The floor was shaking, hands were in the air and the lyrics of some popular rap songs of today were heard throughout the Chick Evans Field House on Monday night.

Campus Activities Board sponsored rapper Nelly, who along with Ailey Life, Royce 59, Sticky Fingers with Fredo Starr, Scar for Life and his St. Louis hometown comrades St. Lunatics, played to a crowd of thousands.

“It was pretty nice,” said Kelli Nickols, a freshman nursing major. “Nelly was the best person, and I liked the song, ‘Ride Wit Me.'”

The first performers, Royce 59, Ailey Life, Sticky Fingers with Fredo Starr and Scar for Life, came out and got the crowd hyped and on their feet. They also had the chance to promote their new albums, debuting next month.

The opening acts also threw shirts and other materials into the crowd, which got the people jumping even more. While the floor area looked full, the bleachers contained a few empty areas.

With the overhead lights flashing and people dancing and screaming, it seemed the crowd was ready for the feature performer.

With shouts for Nelly coming from all corners of the fieldhouse, there wasn’t time to postpone his entrance any longer.

After all the St. Lunatics were introduced, the familiar tune of his first hit was heard in the stadium.

With his blue jacket and hat on backward, Nelly then came onto the stage singing his hit, “Country Grammar.”

After that song, Nelly had to stop because of an over-excited crowd.

“You guys are going to have to stop pushing,” Nelly said. “We can’t continue until you stop.”

After a slight delay and another song, two lucky fans had the opportunity to go on stage and “ride” with Nelly.

“‘Ride Wit Me’ was the song I was excited to hear,” said Milena Racic, a freshman accounting major. “I like that song.”

The filled floor and bleacher fans were on their feet during his entire performance.

Reminiscent of overblown power ballads of the 1980s, during one of his songs, Nelly asked the crowd to hold up their lighters.

Before he performed his next hit, “E.I.,” he told the crowd to hold up their cell phones and call a person who wasn’t able to make the concert, so they were able to hear the final song of the evening.

And just like in the beginning of his performance, the crowd chanted ‘Nelly!’ as he exited the stage.