Album: Nelly - Brass Knuckles

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Nelly – you simply know who and what he is, barely anything of what he isn’t. An artist with almost hit after hit after damn hit...and even then he throws in one extra punch or two when you least expect it. Given almost every single he has released, very few of them have been sloppy hits, whether something to party to, something for the ladies or something simply else. For his next bout of hits, he’s brought out the Brass Knuckles – but will they really deliver the punches they ought to?

The most obvious starting point here is that this album is full of collaborations, ranging from Rick Ross to Usher and surprisingly, even Chuck D. The aptly titled One And Only is the one and only solo track on the album (unless you get Wadsyaname). Nelly does his rapping and singing on this, and being it a decent attempt with some lines “You are my only kryptonite” which are sure to make girls go “Aww”, which is accompanied by a very smooth synthesizer and big bass beat laid down by Polow da Don. But technically, he seems to fall out of time often and one can easily lose interest.

Hold Up, though accompanied by T.I. and LL Cool J, is really a disappointment considering the names. Lyrically, each artist is on the same lower-than-their-average level, with LL being the only one to drop a verse only slightly better than the others. The beat, supplied by Free Agentz, is nothing short of irritating; certainly a rough start to the album.

However, it does manage to pick up, with three particular stand-out cuts. The now-popular Body On Me, as many would know, features a feel-good piano-backed melody; lyrics for you and your boo to vibe to, and the well-executed appearances of Ashanti and Akon (who also lays the beat down).

L.A., featuring Snoop and Nate Dogg, is Nelly’s homage to the West Coast, and here’s where the surprise kicks in – a Midwest artist has pulled off a West Coast track better than most Western artists themselves! Produced by Neff-U, it’s a smooth lowridin’ beat backed by a chilled piano tune; this joint puts your mind right in L.A.

Self-Esteem, featuring the legendary Chuck D, has something about its beat (produced by G. Koop) which no other contemporary mainstream Hip Hop song has – backing African drums. This originality certainly separates it from your half-assed radio anthem, and the lyrical content is simply the most thought-out on the album. Hear it to believe it.

Though rife with huge beats and a slew of who’s who in Hip Hop they have been nothing more than just enough to take it over the bar. Save for some tracks you will find yourself playing over for a while, Brass Knuckles tends to lack direction. It could be too many guests and not enough Nelly, or it could be the calibre (or lack of) at which each artist delivers. This may be a knockdown for Nelly, but by no means a knockout.

Available through Universal Music