The energy in St. Louis circa 2000 was so electric. Nelly released his album Country Grammar when I was in high school. His album dropped in the backdrop of an ascended city. It reached echelons of bigger sports towns. The city saw Super Bowl Champs St. Louis Rams. The Cardinals' Mark McGwire shattered homerun records*. Wayne Gretzky, GOAT of NHL, for a couple of years played for the Blues. Then you had Nelly thumping beats, putting St. Louis on the map in mainstream radio.
* Allegedly on steroids.