Who here gave up on Nelly?
I know you probably can't see it but my hand is being held as high as it can be. Granted I have heard him on a song here or a remix there. Outside of that, I had no expectations of a resurgence from the man who has given us so many hits in a past career.
Enter M.O., Nelly's latest album. As a whole, it's a decent enough effort. Although it doesn't have the same sort of magic that Country Grammar or Nellyville but it seems to be a effort to gain back a measure of his former glory. At moments he seems to capture it, almost as if he hadn't fallen off at all.
Here are a few of those moments...
"Rick James" is a fun track. It feels a lot like some of his more entertaining tracks like "Batter Up" or "Pimp Juice". Two things about this one really appeal to me. One is what sounds like a Mary Jane Girls sample, which is appreciated. The other is a T.I. verse. And I cannot forget the repeated, "I'm rich, bitch..." in that true Rick James style.
"Heaven" is another track I liked. It's a sweet song that features vocalist Daley on the hook. When I hear the combination of the two I nod my head and just sing along. It's just catchy that way.
Speaking of which...
“Maryland, Massachusetts” is really catchy to me for some reason. Maybe it’s the way that the two states are chanted in the song. Or it could be the production. Whatever the case may be, I like it without words to really tell you why.
This album feels like a stepping stone of sorts in that Nelly is trying to recapture some of the old magic while making himself relevant for a new generation. It's a tricky thing but only time will tell if it succeeds.
I guess that's his M.O.
-written by Lucius Black for Street Thoughts/Royalty Magazine 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment