Nelly exploded into superstardom with his 2000 Country Grammar album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and remained there for five consecutive weeks. Subsequently, the album became the ninth Hip Hop album to earn a diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
But none of it would’ve been possible without the St. Lunatics— at least according to one of its members. On Monday (October 11), St. Lunatics rapper Ali shared an old interview of Nelly crediting Ali for helping him take a different direction with his music, a direction that led to unimaginable success.
He also accused Nelly of sending another “subliminal diss” on Sunday (October 10) that read, “It’s called a career and in it you have ups and downs…some never have ups themselves so technically they just never had a career. they just was apart of someone else. FACT!!”
But Ali begged to differ and took credit as the mastermind behind Nelly’s career. He then noted Nelly’s country-inspired album, Heartland, has been met with dismal sales. The project arrived in September and landed at No. 7 on the Billboard Top County Albums chart with roughly 13,000 total album-equivalent units sold in its opening week, as reported by MRC Data.
As Ali explained, “Last night Nelly sent one of his subliminal disses towards me and my career. The Truth is ..Nelly = [talk] … Ali =[write] I wrote it & he said it and we sold 10,000,000 [diamond]… Go to his page ….. do you notice that he hasn’t said ANYTHING about that country album !!??
“Well I’ll tell you why …13,000 !!!! Wow , that’s how many copies of that album he sold !! ‘MY’ career was writing you a career. Smh… to be continued (it’s all the most grand illusion ever pulled , and it’s all unraveling RIGHT NOW… and he’s mentally suffering trying to hide the secrets)…. now let me get ready to drop wisdom off at school !!”
Ali has made numerous allegations against Nelly in the past. In February, Ali claimed Nelly “hustled” the entire group to which he replied, “When they said the Lunatics was doing all the legwork and talent shows and all of that, that was us. He didn’t do that.
“When we was going around town making a name for ourselves, doing the car wash, performing at the talent shows at [colleges]—that was us, that wasn’t Ali. Ali did not perform with us. Either he thought he was too good or he didn’t perform with us. … Just factuals. Actual factuals.”
St. Lunatics’ Ali Reveals Past ‘Beef’ With Ludacris Ahead Of Nelly Vs. Ludacris Verzuz Battle
Once again, Ali accused Nelly of lying, writing in a since-deleted Instagram post, “In the interview he’s saying how he had plans on bringing the whole group back together (that’s a LIE, I begged him back in February to please bring the group back, he said ‘that isn’t what I want to do’).”
St. Lunatics haven’t released an official album since 2001’s Free City. Meanwhile, Nelly was just honored with the I Am Hip Hop Award at the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards earlier this month.
I never really thought Nelly could rap anyway. Only reason Country Grammer went diamond was because St.Louis wasn’t on the map
He went diamond b/c St. Louis wasn’t on the map? I guess Freddie Gibbs is dope b/c Gary, IN wasn’t on the map.
Wheather he can rap or not, which he can, the music still gets rotation. It’s about the music and party vibes. Everyone is not suppose to be Nas.
Why wait years to expose somebody you claiming to be fake and used you don’t wait until there giving recognition and praised for being a hip hop icon them come out with shit Listen Nelly on all his songs you mainly heard Nelly he made himself a success mean give props I mean in the words of Jay-Z ….I heard MF saying they made hov made hov say ok make another hov so if you made Nelly make another Nelly …
It went Diamond because it was a great album and brought a new sound to the game at the time. Nelly was never lyricist and never claimed to be. Also rap is more than just being as lyrical as possible
I like Nelly… But he is, and always was, way overrated. His lyricism is honestly average at best and that’s really pushing it. I honestly don’t see why he was so popular. Kind of literally never heard anybody put Nelly on any of their “top” lists… Not even if it was top 50.
cuz whi te grandmas could sing along n shake their boo ty to it same way vanilla ice went diamond coutry grammar crossed over big p i m p juice was only nelly cut streets bumped
No one goes to a Nelly album looking for BARS. He keeps the party going. His music is more about enjoying life. If you want bars and heavy lyrics, there’s plenty of music that you can go to.
Man look Nelly and the Lunatics did something positive and that’s the bottom line also with this hip hop trash that y’all listen to these days compared to what Nelly and other artist from back then did at least we can party and understand what the hell they where saying ??back versus now today’s hip hop is garbage. PERIOT!!!!!!!!!
Free City was nice thou. Remember when Chingy and Nelly were beefin’ over a fuckin word, derrty, and who used it first. Lmfao.
Ali sounds like a scorned bitch. Like Jay told Dame, make a new Nelly if you that cold or read ya lil book and become this star you say you are. Lil coattail boy
Damn that’s cold asf tho ?
Nelly has always been other than hip hop… Wack then and now…
You just stupid! This man went diamond, started a whole new style of rap. Don’t do STL!!! We the shit, he the shit!!! Show me your diamond album or hell single. Then, we’ll talk!!! “I’M FROM THE LOU & I’M PROUD”??
Lame ….you just blowing fumes what did YOU do for st Louis
Nelly was dope between 2000-2005. All his first four albums still stand up. He never claimed to be a lyricist.
Nelly was rapping the whole time?!?! I thought he was releasing farts over beats…
I hate how everyone behind the scenes is claiming they made the careers of all these other dudes. As mentioned below, if you made that dude then make another one. I don’t know who is right and who is wrong, I just know I hate when grown men go online and act like bitches. People have been doing this for a long time but it feels worse now that everyone has a platform and can complain to the world.
Ali bruh if u wrote all Nelly stuff like u claim…. WRITE YOU 1 hit song!!!!
How sway its 20 years later
Nelly was a club, party & radio rapper not a gangster or lyrical rapper nor did he ever claim to be. Everybody shading Nelly were the main ones playing his music repeatedly!!!
Nelly was just talking all gangster rn i heard him sayin ali changed him into. Not making gangster shit that mu
sic dont hit no more
First 9ff dude is a lyricist he did plenty of freestyles but dudnt nobody wanna hear freestyles they wanna gear party music and singing so thats the music he made to keep up with the era and if u not from st.louis are close in the area like E st louis 9 times out of 10 you wont understand his music but Ali does sound like a woman wanting revenge yall are grown men if someone cheating you y stay around and keep making songs let it go ehat is the purpose of you doing all that and if you writing songs you get credit on them and if you did get credit are whatever on there y are you complaining like i said yall grown men let it go get you a hustle and move on grown men do what they gotta do to make sure they family straight not worry about the next man yall was making to much money it just sound like u broke and want to blame it on someone instead of going to get yo bag dude always complaining grow up
Don’t nobody know shit! Only people who know what went down is the St. Lunatics and Nelly! So all these other comments is speculation and biased cuz muthafuckaz like Nelly.. only say something when you know facts!
Country Grammar a classic. Free City, Nellyville, Sweat, Suit all dope. After that he kind of fell off and left hip hop entirely, but you can’t take away from what he did. His music still stands up.
Lol@”make you a hit single”
Hit singles dont work like that. Having a great song is probably the least important part of the process. Hype, platform, personality, etc. Nelly brought ‘country grammar’ to the mainstream at the time whites werent automatically ridiculed for liking rap. White people latched on to the “up in hurr” catchiness of the way of talking. Having st louis behind him didnt hurt either. But i mean…he flat out introduced himself to the world as that gimmick..hence “Country Grammar”. Coupled w his little eye band aid.. it worked.
Anyway long story short…ali would need a gimmick and a time machine for starters.
If Ali words are true there’s only two other rappers that compatible for his writing Flo Rida or Chingy but I don’t think Chingy likes him but if it’s hot business wins over. Lol
in a group not everyone will shine and thats just the reality
WU-TANG did it, N.W.A did it, goodie mob did it, no limit did it, hot Boyz did it i can go on and on
I can only think of three rappers who were signed (or associated) with another rapper and became just as big or bigger (50, Kanye, Drake). Bottomline is, the shit don’t work, especially if you’re from the same place…
U 4got Jay-z