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Common Sense Note

Harder-edged than SUIT, this is a good album, with moments of surprising poetry and insight nestled in the cracks between lots of macho posturing. Guest stars once again save the day. Buy the edited version, and talk to your teens about the artistic value of collaboration.

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Kathi Kamen Goldmark

Nelly's SWEAT, released at the same time as the more intimate SUIT, offers an array of interesting musical moments. The first track, "Heart of a Champion," sounds almost like the overture of a hip Off-Broadway musical with majestic horn tracks, a theatrical dialogue introduction, and unison choral singing by the Lincoln University Vocal Ensemble. A quick change of pace leads us to "Na-Nana-Na," a multi-layered middle-eastern-tinged confection featuring Jazze Pha. And so it goes, with an intriguing variety of well-produced and rhythmically varied tunes featuring heavy-hitting guest artists who, once again, save the day.

It would be hard to imagine this album working without their participation, actually. Nelly's greatest talent may be his ability to play well with others. And when those others include Missy Elliot, Lil' Flip and Big Gipp, Mobe Deep, St. Lunatics, Christina Aguilera, Murhpy Lee, Stephen Marley, and Jazze Pha, you've got some pretty powerful teamwork going for you.

The lyrics combine transparent sexist posturing and egomaniacal bragging with moments of poetry and power. "River Don't Run," for example, is viable reggae with an anti-violence message. "Tilt Ya Head Back" channels vintage R&B with a surprisingly effective guest vocal by Christina Aguilera. Nelly's production team never lets him down, with exquisitely layered tracks. The bottom line is that Nelly is very lucky to have so many good, talented friends. Still, this album is meant to be enjoyed by mature listeners, and is not appropriate for kids.

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