The run is scheduled through mid-September.

A 1. Intro (Nelly/Country Grammar)
A2. St. Louie
A3. Greed Hate Envy
A4. Country Grammar (Hot Shit)
A5. Steal The Show
A6. Interlude (Nelly/Country Grammar)
B1. Ride Wit Me
B2. E.I.
B3. Thicky Thick Girl
B4. For My
B5. Utha Side
C1. Tho Dem Wraps
C2. Wrap Sumden
C3. Batter Up
C4. Never Let ‘Em C U Sweat
C5. Luven Me
C6. Outro (Nelly/Country Grammar)
D1. Icey
D2. Come Over
D3. Country Grammar (Hot...)
D4. Ride Wit Me