Nelly kicks ass (Country Grammer - Nelly)

Name:

Hello doyoo user, You have to be logged in to use these functions... Login or register Close window

Product:	Country Grammer - Nelly
Date:	14/09/01 (9 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great album, grreat music

Disadvantages: none

As Cash Money and No Limit's artist development shell games wear out their welcome, fresh talent is on its way from America's heartland. On his debut, Country Grammar, St. Louis rapper Nelly demonstrates the kind of exuberant charisma that is largely lacking in the solo artists from both rival New Orleans battalions. With a sound that blends regional styles, most noticeably the sing-song cadence pioneered by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and the post-Timbaland electro-funk that amplified the reach of Southern bounce, Nelly delivers a fistful of jams to get jeeps crunkin' nationwide.

The one-time hustler sprinkles crime-related cautionary tales ("Greed, Hate, Envy") in between macking ("Thicky Thicky Girl") and old-school braggadocio ("Batter Up"). "Never Let 'Em See You Sweat" flips deodorant brands into an extended metaphor about coping with the pressure of the streets. The skits featuring Cedric the Entertainer raise the album's celebrity quotient, but aren't nearly as funny as Nelly's own punch lines ("I stay … higher than a hooker on a weekend / Seven days a week and / I'll walk in your church reekin'").

Nelly's melodic flow can become monotonous after a while, but with rhymes like that and creative beats by Jason Epperson, it's a good bet he'll have us all speaking Country Grammar all summer.

Summary: