St. Louis Rap Atlas: Seven Careers, from Nelly to Smino and Sexyy Red
Nelly’s Country Grammar, Murphy Lee’s solo work and the St. Lunatics, records by Chingy, J-Kwon and Huey, and the working relationships of Smino and Sexyy Red provide seven routes into St. Louis rap. This guide brings these seven acts into a timeline of releases, reporting and awards from 2000 to 2026.
An artist’s described connection to St. Louis is distinguished from the places where music was made or reporting took place. The city, the county and East St. Louis in Illinois are not interchangeable, and these seven acts do not constitute a complete regional history.
Nelly, Country Grammar and St. Louis
The Recording Academy describes Nelly as St. Louis-raised. Country Grammar was released on June 27, 2000; the RIAA’s July 2016 record lists its 10-times-platinum certification on July 21, 2016. The certification came sixteen years after the album’s release. Recording Academy / RIAA July 2016.
Groups, producers and connections beyond the city
Nelly and Murphy Lee are connected by the 2004 Grammy-winning “Shake Ya Tailfeather” and their work with the St. Lunatics. On April 22, 2010, The St. Louis American reported from a video shoot for “Money Talks” in Fenton. Murphy Lee described the group’s success as bringing the world’s attention to St. Louis—his own account of its relationship with the city. Nelly’s award record / Murphy Lee’s award record / Reporting from the Money Talks shoot.
Other routes run through Chingy’s work with local producers the Trak Starz and Smino’s collaboration with Monte Booker at Chicago’s Classick Studios. XXL’s 2004 interview documents the former; Pitchfork’s in-person report, published in 2016, documents the latter. Chingy’s work with local producers and Smino’s Chicago collaborations show different paths behind their records. Chingy and the Trak Starz / Smino and Classick Studios.
Timeline: records and events
- 2000-06-27 — Nelly releases Country Grammar. Source
- 2003 — Nelly wins Grammys for “Hot in Herre” and “Dilemma.” Source
- 2003 — Chingy’s Jackpot. Source
- 2003 — Murphy Lee’s Murphy’s Law. Source
- 2004 — Nelly and Murphy Lee share the Grammy recognition for “Shake Ya Tailfeather.” Source
- 2004 — J-Kwon’s Hood Hop and “Tipsy.” Source
- 2007 — Huey’s Notebook Paper. Source
- 2010-04-22 — The St. Louis American reports on the “Money Talks” shoot in Fenton. Source
- 2016-07-21 — The RIAA certifies Country Grammar 10-times platinum. Source
- 2017-03-14 — Smino releases blkswn. Source
- 2024-03-15 — Sexyy Red releases “Get It Sexyy.” Source
- 2026-05-11 — The FADER publishes Sexyy Red’s account of working with Shawn Ferrari. Source
Artists and records
The entries are alphabetical by artist name, not ranked.
Chingy
Chingy released Jackpot in 2003, with tracks including “Right Thurr” and “One Call Away.” XXL’s 2004 interviews with him and his collaborators trace the local work with the Trak Starz and its route through DTP and Capitol. Chingy — December 2004 cover interview / Jackpot.
The RIAA certified Jackpot 2× Platinum on February 24, 2004, and “One Call Away” Gold on November 10 that year. RIAA.
Huey
XXL identifies Huey as a St. Louis native and gives his name as Lawrence Franks. He released Notebook Paper, featuring “Pop, Lock & Drop It,” in 2007. The magazine’s June 26, 2020 report records his death the previous day. Huey death report / Notebook Paper.
The RIAA’s January 31, 2008 record for “Pop, Lock & Drop It” is Platinum. The history attached to that record also lists a Gold certification on July 12, 2007. RIAA.
J-Kwon
Known for “Tipsy” and Hood Hop (2004), J-Kwon told XXL in 2009 that he was still living in St. Louis and described himself as being from the Southside. In the same interview, he pushed back against judging the city’s rap solely through dance records. J-Kwon: Gettin Grown / Hood Hop.
The RIAA lists Hood Hop as Gold on May 3, 2004. Its Jive-labelled record for “Tipsy” carries a Gold certification dated October 25 that year. RIAA.
Murphy Lee
Murphy Lee’s Murphy’s Law (2003) provides a solo entry point alongside his work with the St. Lunatics. His connections with Nelly appear in the 2004 “Shake Ya Tailfeather” award record and the 2010 reporting from the “Money Talks” shoot. The Recording Academy displays one win and one nomination. Murphy’s Law — Murphy Lee / Murphy Lee — GRAMMY artist record / St. Lunatics share spotlight with Spud in new song, video.
Nelly
St. Louis-raised Nelly can be followed through Country Grammar (2000), his 2003 Grammy wins for “Hot in Herre” and “Dilemma,” and the 2004 recognition for “Shake Ya Tailfeather.” The Recording Academy displays three wins and twelve nominations. Local reporting on the St. Lunatics also documents his continuing group work after those hits. Essential Hip-Hop Releases from the 2000s / Nelly — GRAMMY artist record / St. Lunatics share spotlight with Spud in new song, video.
Sexyy Red
“Get It Sexyy” was released on March 15, 2024. In The FADER’s 2026 interview, Sexyy Red said Shawn Ferrari was also from St. Louis and recalled making “Hellcats & SRTs” when she first invited him to work with her. Get It Sexyy / Sexyy Red at Rolling Loud 2026.
The RIAA’s April 10, 2026 records list “Get It Sexyy” at 2× Platinum and “Looking for the Hoes (Ain’t My Fault)” at Platinum. “Skeeyee” is listed as Platinum on November 13, 2024. RIAA.
Smino
blkswn was released on March 14, 2017, includes “Wild Irish Roses,” and was produced mostly by Monte Booker. The FADER’s pre-release report explains the link between March 14 and St. Louis’s 314 area code. In an email to the magazine, Smino voiced frustration at tours skipping the city and a desire to draw attention to its creative community. The album joined his Chicago collaborations with his wish to draw attention to St. Louis. blkswn / Smino announces blkswn / Zero Fatigue — Chicago interview.
The RIAA’s history for “Wild Irish Roses” lists Gold on March 25, 2022, followed by Platinum on September 3, 2026. RIAA.
Regional boundaries
St. Louis city is independent of any county and is separate from St. Louis County. East St. Louis is a city in Illinois. When a source says only “St. Louis,” this guide does not silently narrow that description to the city, county or a particular metropolitan boundary. U.S. Census Bureau: Missouri / U.S. Census Bureau: East St. Louis.
Scope of the guide
This selection follows records and specific activities involving seven acts. Its account of the St. Lunatics centers on documented work involving Nelly and Murphy Lee.
Sources
Individual paragraphs link official release pages, Recording Academy and RIAA records, direct interviews and local reporting. Testimony is attributed to the speaker, and publication dates are kept distinct from release dates.
Editorial criteria
See the Rap Atlas editorial criteria. Musical activity and regional connections are identified separately; birthplace alone does not explain inclusion.
Corrections and additional sources
Grammy totals for Nelly and Murphy Lee reflect Recording Academy pages retrieved on September 22, 2026. Individual passages identify the dates of releases, historical reporting and certifications.
2026-09-11: Five acts added.
2026-09-22: Reworked the artist entries around records, production and regional connections, aligned the Japanese and English accounts, and updated certification levels against the RIAA’s official tables and histories.
Send corrections using the HIPHOPCs editorial contact page, with the passage and a source that can be checked.
Related region and translation
For Pharrell’s career and his contribution to Nelly’s “Hot in Herre,” continue to the Virginia guide. The song provides a specific connection between the two regions. Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Rap Atlas US hub / Read this St. Louis guide in Japanese
Frequently asked questions
- What does this St. Louis guide cover?
- It follows seven acts through records, producers and local reporting, from Nelly’s Country Grammar to Smino’s blkswn and Sexyy Red’s collaborations. St. Louis city, St. Louis County and East St. Louis in Illinois are distinguished.
- Which artists are included?
- The seven acts are Nelly, Murphy Lee, Chingy, J-Kwon, Huey, Smino and Sexyy Red. The artist entries are alphabetical, not ranked.
- Which groups and producers appear?
- The guide covers the St. Lunatics through Nelly and Murphy Lee, Chingy’s work with the Trak Starz, Smino’s Chicago collaborations with Monte Booker, and Sexyy Red’s account of working with Shawn Ferrari.
- When does the timeline begin?
- It begins with the release of Nelly’s Country Grammar on June 27, 2000, and follows selected releases, awards, certifications and reporting through 2026.
- Where can readers find sources and send corrections?
- The text and timeline link to artist interviews, local reporting, official release pages, and Recording Academy and RIAA records. Corrections and additional sources contains the update history and a link to the editorial contact page.
