Rap icon Nelly to perform “Country Grammar” in its entirety on MelodyVR to celebrate 20th anniversary of album release
Last month marked the 20th Anniversary of the release of Nelly’s diamond certified debut album, ‘Country Grammar’, and to celebrate, the hip hop icon is taking fans back to the summer of 2000 with a special live performance of the album in its entirety, for the first time ever. The show will be broadcast around the world on MelodyVR as part of its ongoing Live from LA series, on July 25th at 6pm PST / 9pm EST / 2am + 1 day BST.
This landmark event will be free to view via the MelodyVR app on smartphones and VR headsets. Through MelodyVR’s cutting-edge camera and production technology, fans will be transported to its state-of-the-art Los Angeles studio space to experience the exclusive 360° performance. Viewers can choose their viewing position, and virtually stand next to Nelly as he plays hits like “Country Grammar (Hot Shit)” and “Ride Wit Me”, while indulging the audience with behind-the-scenes commentary.
“Anytime you get a chance to celebrate 20 years, you want to do something that you have never done before — so we are going to rock the Country Grammar album top to bottom. Performing in the MelodyVR studio is epic and we have put together this show that people will hopefully want to replay 20 years from now,” said Nelly.
‘Country Grammar’ debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 and soon vaulted to No. 1. In 2016, the RIAA certified the album Diamond, selling more than 10 million copies to date, a feat which placed Nelly among rock superstars like Led Zeppelin, the Doors and Bruce Springsteen. ‘Country Grammar’ was also nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2000 Grammy Awards (along with its title track for Best Rap Solo Performance) and Nelly was crowned Best New Artist at the 2001 BET Awards. The 20th anniversary digital deluxe edition of ‘Country Grammar’, with bonus tracks, will be released on July 24th.
MelodyVR’s “Live from LA” series has been developed to provide music lovers with incredible immersive sets from their favorite artists, while maintaining the highest levels of safety for both performers and crew. Artists featured so far include John Legend, Cypress Hill, Katelyn Tarver and Zella Day with upcoming shows from JoJo and many more yet to be announced. MelodyVR also just released a never-before-broadcasted performance from another seminal act, N.E.R.D., from their set at “Life Is Beautiful” in 2018. Fans can tune in now to watch on demand via the MelodyVR app.
Nelly’s “Live from LA” show will be available on-demand on the app immediately following the live broadcast.
Nelly’s “Live from LA” Setlist:
- St. Louie
- Greed, Hate, Envy
- Country Grammar (Hot Shit)
- Steal The Show
- Ride Wit Me
- E.I.
- Thicky Thick Girl
- For My
- Utha Side
- Tho Dem Wrappas
- Wrap Sumden
- Batter Up
- Never Let ‘Em C U Sweat
- Luven Me
About Nelly
Born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. in Austin, Texas, the rapper showed early promise, forming The St. Lunatics in 1993 with his childhood friends, MCs “Ali” Jones, Torhi “Murphy Lee” Harper, Lavell “City Spud” Webb, and Robert “Kyjuan” Cleveland. After Jay E workshopped the music with Nelly, they shopped for labels in New York and the rapper was signed to Universal Records in 1999. The pair drew deeply from the sounds that surrounded them in the Midwest — urban, country, hip-hop — and fused them into a fresh, infectious, unforgettably hooky whole.
About MelodyVR
MelodyVR launched in 2018 with a simple mandate: not to replace the live music experience, but to harness the power of virtual reality to get people closer to the music they love. By using VR technology, the founders realized that they could place fans in the crowd or on stage with their favorite musicians at live events. From epic stadium shows to intimate studio performances, the possibilities are endless: capacity restrictions are eliminated, music lovers can attend otherwise sold-out dates, and the barriers (distance, age, cost, access) that might keep people from live experiences are swept away. The result? Artists can reach more fans than ever before, with a level of intimacy which has previously not been possible. MelodyVR is the only licensed VR music platform and has the world’s largest library of exclusive immersive and interactive music experiences from the likes of Post Malone, Lewis Capaldi, Blake Shelton, Wiz Khalifa, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Cypress Hill, Fall Out Boy, Julia Michaels, KISS, The Chainsmokers and Imagine Dragons. Available on smartphones and VR headsets, the MelodyVR app can be downloaded at on.melodyvr.com/App