The song “Grillz” was released at the apex of the mainstream success the Houston rap scene’s success. Arguably popularized by Paul Wall who along with TV Johnny run a custom grill shop in Houston, Texas.
In 2012 grillz made another appearance in popular culture when Olympic gold medal swimmer Ryan Lochte sported a custom grill on the international stage.
Nelly’s flow and some of his lyrics on this song are lifted from “Kanday” by LL Cool J.