It was 2013, and you couldn't go to a grocery store, a gas station, or a backyard BBQ without hearing that specific, heavy-handed snare hit followed by a banjo. Then, the voice of a St. Louis rap legend dropped in. "Nelly, let's go!"
Basically, the Nelly Florida Georgia Line Cruise remix was the song that broke the rules of Nashville.
It wasn't just a hit. It was a cultural pivot point. Before this track, country music and hip-hop lived in different zip codes, occasionally visiting for a "special event." After Nelly hopped on that remix, those zip codes merged into one massive, sun-drenched party. Honestly, looking back, it's hard to overstate how much this single track changed the trajectory of modern music.
The 45-Minute Miracle
Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley weren't superstars when they wrote "Cruise." They were just two guys from Belmont University trying to make it. They sat down with Chase Rice and Jesse Rice in a living room, and within 45 minutes, the bones of the song were finished.
"Baby you a song, you make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise."
Simple? Sure. But it was sticky. The original version was already a monster, spending 24 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was the kind of success most artists spend twenty years chasing.
🔗 Read more: Blink-182 Mark Hoppus: What Most People Get Wrong About His 2026 Comeback
Then came the remix.
When Nelly Met "The Boys"
The story goes that Nelly was already a fan of the track. He’d heard it and reached out because he saw the potential for something bigger. This wasn't Nelly's first rodeo with country—remember "Over and Over" with Tim McGraw back in 2004? He knew the vibe.
Produced by Jason Nevins, the remix took the organic "dirt road" feel of the original and polished it for pop radio. They added buzzing synths, a more aggressive beat, and Nelly’s signature melodic flow.
When the Nelly Florida Georgia Line Cruise remix hit the airwaves in April 2013, it didn't just climb the charts; it teleported to the top. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. For a country song in that era, that was practically unheard of. It set a record for the slowest climb to the top five in history, taking 34 weeks to get there. It was the definition of "slow and steady wins the race."
The Birth of Bro-Country (And the Drama That Followed)
You can't talk about this song without talking about the "bro-country" tag. Critics hated it. They saw the snap tracks, the lyrics about "tan lines" and "Chevy trucks," and the hip-hop influence as the death of "real" country music.
💡 You might also like: Why Grand Funk’s Bad Time is Secretly the Best Pop Song of the 1970s
Saving Country Music and other traditionalist outlets went on absolute rants. They called it "corporate culture" and "puss-filled abscesses." Brutal, right?
But the fans? They didn't care. The song became the first country single ever to be certified Diamond by the RIAA. That means 10 million units moved. People weren't just listening to it; they were living it.
The remix proved there was a massive audience that didn't care about genre borders. They wanted a vibe. Nelly provided the "cool factor" that allowed the song to play in clubs in Miami just as easily as it played at a bonfire in Georgia.
Why the Remix Actually Worked
It wasn't just a gimmick. Here’s why it actually stuck:
- The Tempo: The song’s BPM (beats per minute) sat in that perfect sweet spot where it felt like a summer drive.
- The Contrast: Brian Kelley’s laid-back harmony mixed with Nelly’s rhythmic delivery created a texture that was new for the time.
- The "Nelly-isms": When he says "Get her number, let's go," it felt like he was genuinely part of the group, not just a hired gun for a verse.
Looking Back from 2026
Fast forward to today. The duo has since split up, with Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley pursuing solo careers. But the Nelly Florida Georgia Line Cruise collaboration remains their most defining moment.
📖 Related: Why La Mera Mera Radio is Actually Dominating Local Airwaves Right Now
It paved the way for Lil Nas X’s "Old Town Road." It allowed artists like Morgan Wallen and Post Malone to dominate both country and pop charts simultaneously. It basically told the music industry that the "old ways" of keeping fans in boxes were over.
How to Capture That 2013 Vibe Today
If you’re looking to revisit that era or understand why this song was such a lightning rod, there are a few things you should do.
First, listen to the original and the remix back-to-back. Notice the "Jason Nevins" production touches—the way the bass hits differently in the remix. That’s the "pop" polish that made it a crossover.
Second, check out the music video. It’s a time capsule of 2013 fashion: the oversized aviators, the lifted trucks, and the general "sun-flare" aesthetic that dominated YouTube back then.
Finally, look at the credits. This song launched Chase Rice’s career as a writer and artist, and it solidified Joey Moi as the go-to producer for the "new Nashville" sound.
If you want to understand modern country, you have to start with this remix. It wasn't just a song about a truck. It was the sound of a genre breaking its own walls down.
Next Steps for Music Fans:
- Check out the 14x Platinum RIAA certification details to see how "Cruise" compares to other modern hits like "Meant to Be."
- Listen to Nelly’s later country collaboration "Lil Bit" to see how his relationship with the genre evolved after the success of the remix.
- Revisit the 2013 Billboard Year-End charts to see just how dominant this single was compared to the pop titans of that year.