# Nelly Earns RIAA Gold for "Heartland"

Source: https://www.popfiltr.com/articles/nelly-heartland-gold-october-24-2025
Language: en

> Oct 24, 2025 Heartland earns RIAA Gold for Nelly, recognizing 500,000 units on October 24, 2025.

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## Nelly Earns RIAA Gold for "Heartland"

Heartland earns RIAA Gold for Nelly, recognizing 500,000 units on October 24, 2025.

![Nelly "Heartland" cover art](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/64e632e1a07b9b35364590b5/68fd0477354d8081dba91906_68fd0476b7221bfb4fd76684_nelly-heartland.jpeg)

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced on October 24, 2025, that Nelly's album *Heartland* has been certified Gold. The certification recognizes 500,000 units in the United States. The album was released by Records/Columbia.

Released on August 27, 2021, *Heartland* is categorized by the RIAA under the Country genre, marking a significant crossover project for the artist. The album saw the St. Louis rapper collaborating with numerous country music stars, blending his signature hip-hop style with contemporary country sounds. The Gold certification underscores the project's commercial success and its resonance with a broad audience.

![Nelly "Heartland" cover art](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/64e632e1a07b9b35364590b5/68fd04752afbd135328dc8c3_68fd0475ad43833a264537bc_nelly-portrait.jpeg)

*Photo via Spotify*

Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., known professionally as Nelly, embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip-hop group St. Lunatics. After signing with Universal Records as a solo artist in 1999, he achieved massive success with his debut album, *Country Grammar* (2000). The album peaked atop the Billboard 200, produced two top-ten singles in "Country Grammar (Hot Shit)" and "Ride wit Me," and was ultimately certified Diamond by the RIAA. His 2002 follow-up, *Nellyville*, continued his chart dominance, spawning two consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma."