David Tesic
Staff Writer
Since the summer of 2000, Nelly has consistently topped the charts.
He has ranged in musical style from club bangers like “Country Grammar,” “#1,” “Hot In Herre” and “Shake Ya Tailfeather” to more sensitive R&B tracks like “Dilemma” and “Ride Wit Me.”
After releasing two solo albums, one remix album and one album with his St. Louis-based group, the St. Lunatics, Nelly has once again managed to mark the end of summer with a highly publicized album.
Not to be outdone, this time around Nelly dropped two albums at once.
“Sweat” and “Suit” boast a wide range of talented guest artists. With appearances by heavy hitting R&B performers and producers, these albums attract attention based solely on the credibility of their contributors.
Among the superstar talents who lend their names to Nelly’s latest project are Snoop Dogg, Fat Joe, Mase and Missy Elliott. Even the illustrious Pharrell Williams from N.E.R.D. and the Neptunes brought his own style to Nelly’s latest project.
Drawing from areas outside the rap and hip-hop arena, Nelly recruited Christina Aguilera, country singer Tim McGraw and the legendary pop music icon Ron Isley to help make his album an artistic success.
He released two simultaneous singles, one from each album. The first single from “Suit” is a love song called “My Place” with Jaheim. The first single off “Sweat” is “Flap Your Wings,” which is sure to become a club anthem with its catchy hook and relentless beat.
After hearing the singles from each album, it is easy to guess why he split his work onto two CDs. The album titles describe their content and help categorize the collection of songs on each disc.
“Sweat” might be labeled as a typical Nelly album, full of normal dance club fare that doesn’t really have much content or an identifiable message. As usual, the beats are very catchy and listeners will find it impossible to sit still with such jam-packed rhythms.
“Sweat” is the standard Nelly album. It will probably be overplayed at dance clubs across the world.
“Suit” is a totally different ballgame. It develops a distinctive flavor that echoes R&B traditions such as sexy beats and soulful rhymes.
“Suit” is probably the best album Nelly has recorded to date. Perhaps the impressiveness of “Suit” stems from the fact that it’s not something you would normally expect from Nelly. The lyrical quality and inventive beats are elements that Nelly usually doesn’t have.
The musical expressiveness of “Suit” is a pleasant surprise. Many Nelly fans might even think “N Dey Say” is the best song of the year.
In comparison, “Sweat” is really everything we have already heard from Nelly. With his signature Midwestern swing style of rapping, “Sweat” may be the album music fans will want to skip.
With tracks remarkably similar to the ones off his older albums, Nelly failed to achieve a complete musical tour de force. Two great albums would have been a real accomplishment for the seasoned rapper, but the musical elements of “Sweat” are simply not up to par with the standard set forth by “Suit.”
“Flap Your Wings” is still worth listening to because of its humorous lyrics and the hard line dance beat.
Nelly’s decision to release these albums simultaneously was probably not a great musical achievement, but it was certainly a victory for his marketing department. Without “Suit” to provide the necessary talent, “Sweat” wouldn’t have sold as well individually.
It’s debatable whether Nelly is one of the best rappers in the business, but he’s certainly one of the best businessmen in the rap game.
09-16-2004
