From 'Country Grammar' To Plain Country: Nelly Raps Up The 2013 CMT Music Awards
"Ride Wit Me" hitmaker Nelly was right at home on stage with Florida Georgia Line as he dropped his verse for the remix of the country duo's crossover hit "Cruise" during the finale performance of the 2013 CMT Music Awards. And why not? This isn't the first time the Southern rapper has dabbled in the twangy genre. See 2004 hit with Tim McGraw "Over and Over" or even Nelly's more recent thoroughly pop-country single off forthcoming album M.O. "Hey Porsche."
And we're not mad at the hip hop star for roaming into T-Swift territory. What do you expect from a man whose debut album was prophetically named Country Grammar? One thing's for sure, Nelly has a receptive audience if he's ready to go all the way. The CMT crowd was chanting every word of the St. Louis native's verse as he and his newly minted CMT Award winning collaborators closed out the show with strong harmonies and a party's-just-starting vibe.
Country, hip hop, who cares? As long as Nelly's finally back in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, we'll be riding (cruising) with him all summer long. Hungry for Mo? Our buddies over at CMT.com have all the 2013 CMT Music Awards coverage, including live performances, interviews, red carpet photos, and more.
[Photo Credit: Getty Images]