What Is Nelly's Real Name? | The Sun

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NELLY dominated hip-hop music for years, rising to fame in the early 2000s and collaborating with the likes of Fergie and Kelly Rowland.

The rapper is in the limelight once again, following a social media slip that gave fans an insight into his sex life – but what is Nelly’s real name is.

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What is Nelly’s real name?

Nelly is an American rapper, Grammy Award winner and actor, best known for Billboard No. 1 hits such as Hot in Herre and Dilemma.

Nelly’s real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr.

The 47-year-old rapper is named after his father, Cornell Haynes, who served in the US Air Force.

Nelly, who is born November 2, 1974, in Austin, Texas, spent much of his childhood and adulthood estranged from his father after his parents divorced when he was seven.

The rapper rose to fame in the early 2000s, after beginning his solo career with his debut album Country Grammar, which sold over 8.4 million copies in the US.

He dominated the hip-hop music industry for years, and ranked as the number three Top Artist of the Decade (2000s) Billboard in December 2009.

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Why is he called Nelly?

The rapper most likely started using his stage name Nelly as a short version of his real name, Cornell.

He became known as Nelly from the beginning of his music career when he fronted the Midwest hip-hop group St. Lunatics.

He formed the band in in 1993, while in high school, alongside his friends Ali, Murphy Lee, Kyjuan and Slo’Down, and his half brother City Spud.

The group enjoyed moderate local popularity with their single Gimme What Ya Got in 1997, selling around 10,000 copies.

Who are Nelly’s parents?

Nelly is the only son of Cornell Haynes Sr. and Rhonda Mack.

The rapper’s parents divorced when he was only seven years old, and he quickly became estranged from his father, who was at the time serving in the Air Force.

According to Contact Music, Nelly’s father was a strict disciplinarian and would hit his child if he “misbehaved.”

Nelly revealed in an interview: “My father led by fear. I did what my father said ’cause I was scared of getting my ass beat.

“His voice rang so vividly in my head… that it was just… a fear.”

In later years, Nelly made efforts to patch up his relationship with his dad, for the sake of his two children, Chanelle Haynes, Cornell Haynes III.

But their relationship fizzled out in 2018, when Nelly tweeted that he’ll be shunning his father on a personal and financial level.

He said: “The word father is strong word … something I never knew anything about as a child because mine never did what he had to do only what he wanted.”

“HOPE IT WAS WORTH IT POPS IM DONE WITH YA NO MORE MONEY FROM ME’ LET THEM PAY YA BILLS..!!”

The rapper expressed appreciation for his mother, Rhonda Mack, who was his primary carer after his parents’ divorce.

He moved with his mother from St. Louis to University City, a St. Louis County suburb.

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Nelly wrote: ‘You don’t see my mama … should have know she would hold it down she always had a job, came to my games, saw her son graduate, saw me score my 1st touchdown, bought me my 1st pair of J’s, wiped my tear away when I lost the big game and taught me how to play sports.!

“MAMAS BOY”..!!!”