"The St. Lunatics" Featuring Nelly

Returning with his trail blazing hip-hop tunes, three-time Grammy award winner and platinum selling recording artist Nelly will perform at the SIU Arena on Monday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. Nelly appears with his rap posse "The St. Lunatics," which includes Ali, Murphy Lee, and Kyjuan.

Nelly released his influential debut album, Country Grammar, in 2000. Since then he has been acknowledged as one of Hip-Hop's brightest talents, selling close to 30 million singles/albums worldwide. His 2002 album, Nellyville, earned its creator two Grammy's for Best Male Rap solo and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. In 2003, he won a Third Grammy for his collaboration with Murphy Lee and P. Diddy for "Shake Ya Tailfeather" (Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group). Nelly's numerous awards also include 4 Source Awards, 3 MTV Awards, and several Billboard Awards.

The once unknown kid from St. Louis continues to amaze fans with his multi-faceted music. In 2004, Nelly became the first rap artist to simultaneously release two albums, entitled Sweat and Suit. The two completely separate albums contain collaborations with a wide array of artists including Tim McGraw, Christina Aguilera, Ron Isley, and Snoop Dogg. Sweat and Suit provide a glimpse into the thoughts of the man behind the hits and showcases Nelly's versatility and amazing talent.

Tickets to Nelly are $29.50 General Admission Floor and $25.00 for Loge and Upper level seating, plus a $1.00 facility fee. Order tickets through Ticketmaster at 866-646-8849 or ticketmaster.com. Purchase tickets in person at the SIU Arena (west entrance); at the Student Center Central Ticket Office; Schnucks in Carbondale and Cape Girardeau; Krogers in Carbondale (east), Marion, and Mt. Vernon