It started in a living room. No fancy studio, no high-priced consultants, just a couch in Nashville where Brian Kelley, Chase Rice, and Jesse Rice were trying to write something else entirely. Then Brian strummed a chord. He started humming a melody that felt different. Basically, they ditched their other song on the spot. That melody became the bones of Florida Georgia Line and Nelly Cruise, a track that didn't just top charts—it practically invented a new, highly debated sub-genre of music.
If you were alive and near a radio in 2013, you couldn't escape it. The "Cruise" remix featuring Nelly was everywhere. It was the sound of summer, the sound of pickup trucks, and for a lot of traditionalists, the sound of country music "dying." But here’s the thing: it worked. It worked so well that it became the first country song ever to be certified Diamond by the RIAA.
How the Florida Georgia Line and Nelly Cruise Collab Actually Started
Most people assume some corporate executive at Big Machine Label Group put them in a room to manufacture a crossover hit. Honestly, it was way more organic. Florida Georgia Line—Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley—were already blowing up. The original version of "Cruise" was already a massive #1 hit on the country charts. It had that "earworm" quality that's impossible to shake.
Enter Nelly. The St. Louis rapper was looking to experiment, and he’d already dipped his toes into country before with Tim McGraw on "Over and Over." He heard "Cruise" and saw the potential. The remix wasn't just a guest verse; it was a total reimagining that added a "fast life" energy to the backroad lyrics. Nelly brought in lines about "whipping across the border, Florida into Georgia," and suddenly, the song wasn't just for people who owned tractors. It was for everyone.
The Backlash Nobody Talks About Now
You've gotta remember how much people hated this song back then. If you go back and look at sites like Saving Country Music, the purists were absolutely losing their minds. They called it "idiocracy," "puss-filled abscess of American corporate culture," and worse. They hated the autotune. They hated the snap tracks. They especially hated the idea of a rapper on a country song.
👉 See also: Diego Klattenhoff Movies and TV Shows: Why He’s the Best Actor You Keep Forgetting You Know
But the fans? They didn't care. They were too busy rolling their windows down.
The song spent a record-breaking 24 weeks at number one on the Hot Country Songs chart. Think about that for a second. Nearly half a year. It wasn't just a hit; it was a cultural shift. It paved the way for "Old Town Road" and the entire "Bro-Country" era that dominated the next decade.
The Technical Side of the Sound
Joey Moi, the producer, is the secret weapon here. He came from a rock background (working with Nickelback, of all people), and he brought that "wall of sound" production style to Nashville. He didn't want it to sound like a dusty old record. He wanted it to hit like a rock concert in your car speakers.
- The Hook: It starts with the chorus. Most songs build to it, but "Cruise" hits you with the "Baby you a song" line within the first five seconds.
- The Beat: It has a heavy, syncopated rhythm that leans more toward hip-hop than traditional country waltzes.
- The Nelly Factor: Nelly’s flow on the remix is laid back. He doesn't try to "act country." He stays Nelly, which is why the collaboration felt authentic instead of forced.
It’s easy to dismiss it as "simple," but as Chase Rice famously said, "It's not a deep song... people just want to have a good time." There’s a specific craft in making something that 10 million people want to buy.
✨ Don't miss: Did Mac Miller Like Donald Trump? What Really Happened Between the Rapper and the President
Why the Partnership Kept Going
A lot of these crossovers are one-and-done deals. You do the remix, you play the awards show, you never speak again. That wasn't the case with Florida Georgia Line and Nelly. They actually became "super tight," with Nelly calling the duo "family."
They teamed up again in 2013 for a song called "Walk Away" on Nelly's album M.O., and much later, in 2020, they reunited for "Lil Bit." By the time "Lil Bit" came out, the world had changed, and the "country-rap" thing was just... normal. They didn't have to prove anything anymore. They were just two veterans of the industry having fun.
The End of an Era
Florida Georgia Line officially went on an "indefinite hiatus" in 2022. There were rumors of political disagreements and personal friction, but they’ve mostly kept it professional. Tyler Hubbard went solo with a very polished, radio-friendly sound. Brian Kelley went "Beach Cowboy," leaning into his Florida roots.
Even though the band is gone, the impact of "Cruise" remains. You see it in the way Morgan Wallen uses trap beats. You see it in Post Malone’s transition to country. You see it in the fact that genre lines are basically nonexistent now.
🔗 Read more: Despicable Me 2 Edith: Why the Middle Child is Secretly the Best Part of the Movie
What You Can Learn from the "Cruise" Phenomenon
If you're an artist or a creator, there’s a massive lesson here: ignore the gatekeepers. If FGL had listened to the critics who said they weren't "real country," they would have stayed a cover band in Nashville. Instead, they leaned into what they liked—which was a mix of hip-hop, rock, and country.
- Embrace the crossover. Don't be afraid to mix things that "don't belong" together. That's where the magic (and the money) usually is.
- Focus on the feeling. "Cruise" didn't win awards for its lyrics. It won because of how it made people feel on a Friday afternoon.
- Find your "Nelly." Find a collaborator who brings a completely different perspective to your work. It might just result in a Diamond record.
The legacy of the Florida Georgia Line and Nelly Cruise collaboration is more than just a catchy song. It was a demolition crew that knocked down the walls surrounding Nashville. Whether you love it or hate it, the music industry was never the same after those windows rolled down.
To truly understand the impact, go back and listen to the original version and the remix side-by-side. You'll notice how the remix slightly speeds up the energy, making it less of a "driving song" and more of a "party song." That subtle shift in vibe is exactly what catapulted it from a country hit to a global phenomenon.
Next time you’re building a playlist for a road trip, put "Cruise" on and see if you can resist singing along. Chances are, you can't. That’s not an accident; it’s a decade of musical evolution packed into three and a half minutes.