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At the turn of the millennium, a surge was happening in hip-hop, and cultural shocks of epic proportions reverberated worldwide as droves of exciting artists exploded into the mainstream. From Eminem to Lil Wayne the range of different MCs left listeners spoilt for choice. But the release of Nellyville from St Louis native, Nelly, was a pivotal moment.

Many of the stars who emerged during this period would go on to achieve the impossible and break records along the way with their unique music. However, nearly 24 years later, many fans have forgotten about some of the greats from the early 2000s.

One of the most impactful MCs to arrive at the turn of the millennium was Nelly. The St. Louis native brought something new to hip-hop and represented an area of the US that had previously been completely overlooked. The Missouri lyricist first burst onto the scene with his diamond-certified project Country Grammar in 2000.

However, it was Nelly’s sophomore effort that would really change the musical landscape of hip-hop and, in the long term, become a pivotal moment in the evolution of rap music. No other hip-hop artist could match his success during this era. Every project he released went platinum or multi-platinum.

As such, the only rapper who could compare to Nelly was Ludacris, whose catalogue, to this day, doesn’t boast a project that achieved three-time platinum status within a year. Many still don’t credit the rapper for his contributions to the culture and, since his demise, have minimised his role.

Nelly’s impeccable charting success demands respect, but fans should also recognise the Missouri artist’s harmonised rhyme trend, which remains so popular today. However, Nellyville was a moment in history.

Nellyville boasted effortless authenticity, organic “cross-genre” collaborations and sonic infusions. However, it didn’t feel forced. The balance struck on Nellyville gave a blueprint to the artists of today concerning how to combine rap with other genres in an exciting and fresh way.

The six-time platinum body of work catered to the pop music crowd but maintained unwavering elements of Nelly’s roots, including aspects of R&B and even country music, a never-heard-before combination showcasing his Midwest origins.

His ability and willingness to collaborate with figures such as Justin Timberlake, Tim McGraw and Kelly Rowland allowed him to venture outside of gangsta rap while other artists had boxed themselves in.

However, one of the most evident and apparent impacts of Nelly’s rise was his hybrid rap-singing. There wasn’t one track on which the Missouri-bred artist didn’t show off his gruff singing voice, which often included raspy falsettos with some Midwest authenticity in the mix.

But one of his biggest hits, ‘Dilemma’, showed the beginnings of what would become the rap ballad. With descriptions of a loving, heartfelt ‘situationship’, the hit was certified diamond by the RIAA.

Although situations-style tracks existed before and after the duo’s single, the track paved the way for tracks such as Fabulous ‘Situationships’ and Kehlani’s ‘Distractions.’ Drake has prospered immensely from this kind of music, and Nelly was most definitely someone who made it popular.

Nellyville changed the sound of hip-hop and gave way for a softer more melodic sounding rap music. Furthermore, it gave artists an insight into how they can fuse genres for the mainstream and set a precedent concerning sales.