Brass Knuckles

Nelly, self-confident and full of strength

Cornell Haynes Jr. better known as rapper, singer and actor Nelly has been pleasing the genre fans with unforgettable hits for more than a decade now. Such songs as Hot In Herre and Dilemma, a collaboration with Kelly Rowland, are known and loved by the whole world and the artist has released quite a lot more successful songs during his solid career in which there have been both rises and falls. Including the songs of his last works: an R&B-record Suit and a rap album Sweat released simultaneously in 2004 and a year later compilation Sweatsuit followed. Then ballad Over and Over has proved to be the brightest single. Finally after three years of hiatus and numerous delays Nelly's fifth studio album Brass Knuckles is released. A self-confident and literarily full of strength artist with a naked torso is presented on the disc's cover which suits perfectly to the album's content – it is a classic bold rap collection. As before Nelly boasts his achievements in show business, financial well-being and success with the opposite sex. Certainly this year the rapper's hits will sound again at night clubs and some of them will remain in history.

It is clear who plays the leading role on Brass Knuckles

The main peculiarity of Brass Knuckles is of course a more than impressive number of guest stars whose list is longer than the number of tracks on the album. Yet from the very beginning Nelly makes it clear who plays the leading role here, check out the powerful numbers U Ain't Him featuring Rick Ross and Hold Up performed with T.I. & LL Cool J with the rapper sounding even aggressive. Long Night, a collaboration with Usher, is totally devoted to the artist's sex life while one of the highlights Lie which Nelly performs with his band St. Lunatics, is based on the contrast between frank and rather rude lyrical content and a soft R&B form. Singles Party People performed with Fergie, Body On Me, with Akon & Ashanti, and Stepped On My J'Z with Jermaine Dupri & Ciara are all very decent compositions worthy of being played at a club party while shining with The Neptunes production Let It Go featuring Lil' Mama & Pharrell is really contagious. One of the most soulful compositions on the album is One And Only demonstrating Nelly's gentle side, unlike Who Fucks Wit Me featuring Avery Storm, a song about the life Nelly has achieved and the comfort he enjoys. The album's finale Ucud Gedit is refined with the participation of Gucci Mane & R. Kelly and once again proves that Nelly is a self-confident artist able to talk about his favorite self for hours.

A great career continuation

Although Nelly does not say anything new on Brass Knuckles this album has become a great continuation of his career and offers some really hit songs. For instance, Body On Me or Party People will definitely find themselves among the club audience's favorites and the list does not end with them. Of course if the artist had wanted he could have perhaps do more but the record has proved to be no worse than his other works and of no worse quality. As for the guest stars present on it they make the album even more vivid and valuable and bring in the necessary diversity. The rapper plans to make a collaboration album with T.I. with whom they are already long-term friends and has also got some other interesting ideas in store. For example the artist has been long dreaming to involve Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson to sing with him for as he is sure that would be a hit of the century. For now there are little who shares this confidence with him so we are only left to wish him luck with all his initiatives. Today so far he has given us Brass Knuckles, 14 great tracks that will make us feel better during the grey autumn evenings and some of them will make us smile.