Suit (by Nelly, Hip-hop)

St. Louis rapper Nelly released two CDs simultaneously: SUIT and SWEAT. SUIT, the gentler and softer of the two, is apparently meant for the ladies, showing a side of the artist that is more cerebral and also more lyrical. For Nelly, this means there is still a lot of sexual innuendo and drug talk, but the edited version is surprisingly well done. The production on the CD is superb, with a terrific rhythm section cranking out a wide variety of rhythms. "Die for You" starts with a sweet recorded father-son phone conversation, and tells the story of Nelly's worry and guilt over the birth of his premature son and the frustrations of being a dad on the road.

Nelly and his producers get an "A" for musical effort, but the real stars of the CD are those in the impressive gallery of guest performers, an unusually assorted mix featuring cameos by Pharrell Williams, Jazze Pha and T.I., Jaheim, Snoop Dogg, Ron Isley, Avery Storm, Mase, Anthony Hamilton, and -- most fabulously -- country star Tim McGraw. Releasing two CDs at once also means that Nelly had to come up with a lot of material, and some of the songs really do sound like filler; perhaps one CD with only the best material would have been a good idea.

Released on: September 14, 2004
Label: Universal
Genre: Hip-hop
Parental advisory: Yes
Edited version available: Yes