From Country Grammar to country music?

Yup. It looks like that's the path for Nelly.

"He's a free agent on the label side now, and is working on a country-based Heartland EP, which should be really interesting," J. Erving, the co-president of management company Atom Factory, which is working with the rap star, told Billboard.

Interesting. That might an understatement.

Then again, he's always proven able of carrying a tune, launching onto the charts and radio a decade-and-a-half ago with his sung/rap combo hits. In the years since, he's sometimes taken things even further, including on the country-infused "Over and Over," featuring Tim McGraw, and tracks like "Just A Dream" and "Hey Porsche."

Erving, who is the son of NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, sees a huge opportunity for the St. Louis rapper.

"He may be one of the first hip-hop artists to jump into that space in an authentic way with Florida Georgia Line and Tim McGraw, so we think he has an opportunity to grow that base even more," he said.

HOT SH-T! *Nelly voice*