Nelly Brass Knuckles Early Album Review

Nelly is one of the biggest names in all of rap music. He has released numerous number one hit and platinum selling albums and received three Grammy's for his work. However, for the past three years Nelly has remained in the shadows after releasing albums Sweat and Suit. Nelly is now back with his new album Brass Knuckles. Will Nelly be able to follow up all of his previous success to deliver a classic album?

The first single is the Polow Da Don produced Party People featuring Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. The song is inline with what you expect from Nelly. The song hits hard and features simple sing song lyrics. Fergie adds a solid appearance on the chorus and a verse of her own.

The second single is the Jermaine Dupri produced Stepped On My J'z. The track features Dupri along with R&B singer Ciara. The song is very similar to Nelly's previous ode to Nike footwear, Air Force One. The song is fairly catchy and simplistic and follows Nelly's hit formula.

The third single is the Akon produced Body On Me teams Nelly with his current love interest Ashanti and the aforementioned Akon. The track is just pop enough to appeal to a wide spectrum of audiences even if it lacks serious depth.

Let It Go (Lil Mama) is produced by The Neptunes and features Pharrell Williams. The song is fairly solid however; it lacks the magic of previous Pharrell and Nelly collaborations like Hot In Herre, Shake It Off and Flap Your Wings.

Long Night teams Nelly with Usher. The song is one of the better tracks on the album and has serious single potential. The song is well produced and performed and will definitely appeal to the ladies.

U Ain't Him is a collaboration between Nelly and Rick Ross. The track is harder than you typically expect from Nelly. Rick Ross delivers a solid verse over the beat.

Lie pairs Nelly with his St. Lunatics. The track is once again produced by Polow Da Don. The track however just is average at best.

Public Enemy's Chuck D joins Nelly on Self Esteem. The track is one of the most introspective tracks that Nelly has ever done as an artist.

Overall Brass Knuckles is a solid album but fails to live up to the high standard of previous Nelly albums. There are some solid tracks on the album yet a majority of it is filler. Overall Brass Knuckles gets 7.5 out of 10. If you are a fan of Nelly make sure you pick up Brass Knuckles when it is available in stores on September 16^th.