''Country Grammar'' is the debut
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by American rapper and singer
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...
. It was released on June 27, 2000, by
Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
. The
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
on the album was handled by
Jason "Jay E" Epperson
Jason Lee Epperson (born August 13, 1978), known professionally as Jay E, is an American record producer, entrepreneur and DJ. He is a co-founder of the production team Basement Beats. Jay E rose to fame as the producer of rapper Nelly's multi-pl ...
, with additional production by C-Love, Kevin Law,
City Spud
Lavell Webb (born August 31, 1975) known by his stage name City Spud, is an American rapper and record producer. He was a member of Hip hop music, hip hop group St. Lunatics. He was featured on fellow St. Lunatic member Nelly's hit single "Ride ...
,
Steve "Blast" Wills and Basement Beats. Nelly contributed to all lyrics on the album, with Epperson and City Spud also contributing. The album introduced a unique St. Louis sound, and introduces Nelly's vocal style of
pop-
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
singalongs and Midwestern,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
twang. It was supported four successful
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
s: "
Country Grammar (Hot Shit)
"Country Grammar (Hot Shit)" (also known as "Country Grammar (Hot...)") is the debut single of American rapper Nelly. The song was written by Nelly and Jason "Jay E" Epperson, who also produced the track. Released on February 29, 2000, as the lead ...
", "
E.I.", "
Ride wit Me
"Ride wit Me" is a song by American rapper Nelly featuring City Spud. It was released on February 13, 2001, as the third single from Nelly's debut studio album, ''Country Grammar'' (2000). "Ride wit Me" peaked at number three on the ''Billboar ...
" and "
Batter Up
"Batter Up" is a song by American hip hop group St. Lunatics, with member Nelly credited as a featured artist. The track was produced by Steve "Blast" Wills and first appeared on Nelly's debut solo album, ''Country Grammar'' (2000). It was lat ...
". Its lead single, "Country Grammar (Hot Shit)", peaked at number 7 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Its second single "E.I." peaked at number 16 on the Hot 100, number 12 on the UK Singles Chart and number 11 on the
ARIA Singles Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
. "Ride wit Me" peaked within the top five on the Hot 100, ARIA Singles Chart,
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...
and UK Singles Chart. The album's fourth and final single, "Batter Up" featuring
St. Lunatics members
Murphy Lee
Torhi Harper (born December 18 1979), better known by his stage name Murphy Lee, is an American rapper, best known as a member of the hip hop group St. Lunatics. His debut album, '' Murphy's Law'', peaked at number 8 on the ''Billboard'' 200 m ...
and Ali, achieved moderate chart success.
''Country Grammar'' received positive reviews, with critics praising Nelly's vocal style and the album's production. It topped the US
''Billboard'' 200 chart for five consecutive weeks, and the US
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...
chart for six consecutive weeks. It peaked in the top five on the
New Zealand Albums Chart
The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
and
Australian Albums Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
, as well as the top ten on the
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...
and
Dutch Albums Chart
The Dutch Album Top 100 or Album Top 100 is a weekly hit list of music albums, compiled by Dutch Charts. List shows the 100 best-selling music albums of the moment in the Netherlands. The list has passed through various name changes and has expande ...
. The album was certified three times platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...
(RIANZ) and
Music Canada
Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It a ...
(MC). The former denoted shipments of 45,000 copies while the latter denoted 300,000 copies.
In 2016, ''Country Grammar'' became the ninth hip hop album to be certified
Diamond
Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the Chemical stability, chemically stable form of car ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA),
denoting shipment of 10 million copies in the US. Its commercial success secured Nelly's status as one of the most successful hip hop acts of the 2000s decade. On ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' decade-end chart, Nelly ranked as the third most successful act of the 2000s decade, due largely to the success of ''Country Grammar'' and his follow-up album ''
Nellyville
''Nellyville'' is the second studio album by American rapper and singer Nelly. It was released on June 25, 2002, by Universal Records and Fo' Reel Entertainment. The album's production was handled by Waiel Yaghnam, the Neptunes, Jay E, Trackboy ...
'' (2002).
Background and production
In his early years, Nelly frequently moved locations around the United States, before residing in the
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
of
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
, Missouri.
It was there where he discovered rap artists synonymous inside the city. In his teenage years, Nelly moved to
University City, a suburb of St. Louis, where he shifted his aspirations from becoming a baseball player to producing stories and rhymes.
Along with some friends from
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
: Ali Jones,
Torhi "Murphy Lee" Harper, Kyjuan and
Lavell "City Spud" Webb, Nelly formed the group
St. Lunatics in 1993.
Frustrated by the lack of attention from record companies, the group formed the consensus to allow Nelly to pursue a solo career, while Ali and Murphy Lee released their own solo albums.
Nelly produced demos, which were sent to national labels, eventually gaining attention from
Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
who signed a record deal with Nelly and the St. Lunatics in 1999, with Universal releasing the former's debut album, ''Country Grammar'', in 2000.
All songs on ''Country Grammar'' were
recorded by Steve Eigner, and
mixed by Rich Travali. Kenny Dystra provided recording assistance and Jason Standard assisted in mixing.
Mastering was performed by Herb Powers, with
A&R directed by Kevin Law and Coordinated by Craig Yoskowitz.
Management was provided by Tony Davis and Courtney Benson, with legality handled by Todd Rubenstein. Creative direction was handled by Sandra Brummels, with design done by BENTO Design and photography done by Jonathen Mannion.
Composition
Much of Nelly's rap style draws from his origins, as it contains
Southern drawl
A drawl is a perceived feature of some varieties of spoken English and generally indicates slower, longer vowel sounds and diphthongs. The drawl is often perceived as a method of speaking more slowly and may be erroneously attributed to laziness ...
with Midwestern,
[Birchmeier, Jason. "Nelly – Music Biography" Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved on June 6, 2013.] Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
twang,
[Shapiro, Peter, 2005, ''The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop'', 2nd Edition, Penguin, p. 274] that incorporates both
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
and urban styles.
In conjunction, Nelly approaches a
pop-
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
singalong vocal style, which
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
's Jason Birchmeier notes present within ''Country Grammar'' tracks including "
Ride wit Me
"Ride wit Me" is a song by American rapper Nelly featuring City Spud. It was released on February 13, 2001, as the third single from Nelly's debut studio album, ''Country Grammar'' (2000). "Ride wit Me" peaked at number three on the ''Billboar ...
" and "
E.I.".
Peter Shapiro described Nelly's singing and rapping as using "unforgettable
hooks based on schoolyard songs, double-dutch chants, and nonsense rhymes".
Much of ''Country Grammar'' tracks are bass-heavy,
that are primarily Southern hip-hop based and minimalistic.
In the album's self-titled track, Nelly's vocals are slurred and slow,
and are a "smooth, slippery-fast instrument" with "
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
inflections".
''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' journalist Kris Ex found the song's lyrics to depict Nelly "riding around town in an expensive SUV with an assault weapon".
"
Ride wit Me
"Ride wit Me" is a song by American rapper Nelly featuring City Spud. It was released on February 13, 2001, as the third single from Nelly's debut studio album, ''Country Grammar'' (2000). "Ride wit Me" peaked at number three on the ''Billboar ...
" is a rap and pop crossover
that samples
DeBarge
DeBarge was an American musical recording group composed of several members of the DeBarge family. In addition to various solo projects completed by members of the family, DeBarge was active between 1979 and 1989. The group originally consisted ...
's 1982 song "
I Like It",
and its lyrics feature Nelly introspecting.
Ex found the chorus of "E.I." to contain the vocal style of rapper
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...
"Luven Me" samples "Don't Stop (Ever Loving Me)" by
One Way
One-way or one way may refer to:
* One-way traffic, a street either facilitating only one-way traffic, or designed to direct vehicles to move in one direction
*One-way travel, a trip that does not return to its origin
Music
*One Way (American ba ...
and "
Whatever You Want" by
Tony! Toni! Toné!
Tony! Toni! Toné! was an American soul/ R&B band from Oakland, California, popular during the late 1980s and early to mid-1990s. During the band's heyday, it was composed of D'wayne Wiggins on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Raphael Saadiq ...
.
Steve Sutherland of ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' interpreted "Luven Me" as a "virtual rewrite" of rapper
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the Li ...
's 1995 "
Dear Mama
"Dear Mama" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his third studio album, ''Me Against the World'' (1995). It was released on February 21, 1995, as the lead single from the album. The song is a tribute to his mother, Afeni Shakur. In the song, ...
".
Singles
"Country Grammar" was released as the album's first single on February 29, 2000 in the US. The song was written by Nelly and
Jason "Jay E" Epperson
Jason Lee Epperson (born August 13, 1978), known professionally as Jay E, is an American record producer, entrepreneur and DJ. He is a co-founder of the production team Basement Beats. Jay E rose to fame as the producer of rapper Nelly's multi-pl ...
, and produced by the latter.
Its lyrics are based on the children
clapping game
A clapping game (or hand game) is a type of usually cooperative (i.e., non-competitive) game which is generally played by two players and involves clapping as a rhythmic accompaniment to a singing game or reciting of a rhyme, often nursery rh ...
Down Down Baby
"Down Down Baby" (also known as "Roller Coaster") is a clapping game played by children in English-speaking world, English-speaking countries. In the game, two or more children stand in a circle, and clapping game, clap hands in tune to a nurse ...
. "Country Grammar (Hot Shit)" peaked at number seven on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
.
It also reached number ten on the
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...
and twenty on
ARIA Singles Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
.
The song was certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) and
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA).
The second single, "
E.I.", was written by Nelly and Epperson and produced by the latter.
It reached number sixteen on the Hot 100,
number eleven on the UK Singles Chart and number twelve on the ARIA Singles Chart.
It was certified gold by the ARIA.
Written by Nelly and Epperson and produced by the latter, "
Ride wit Me
"Ride wit Me" is a song by American rapper Nelly featuring City Spud. It was released on February 13, 2001, as the third single from Nelly's debut studio album, ''Country Grammar'' (2000). "Ride wit Me" peaked at number three on the ''Billboar ...
" was released as ''Country Grammar'' third single. The track features
City Spud
Lavell Webb (born August 31, 1975) known by his stage name City Spud, is an American rapper and record producer. He was a member of Hip hop music, hip hop group St. Lunatics. He was featured on fellow St. Lunatic member Nelly's hit single "Ride ...
, and reached number three on the Hot 100, the highest-charting song from ''Country Grammar'' in the US. It also peaked at number three on the UK Singles chart,
number four on the ARIA Singles Chart,
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...
,
number five on the
Dutch Singles Chart
The Dutch Top 40 ( nl, Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica ...
and number seven on the
Norwegian Singles Chart
VG-lista is a Norwegian record chart. It is presented weekly in the newspaper '' VG''. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continents around the world. The data are collected by Nie ...
.
It was certified gold by the RIAA and platinum by the ARIA.
"
Batter Up
"Batter Up" is a song by American hip hop group St. Lunatics, with member Nelly credited as a featured artist. The track was produced by Steve "Blast" Wills and first appeared on Nelly's debut solo album, ''Country Grammar'' (2000). It was lat ...
" was released as the fourth and final single from the album. It features
Murphy Lee
Torhi Harper (born December 18 1979), better known by his stage name Murphy Lee, is an American rapper, best known as a member of the hip hop group St. Lunatics. His debut album, '' Murphy's Law'', peaked at number 8 on the ''Billboard'' 200 m ...
and
Ali
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...
, and was written by Nelly, Epperson and
Steve "Blast" Wills, while being produced by Wills. "Batter Up" peaked at number eight on the
Belgian Singles Chart
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...
(Flanders) and number nineteen on the ARIA Singles Chart.
Critical reception
''Country Grammar'' received acclaim by
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. Steve Sutherland lauded the album in his review for ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', praising Nelly's utilization of vocal characteristics from other
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
artists, including
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the Li ...
and
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. They have sold over 20 million albums worldwide and have multi-platinum and platinum albums. They are considered to be among the main progenitors of West Coast and 1990 ...
.
Sutherland described the album as a "rarity", noting stand-out tracks such as the "seductive
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
/
pop crossover" "
Ride wit Me
"Ride wit Me" is a song by American rapper Nelly featuring City Spud. It was released on February 13, 2001, as the third single from Nelly's debut studio album, ''Country Grammar'' (2000). "Ride wit Me" peaked at number three on the ''Billboar ...
", while likening "
Batter Up
"Batter Up" is a song by American hip hop group St. Lunatics, with member Nelly credited as a featured artist. The track was produced by Steve "Blast" Wills and first appeared on Nelly's debut solo album, ''Country Grammar'' (2000). It was lat ...
" to "
DMX with a humour infusion".
He closed his review declaring ''Country Grammar'' as "album of the year".
While writing that ''Country Grammar'' demonstrates that "tiresome rap topics" are not restricted to "the coasts", ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
''
David Browne highlighted Nelly's "smooth, slippery-fast" voice, as well as the album's "appealingly minimalist tracks" and "introspective moments" such as "Ride wit Me".
In ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'',
Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
wrote that Nelly presents an "easy mix of N.O. Bounce, Cleveland thug harmony, and L.A. tweedle-twaddle", finding that Nelly's heavy accent makes his
hedonism
Hedonism refers to a family of theories, all of which have in common that pleasure plays a central role in them. ''Psychological'' or ''motivational hedonism'' claims that human behavior is determined by desires to increase pleasure and to decr ...
more accessible.
''
People
A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
'' noted that Nelly implements his own "laid-back charm" to ''Country Grammar''
southern hip hop
Southern hip hop, also known as Southern rap, South Coast hip hop, or dirty south, is a blanket term for a regional genre of American hip hop music that emerged in the Southern United States, especially in Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Memph ...
, and that while he shows "limited thematic vocabulary", he articulates
escapism
Escapism is mental diversion from unpleasant or boring aspects of daily life, typically through activities involving imagination or entertainment. Escapism may be used to occupy one's self away from persistent feelings of depression or genera ...
to compensate for this.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
's Jason Birchmeier praised the album's "tongue-twisting" self-titled track as "infectious", noting other tracks to contain the same elements, including "Ride wit Me" and "
E.I.".
Birchmeier wrote that the album transcends regional styles such as southern hip hop to appeal to rap-pop audiences, while praising producer
Jason "Jay E" Epperson
Jason Lee Epperson (born August 13, 1978), known professionally as Jay E, is an American record producer, entrepreneur and DJ. He is a co-founder of the production team Basement Beats. Jay E rose to fame as the producer of rapper Nelly's multi-pl ...
's contribution to the album.
Reviewing ''Country Grammar'' for ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', Kris Ex wrote that the album's "liquid bass bumps" interlope well with Nelly's "wordplay-heavy sing-song rhyme-flow", while declaring ''Country Grammar'' to be "the best thing to come out of
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
" since
comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing
Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...
Redd Foxx
John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy nightclub act before and during the civil rights movement. ...
.
At the
2001 Soul Train Music Awards, ''Country Grammar'' earned Nelly the award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist.
Nelly was nominated for four awards at the Online Hip-Hop Awards, for Favorite Music Video, Song of the Year (both for "E.I."), Album of the Year (for ''Country Grammar'') and Outstanding Graphic Design for his official website. He won the awards for Song of the Year and Artist of the Year.
Commercial performance
''Country Grammar'' entered the
''Billboard'' 200 on the week of July 15, 2000, at number 3, selling 235,000 copies. The album remained within the top 10 for several weeks before topping it on the week of August 17, 2000, selling 235,000 copies and passing 1.5 million in sales that week.
''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' put the album's sales down to its support by its lead single, "
Country Grammar (Hot Shit)
"Country Grammar (Hot Shit)" (also known as "Country Grammar (Hot...)") is the debut single of American rapper Nelly. The song was written by Nelly and Jason "Jay E" Epperson, who also produced the track. Released on February 29, 2000, as the lead ...
", as well as the lack of releases from other music artists during that period.
The album sold 235,000 copies again the following week, continuing to stay atop the ''Billboard'' 200. ''Country Grammar'' topped US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for six consecutive weeks.
On October 30, 2000, the album had sold three million copies, and was certified three-times platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), denoting shipments of three million copies.
On June 29, 2002, ''Country Grammar'' had sold 7.7 million copies, according to
Nielsen SoundScan
Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
.
On July 21, 2016, the album was certified Diamond by the RIAA, denoting shipment of ten million copies in the US.
''Country Grammar'' entered the
New Zealand Albums Chart
The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
on the week of September 24, 2000, at number 5.
It reached its peak at number 3, for twenty-eight weeks after its debut on the chart, where it remained there for two non-consecutive weeks.
It stayed on the chart for forty-two weeks before dropping out.
The album was certified Triple Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for shipments of 45,000 units. On the
Australian Albums Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
, ''Country Grammar'' debuted at number 45.
It re-entered the chart five times, and reached its peak at number 4 on the week of October 7, 2001.
The album remained on the chart for thirty-three weeks, and was certified Triple platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA).
''Country Grammar'' reached at number 7 on the
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...
, and stayed on the chart for twenty-five weeks before dropping out.
It was certified Triple Platinum by
Music Canada
Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It a ...
(MC), denoting shipments of 300,000 copies. On the
Dutch Albums Chart
The Dutch Album Top 100 or Album Top 100 is a weekly hit list of music albums, compiled by Dutch Charts. List shows the 100 best-selling music albums of the moment in the Netherlands. The list has passed through various name changes and has expande ...
, the album peaked at number 8.
On the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, ''Country Grammar'' reached at number 14, and stayed on it for 31 weeks.
It was certified Gold by the
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI), for shipments of 100,000 units. The album peaked within the top thirty on the
Belgian Albums Chart
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...
(Flanders),
Finnish Albums Chart
The Official Finnish Charts ( fi, Suomen virallinen lista; sv, Finlands officiella lista) are national record charts in Finland compiled and published by Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. The name ''Suomen virallinen lista/Finlands officiell ...
and
Danish Albums Chart
Hitlisten, also known as Tracklisten, is a Danish top 40 record chart that is updated every Thursday midnight on the website hitlisten.nu. The weekly Danish singles chart Track Top-40 combines the 40 best-selling tracks from legal music downloads ...
.
It reached number 45 on the
German Albums Chart
The GfK Entertainment charts are the official music charts in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindust ...
, remaining on it for 43 weeks. It peaked on the
Swiss Albums Chart
The Swiss Hitparade (german: link=no, Schweizer Hitparade) is Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the ...
and
French Albums Chart
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
at numbers 90 and 109 respectively.
''Country Grammar'' topped the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums year-end chart in 2000.
Legacy
According to ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'', as of 2022, ''Country Grammar'' is one of the 15 best-performing 21st-century albums without any of its singles being number-one hits on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. ''Country Grammar'' success cemented Nelly's position as one of the most successful hip hop acts of the emerging decade.
''
Vibe
''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...
'' emphasized Nelly's expeditious fame, writing that the rapper debuted without the benefit of "guest spots or
Pen and Pixel produced teasers on his CD cover".
The magazine continued to note the rapper's absence of being associated with a notable group, "he just came out and sold two million records in less than a month".
Nelly's success helped in making
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
more notable for emerging hip hop acts, increasing the city's general reputation.
''Country Grammar'' experienced commercial success, topping the US
''Billboard'' 200 chart for five weeks in 2000, eventually going on to sell over 9 million copies in the US, making it the ninth best-selling rap album of all time in the country.
It is one of the highest certified albums in the US history, being certified ten times platinum
by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). Nelly ranked third on the ''Billboard'' 2000–2009 decade-end chart, due to the success of ''Country Grammar'' as well as his follow-up album ''
Nellyville
''Nellyville'' is the second studio album by American rapper and singer Nelly. It was released on June 25, 2002, by Universal Records and Fo' Reel Entertainment. The album's production was handled by Waiel Yaghnam, the Neptunes, Jay E, Trackboy ...
'' (2002). The latter album went on to sell 6,488,000 copies in the US.
''Country Grammar'' was ranked as the 85th best album of all time on the ''Billboard Top 200 Albums of All Time''.
Track listing
Notes
*"Ride wit Me" contains a portion of composition from
DeBarge
DeBarge was an American musical recording group composed of several members of the DeBarge family. In addition to various solo projects completed by members of the family, DeBarge was active between 1979 and 1989. The group originally consisted ...
's 1982's "
I Like It".
*"Batter Up" contains a portion of composition from
Primal Scream
Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums) ...
's "Movin' on Up".
*"Luven Me" samples elements from
One Way
One-way or one way may refer to:
* One-way traffic, a street either facilitating only one-way traffic, or designed to direct vehicles to move in one direction
*One-way travel, a trip that does not return to its origin
Music
*One Way (American ba ...
's 1984 "Don't Stop (Ever Loving Me)". It also samples elements from
Tony! Toni! Toné!
Tony! Toni! Toné! was an American soul/ R&B band from Oakland, California, popular during the late 1980s and early to mid-1990s. During the band's heyday, it was composed of D'wayne Wiggins on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Raphael Saadiq ...
's 1990's "
Whatever You Want".
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
*Steve Eigner –
recording
A record, recording or records may refer to:
An item or collection of data Computing
* Record (computer science), a data structure
** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity
** Boot sector or boot record, ...
*Kenny Dykstra – recording, assistant
*Rich Travali –
mixing
*Jason Standard – mixing, assistant
*Herb Powers –
mastering
*Sandra Brummel – creative directing
*BENTO Design – design
*Jonathen Mannion – photography
20th anniversary live album
For the 20th anniversary of the album, Nelly performed the entire album live at MelodyVR. On February 19, 2021, the rapper released the album ''Country Grammar Live'' alongside a documentary film, ''Country Grammar – A St. Lunatics Story''.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
*
List of number-one albums of 2000 (U.S.)
*
List of number-one R&B albums of 2000 (U.S.)
References
External links
*
Country Grammar' at
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...
(list of releases)
{{Authority control
2000 debut albums
Nelly albums
Universal Records albums