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  1. Tracks
  2. Nelly
  3. E.I.
E.I. by Nelly

SINGLE

Nelly

E.I.

Release date: 2nd April 2001

Spotify More on Nelly

About This Track

Released in October 2000 as the second single from Nelly's debut album 'Country Grammar', 'E.I.' arrived with a strutting, Spanish-inflected hook and a production built for late-night radio. The track peaked at number sixteen on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number eleven on the UK Singles Chart, establishing Nelly's commercial reach beyond his breakthrough debut single. The lyrics catalogue material excess and sexual bravado in blunt detail, Nelly name-checking fashion brands and luxury cars whilst adopting a voice of unapologetic hedonism. The refrain borrows the Spanish word for 'hurry up', looping it into a call-and-response that became one of the more recognisable hooks of the early 2000s. A remix titled 'Tip Drill' followed in 2003, extending the song's shelf life in club rotation. Musically, 'E.I.' leans on a minimal, bass-heavy groove that leaves space for Nelly's drawling Midwest delivery. The production favours repetition over complexity, the hook cycling through with enough insistence to lodge itself in memory. It remains a snapshot of a particular moment in American hip-hop, when regional sounds were breaking nationally and the genre's commercial centre was shifting.

"E.I." is a single by Nelly, released 2nd April 2001. Full lyrics are available below.

About the Artist

Nelly

Nelly

Lyrics

E.I.

Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh
Uh, wait a minute now
Uh-oh
Uh, uh
Can y'all hear me out there? (Lunatics)
Uh, uh, is y'all ready? (Up above) let me year you, uh
Uh-oh
I'm a sucker for cornrows and manicured toes (hey)
Fendi capri pants and Parasucos (alright)
The rise of Diddy and City, with one or two throws
I'm dropping 'em outta high school, straight into the pros
Who knows? I know and I love it when you make your knees touch your elbows
And break it down low to the floor, and there you go
Now throw it on me slow
And every time I bust a rhyme, baby, "Gimme Some More" (oh)
You say you like that when I hit it from behind
And I'll be right back, yeah, that's my very next line
I use it time after time when I'm speaking my mind
It's no matter if I'm shooting game to a pigeon or dime
I ask you, "who that is, talking that shit about the 'Tics?"
Somebody probably jealous 'cause they bitch got hit
But ain't nobody else dropping shit like this
Should we apologize? Nah, fuck 'em, just leave 'em pissed, hey
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
What's poppin' tonight?
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
If the head right, Nelly there every night
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
What's poppin' tonight?
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
If the head right, Nelly there every night
We can gamble to the break of dawn, nigga
Money long, nigga
Pass up the skirt to talk to the thong, nigga
Some say I'm wrong, but fuck it I'm grown, nigga
And if you ain't 'bout money then best be gone, nigga
I'm flashy (uh) double takes when you walk past me
Nasty, don't be scared boo, go ahead and ask me
I drive fastly, call me Jeff Gordon
In a black SS with the navigation
See the joint blaze on, something smells amazing
I got a chick rolling up half black and Asian
Another one paging, telling me to come over
Her husband on vacation and left her home alone
I used the V-12 powers, weight loss powers
From Phat Farm to Iceberg Slim in one shower
Get a room in Trump Towers just to hit for three hours
Kick the bitch up out the room 'cause she used the word "ours," ayy
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
What's poppin' tonight?
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
If the head right, Nelly there every night
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
What's poppin' tonight?
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
If the head right, Nelly there every night
Ayo, I smash-mouth a whole ounce of that sticky
Watch my hands under a gold spout when feeling icky
Let go off in a hoe's mouth, I ain't picky
Start fronting when the show's out, what you mean?
Twenty inches when they roll out, come and get me
Big faces when they fold out, is you with me?
Don't make me pull that 4-4 out
I keep a close eye when the dough out
And then I slide off in an Esclade
Me and Ky' been solid like the Ice Capades
For me and he Frosty, Roger the Rabbit and Bugsy
You understand me? Wrapped wrist like mummies
If you compare me to your local grocery
Then you'll see I got more carats than Aldi
More bread than aisle G, you can bag and scan me
Sure like Al B., meet the 'Tics in Maui, hey
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
What's poppin' tonight?
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
If the head right, Nelly there every night
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
What's poppin' tonight?
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
If the head right, Nelly there every night
St. Louis y'all, uh, uh (uh-oh)
Uh, can you feel it?
Lunatics, y'all, uh, uh (uh-oh)
Uh, uh, up a-, up above, y'all, uh, uh (uh-oh)
Uh, uh, uh, Universal, y'all, uh, uh (uh-oh)
Uh, uh, chillin', chillin', chillin' with the culture
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh (uh, uh, uh)
What's poppin' tonight? (J.E., y'all, uh, uh)
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
If the head right, Nelly there every night (uh)
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh (Nelly, uh, uh)
What's poppin' tonight? (Uh)
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
If the head right, Nelly there every night
I'm from M-I (ándale, ándale, mami)
Crooked letter, crooked letter (E.I., E.I., uh-oh)
O-U-R-I, no one can do it better (what's poppin' tonight?)
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
If the head right, Nelly there every night
Ándale, ándale, mami, E.I., E.I., uh-oh
What's poppin' tonight?

Track details

E.I.

2001Single
Listen
Release year
2001

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2015
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5.0 Deluxe
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The Best of Nelly
The Best of Nelly

Explore

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  5. Hot in Herre (SILO x Dallas Caton remix)
  6. Lil Bit
  7. Lil Bit (FGL Remix)
  8. Mad Still
  9. Millionaire
  10. On Errthang

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Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

View full lyrics page →
2009
Sweat
Sweat
2004
Nellyville
2002
What I Do*
  • All Work, No Play
  • Ain't Wit'chu*
  • Give It to Me*
  • Poppin' Bottles*
  • Rubberband*
  • Mad Still
  • Hot in Herre (Austin Millz Remix) / family ties (Mixed)
  • No Love*
  • So What
  • Hot in Herre (Lules & Naken Remix) [Mixed]
  • Hot in Herre (SILO x Dallas Caton remix)
  • Ride Wit Me / London Bridge / I Don't Fuck With You / Rock Your Body (Mixed)
  • Birthday Girl
  • #1 (Colby O'Donis remix)
  • Work It (Copenhaniacs Remix)
  • Dilemma (Da Derrty Remix)
  • Follow Me
  • 5 Drinks Ago
  • Ms. Drive Me Crazy
  • Someone Somewhere
  • Country Boy Do
  • Grits & Glamour
  • High Horse
  • Lil Bit (FGL Remix)
  • Steal the Show (Live)
  • St. Louie (Live)
  • Lil Bit
  • Country Grammar (Hot Shit) [Instrumental]
  • Ride wit Me (Instrumental)
  • Freaky With You
  • Sounds Good to Me
  • Millionaire (remixes)
  • Millionaire
  • Die a Happy Man
  • The Fix
  • Dilemma - Radio Edit
  • Thanks to My Ex
  • My Chick Better
  • Mo's Focused
  • Rick James
  • 100k
  • View all tracks by Nelly →

    Credits

    Production & Engineering

    Writer
    Jay E (USA), Nelly
    Producer
    Jay E (USA)
    Assistant Engineer
    Kenny Dykstra
    Assistant Mixing Engineer
    Jason Standard
    Mastering Engineer
    Herb Powers
    Mixing Engineer
    Rich Travali
    Recording Engineer
    Steve Eigner
    READ MORE ABOUT NELLYREAD MORE ABOUT NELLY
    READ MORE ABOUT NELLYREAD MORE ABOUT NELLY

    No coverage available for Nelly yet.