LAUNCH: What was it like
hanging out at Playboy today?
NELLY: My experience as far as taking the pictures for Playboy--being one of the
few artists to do it--I wasn't nervous. I'm pretty much around girls a lot. But
I mean, she was already a professional as well, she wasn't nervous about the
whole thing. She pretty much made it easier for me to do my job with the camera
thing. It was cool. After a while, I got kind of the swing of it. At first, it
was like a "what do I do?" kind of situation: "Am I doing it
right? Am I doing it cool?" After a while, it just started flowing.
LAUNCH: Has been hard getting adjusted to being Nelly the superstar?
NELLY: It's been hard adjusting to life as Nelly, as opposed to Cornell, Cornell
being my real name--Nelly also being my name, but the name that's much more
popular than Cornell right now. It's different just because it happened so fast.
Now, had I been in the game five or six years or five or six albums deep, maybe
none as successful as what we're doing now, I would already be adjusted to
what's going on and know how to deal with it probably a little bit better. Not
to say that I'm dealing with it in bad way now, but I'm just saying it would be
a lot easier, 'cause I would know what to expect. But now, this being my second
album, it's a little bit easier than the first one. But it's still a bit
overwhelming, 'cause everything has been going so good. And so many want to talk
to you, 'cause, once you "cross over," you don't just have one
audience to talk to--now you got every audience wanting to talk to you. And it
just goes up; the intensity level just builds. It's a lot of work dirty, but I
wouldn't trade it--you couldn't pay me to trade it. It's a beautiful thing, and
I remember when it wasn't, and how bad that was, so I got nothing to complain
about now.
LAUNCH: How did it feel to be able to call up your mom and tell her that she
wouldn't ever have to work again?
NELLY: Yeah, I finally called my mother and said if she didn't want to go into
work, she didn't have to. My mom worked fast food for 30 years--that's
McDonald's, Dairy Queen, and Rally's. If you've ever worked fast food you know
how it is, but imagine working there for 30 years! The highest wage you've ever
been paid has probably been $7.50, out of thirty years. So she had to do a lot:
single parent, single mom, probably working a dollar above minimum wage at a
time and all that, and she tried to make it happen for me. You know, I didn't
make it the easiest on her or nothing like that, so I kind of feel like it was
owed to her, from me. For a lot of things that I put her through, I think that
it was owed to her. That was like me giving that back to her.
LAUNCH: How does it feel to have achieved success without using all the
bandwagon gimmicks?
NELLY: Well, I think that the main thing that's been instrumental in our [St.
Lunatics'] success, compared to a lot of those greats that did not make it until
after court cases or deaths or stuff like that, I think it's been because it was
new. I think it was the "new" factor. I think any time you can add
something to the game, people take to it 'cause it's a little different, and
that was something that we set out to do. When we was coming out, we definitely
took a look to see what we can add or be different to the game like that. Not in
saying that all the top albums that sell are the best albums. Not saying that,
not at all. Or I'm not saying that the rapper who achieves that is the best
rapper. Not saying that at all. I think it's a different element of things that
kind of make something explode. And I think with us, it was a new place, it was
new face, it was a new sound, it was just something that was different about it.
Then it was from somewhere that half the people who are listening to it don't
know exactly where it's at, you know, that being St. Louis. And I think they
just took to it, man; they were just intrigued by it a lot. And then after the
intrigued part got over, I just think that people took to the music.
LAUNCH: How does your hometown, St. Louis, feel about your success?
NELLY: I think that the scene back in St. Louis, as far as the hip-hop, the
people who are trying to get it off the ground are definitely motivated a lot
more, 'cause they seen it happen--they know that it can happen. So they just
basically doing their thing down there, so if somebody step to them, they're
prepared. It's definitely big--people do give me their thanks--but it's like
anywhere you go. You got your haters, and you got the people that appreciate
what you do. Home is no different. Overall, the city as a whole--oh man, they
love us. But there are people anywhere you go.
LAUNCH: You've gotten some flak and have taken some hits. How does that make
you feel?
NELLY: Well, of course. I mean, to take hits they have to look up to hit
you--you feel me? All the ones taking hits are the ones looking down. Well, I
wouldn't say looking down, 'cause I don't look down on nobody, but I'm just
saying the more success you have and the further you climb that ladder, there's
always someone tugging at that ladder trying to pull you down. But you see you
need that, you definitely need that for motivation--you need that for energy, so
you don't slip. 'Cause there's always people who are out there who want to take
your place. You don't never see anyone who's having success attacking--it's
always the ones who a) are trying to get on, or b) who are trying to be in the
position that you're in, or c) who just don't care and want to see you down with
them. It's a good thing to have, because it keeps you focused and it keeps you
remaining hungry. We staying hungry dirty--we always making music, always in the
booth, always making some deal sparking or something. Just trying to stay out
there, just let them know that we ain't going nowhere. They can do all that, but
we still ain't going nowhere.
LAUNCH: How did that affect your preparation for Nellyville?
NELLY: My preparation for the Nellyville jump-off was me just basically doing
me. And whatever the haters didn't like, that's what I did more! If you didn't
like me being more melodic on the songs, that's what I did more of. If you
didn't like me talking about cars or whatever, I said more about that. Just to
let you know that I know that's what you hate, so that's why I'm doing it.
That's my whole focus on that. 'Cause Country Grammar was the introduction; it
was the introduction of me, myself, the rest of the Lunatics, St. Louis as a
whole, my sound, what I was trying to do. That was the introductions, so on
Nellyville, I was trying to be me. And like I said, whatever they didn't like, I
did more of.
LAUNCH: I think that takes a lot of confidence.
NELLY: I think that's how people get thrown off, you know? You start listening
and feed into what these 3,000 to 4,000 people are saying, instead of the 9
million people who bought it and supported you. Now you're trying to cater to
these 4,000 people who really don't care about what it is you do, are not going
to buy your album, don't even care about your music period, and then you got
these 9 million people who are like, "What the hell you doing?" So I
think you're not being true to yourself because that's not what you wanted to
do--because if it was, then you would have did it. You just want to make good
music. So that's what I do: make music for the people that support me and know
what it is that I do.
LAUNCH: But on this record you do explore different styles and different
sounds.
NELLY: On my styles, I like to flip it, period. I think that the worst thing you
can do is to be stuck in one style, 'cause one style can go on every beat you
hear. Not smooth--to me I like to ride the beat, I don't like to force. I think
that once you get inside the beat and feel the beat, I think that helps better,
as opposed to you forcing something. I don't like that at all.
LAUNCH: Is there anything any other rappers have said that has bothered you?
NELLY: Ain't nothing they can say that could bother me, you hear me? Ain't
nothing they can say that can bother me, 'cause I live in St. Louis so I know
they can't be talking about me like that. Don't nobody come at me like that from
where we at. It ain't like I live up the block from you. I think that when you
get into battle and stuff like that, and they get more personal, 'cause these
people know each other before that. But these people didn't know me before
music--you don't know me until now. So there's nothing that you can say; you can
talk all day, but talk don't me nothing from where we at, no way.
LAUNCH: I think in the song "Splurge" you kind of touch on that.
NELLY: On "Splurge" you kind of get the perception that "all he
care about is this and that and the cars and the jewelry and the
girls"--and we love the cars and the jewelry and the girls, yes we do, no
lying, ain't gonna front or nothing like that--but that's not the biggest part
of our lives, and what I was saying on "Splurge" is that I was Nelly
before all that. Before cars, before girls, before jewelry, before all that, I
was still getting called Nelly, I was still calling myself Nelly. So we just let
them know that there's more to that, and splurging doesn't always mean spending
money--it means showing love a lot of times, and that's what we do. We feed over
50 families as well as children's foundations and high schools, and just doing
stuff for our communities and the stuff that's around us. "I talked to the
Sugar Hill Gang, and if they don't got problems with what I'm doing, then nobody
else should, 'cause they were one of the founders. They were just having fun
with their music, and all I'm doing is having fun with mine."
LAUNCH: So when you wrote the song "#1," was it about anybody in
particular? Was it about KRS-One?
NELLY: Well, KRS-One was actually the first person to act out on the whole
controversy as far as like, everybody thinking that "#1" was about
them. I think that KRS-One was the person who saw it as his opportunity--he does
this every five years to some artist. LL has done it to numerous people. For me,
nah, it's over and done with. It was cool at the time, it was something to do
for me, but you know, it was nothing against him or the elders of hip-hop or
nothing like that, 'cause I got nothing but respect for KRS. He possibly made it
possible for me to sit here. So it's definitely respect like that, but I'm just
letting him know that there is no punks. You hear me? I'm basically doing it for
others that want to come out and do what they want to do, without people trying
to sweat them. Look, I talked to the Sugar Hill Gang, and they don't got no
problems with what I'm doing, so if they don't got not problems with it, then
nobody else should, 'cause they were one of the founders; they put this down,
they made it all possible for everybody else after that. And all they were doing
was having fun with their music, and all I'm doing is having fun with mine.
LAUNCH: You mentioned doing stuff for the community...can you talk about your
charitable organization, 4 Sho 4 Kids?
NELLY: 4 Sho 4 Kids is a nonprofit organization, something that I kind of
developed as far as me helping kids, definitely underprivileged children, in
many ways. We help children with literacy problems, with Down Syndrome,
inner-city youth, crack babies who may be addicted to crack. We also support
this thing called the Faith House, which houses homeless children who may have
AIDS, cancer, different diseases, that allow them to function in everyday
society. Faith House also houses teenagers without the necessary skills as far
as getting them prepared to go out, and it also homeless teenagers with AIDS and
the same diseases as well. I was one of those children who was always on the
move, always on the go, been to like eight different schools, been kicked out of
four of them, so that's why my music is the way it is, 'cause I've seen the
darker side. I have a lot to be happy about and a lot to be cheerful about, so
that's why I kick it like I do. It's not about me being the gangsta because
that's what it was--the real gangsta don't got to tell you about it. Anyway, I'm
not saying that's me, but I'm just saying the 4 Sho 4 Kids foundation is just a
beautiful way for us to look out for the kids that have been through a lot,
'cause we've been through a lot as children as well.
LAUNCH: Moving on to lighter subjects, "Hot In Herre" is one of the
biggest hits of 2002. What was the inspiration behind that making that
Nellyville lead single?
NELLY: "Hot In Herre," produced by the Neptunes...well, for us to pick
the first single, it was like the timing aspect. We was coming around again, it
was going to be summertime, and I think that everybody has been to a party where
it was so hot up in that joint but you didn't want to leave 'cause it was a good
party. So instead of leaving you take off all the clothes, so be it. And I think
the song was just like perfect for the timing. It was fun to make--I did it
quicker than I've ever done any song. I usually go into a booth and take six or
seven takes before I get how I want to say it or how I want to deliver the whole
thing, but in there I was just like, "Let's go!" I just freeballed it,
almost.
LAUNCH: So, tell me about Patti LaBelle appearing in the video for your
second single, "Dilemma."
NELLY: The riff that Kelly from Destiny's Child is singing on the
"Dilemma" track is one of Patti's most famous riffs. I haven't talked
to her directly about it, but I heard that she loves it. So she plays Kelly's
mom in that joint. It's a more smooth video than what I'm used to doing: you
know, a club scene, plenty of girls around. So this one for me right here is
different for me: a little more smooth, more storyline, and just get people a
feel.
LAUNCH: Tell me how you approached the subject matter of the song, because
it's a pretty serious topic.
NELLY: The subject matter of the song "Dilemma"...I know a lot of
people who have been in that situation. Me, myself have been in this situation.
I think that everybody once or twice have had an eye on somebody who are in a
situation with somebody else, and they probably liked you and you liked them,
but she didn't really feel cool about just breaking up or whatever the case may
be. I think everybody's been in the situation where they've liked someone who's
already with someone else and they liked you back, but you knew it wasn't going
to work. I think that's why the song took off like it did, 'cause so many people
can relate. And the funny thing about it is that you find more fellas like that
song, as opposed to a lot of women. I had a lot of guys coming up to me going,
"That's banging, I feel that, keep doing that." I think they can feel
that a little more. But we're fortunate that both sides can relate. I think
everybody is going to feel the song a little more--you know probably more the
older generation than the kids that are used to buying Nelly albums.
LAUNCH: It was good to see Kelly get her chance to shine on that song--can
you talk about that?
NELLY: I think that's one of the reasons I do it like I do. I try to shoot for
different, and when I was shooting for different, that was different right
there. She had never done nothing solo before, period. And I had really never
done nothing with a female singer--on a hook anyway--so it was something
different for me and something different for her as well. And I just like to
keep doing different stuff, new stuff, just keeping people off-balance and stuff
like that. I don't have no one blueprint. So in doing that, she was like the
perfect one. She came in at like, 1 in the morning, she knocked them riffs out,
them tunes, and it was unbelievable to me, 'cause it was like 1 in the morning
and I had another three more hours in me before my head would have been cocked
back somewhere, but she came in, warmed up, and killed it. And I appreciate it,
no doubt.
LAUNCH: Tell me about working with Justin Timberlake on the song "Work
It."
NELLY: Well, me working with Justin...the dude is talented. I don't care what
you say, you can't deny folks of his talent. I don't give a damn who he is, what
he's done, he is talented, flat-out And me saying that, I just like to make good
music, folks. You heard me? I like to do things different. When Run-DMC and
Aerosmith did the "Walk This Way" thing, everyone looked at them kind
of strange; probably back in the day they probably got ridiculed about the whole
thing. But now you look back, and it's a classic--where would we be without
that? How could they have not done that? It spawned a whole new thing: You have
Method Man and Limp Bizkit, you got Gwen Stefani and Eve. So I think it was only
fair for us to take it to that level too.
LAUNCH: There are a lot of guitars on your new record, which we usually don't
hear a lot of in hip-hop.
NELLY: I love instruments, period. I love to hear the horns, I love to hear the
strings...you know, I used to play snares and stuff like that, just keeping the
rhythms and all that. So I love to hear the music. I love the strings, I love to
hear that guitar riffs kind of like Run-DMC. I know Prince used a lot of
strings, and I think I'd kind of like to bring that back. I hear a lot more
people using the strings in their songs, and that's kind of like basement
beats--like with Jagged Edge, that's their signature, that's their sound. They
use a lot of strings, and they just got me hooked.
LAUNCH: You mentioned Run-DMC with Aerosmith...tell me about appearing on
MTV's Aerosmith: Icon special.
NELLY: I was real fortunate on the Aerosmith: Icon show; I got to play DMC. Ja
Rule played Run and Sum 41 played Aerosmith. We had fun; it was relaxing and
everybody just had a ball. It wasn't nothing real serious, 'cause everybody had
seen the video so much and kind of like knew the parts, so once they got the
roll, we was cool.
LAUNCH: You've mentioned St. Lunatics a lot. Can you talk a little more about
taking care of your people?
NELLY: Well, me and the Lunatics is originally a family thing. Hell, we always
arguing, 'cause that's what families do, but it's when other people get in our
arguments that we bond together and defend against one. You can't come inside
that circle. So with us we had a plan from the beginning. We did our solo
projects, we always did a group album, so we decided before we had a deal that
it was easier for us to get one foot in the door instead of five. So we decided
to get behind the Country Grammar project, and we got in the door. After that,
our plan was to do the St. Lunatics project: Let everybody hear everybody, then
we drop some more solo projects. So we just following our plan, and everything
has been going well, the plan has not shaken. I think that's where a lot of
people go wrong: not having a plan about what it is they're doing, and then they
get into situation and don't know where to go from there. We've been able to
plan our thing out as far as where we want to go with this. And I think it's
worked best for us.
LAUNCH: So Ali's put out his solo record?
NELLY: Yeah, Ali's put a solo record called Heavy Starch, which is in stores
now. Murphy Lee will be the next one; it'll be jumping off around the top of the
year, something like February or March. Kyjuan is coming real soon, and another
St. Lunatics album is coming. I might not do another one for two years or
something, but like I said, it's a family thing, and we got to make sure that
everybody eat. That's what we got into this thing for. Like I said, we feed over
50 families--not 50 people, but 50 families--with this thing. So it's been a
beautiful thing for us.
LAUNCH: I know the pattern of alternating between solo and St. Lunatics
albums has been every two years, but aren't you tired?
NELLY: You do get exhausted, because you constantly working. If you're awake,
there's something to do, and if you sleeping, somebody waiting on you to get up.
That's how it is sometimes, and then we got so much going on as far as clothing
lines, the production company, trying to get other acts out of singles, movies,
all that stuff. You trying to get all that, then still trying to have a home
life. It is a lot, you know what I'm saying? You do get tired, but you keep
pushing, 'cause you remember where you came from and where you could be. That
drives me. You know, they got a category every year called Best New Artist, and
they're going to have it every year, guaranteed, and there's always somebody
who's going to win it--somebody who's hungry, coming into the game. So you got
to watch it.
LAUNCH: Speaking of games, I understand that you're a chess fan...
NELLY: Yeah, I be playing a little of chess. I like the strategy and stuff like
that, the thinking part. To me, it teaches you to have patience. You learn the
strategies, and it's a universal game--you can play with people all over the
world, over the phone, over the Internet, you can even play against yourself. I
think that's one of the few games you can play by yourself and actually have a
game--a straight, legit game.
LAUNCH: Who taught you how to play?
NELLY: Actually, I'm still learning how to play chess. I've known how the pieces
move for about 10, 12 years. I know how the pieces move, but actually playing,
learning the strategy, learning the capabilities of each piece and all that and
how you should try to do--I'm still trying to learn. It's decent, it's decent.
LAUNCH: So what's going on with your clothing line, Vokal?
NELLY: Well, Vokal is in stores now. Part-owners are me and my cousin Yomi
Brown. It's something we been brewing since we've been trying to get the St.
Lunatics thing off the ground. And once we got to this point that we at now, we
started getting people who wanted us to endorse their clothing and stuff like
that, so it was real simple for us. It was opposed to somebody paying you a
couple hundred-thousand, maybe 1 million, to make them 40 million. So we were
like, "We're going to take a shot at making the 40." So we decided to
come out with our own clothing line and stuff like that. We had an underground
following already, as far as St. Louis already being up on it, so when it came
out they were already like, "Yeah we already know about this." So now
we just spreading it around the world. The stuff can't stay on the racks, and I
think in a couple of years we'll be where we really want to be with it--but the
first year has been crazy, unbelievable. I'm definitely not complaining. Just
looking to branch that out a little bit.
LAUNCH: Well, you're branching into acting now...
NELLY: Doing [the movie] Snipes for my first big jump-off was different; I think
that the only reason I picked Snipes was because it was so convenient for me at
the time, 'cause Country Grammar was really blooming at the time and we were
also recording the St. Lunatics album. I was going back and forth from New York
to Philly, making that two-hour drive trying to film that movie, but they were
willing to work with me as far as my time, as far them basically rearranging
schedules. They were willing to do that. Before then, I had a lot of scripts,
but nobody was willing to adjust what I needed in order for me to be there. So,
they were. I think the script, with me playing a hustler turned rapper all of a
sudden--it was easy for me to relate. And with this being my first time, you
want to be as most comfortable as you can in doing a role, and that made it a
lot easier for me.
LAUNCH: Are you looking to do any more acting?
NELLY: I don't know about right now; it's so busy right now. The music is first
and foremost on my list right now. The acting thing, as it comes along I'll look
more and more into it, but as for right now, music is the first part. If we can
get everything scheduled and rearranged then it'll be beautiful, and as they
come along I'm looking. And like I said, if they're willing to work with me, so
be it--if not, it's cool.
LAUNCH: What's it like for you to perform onstage?
NELLY: Being onstage is the best--there's nothing like performing. That's your
chance to give back to the people that's been supporting you, that's been
kicking down that 16, 17, $18.99 and buying them posters and everything else and
showing you a lot of love. That's your way of giving back. You get out there,
you to scream at the top of your lungs, you go hoarse for them, and you give
them what they want to see. Yeah, we love being onstage. You know, just the idea
of people screaming, people want to be a part of what you're doing, is
beautiful.
LAUNCH: You obviously have so many fans that are interested in your life...is
there something about Nelly that people don't know?
NELLY: We straight--I've been asked everything imaginable!
Source: Launch.com
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