Avg Rating: 
2.9 ( 22 total votes )
A few months ago I wrote that Nelly was in danger of falling victim to Ashanti Syndrome, a potentially crippling condition that occurs when a superstar artist inexplicably loses their elite status, even though they’re essentially the same as they were at the height of their popularity. It’s as if America sat them down and said, “It’s not you, it’s me. I just need other music in my speakers right now.” Tragically my warning has proven to be prophetic. Nelly, the man who was previously America’s favorite dirty - excuse me, derty - rapper, has … ...Read the full album review
Fans can also check out Nelly's previous albums: Nelly - 5.0
DJBooth Album Review
A few months ago I wrote that Nelly was in danger of falling victim to Ashanti Syndrome, a potentially crippling condition that occurs when a superstar artist inexplicably loses their elite status, even though they’re essentially the same as they were at the height of their popularity. It’s as if America sat them down and said, “It’s not you, it’s me. I just need other music in my speakers right now.” Tragically my warning has proven to be prophetic. Nelly, the man who was previously America’s favorite dirty - excuse me, derty - rapper, has unmistakably be stricken down by own of the worst cases of Ashanti Syndrome I’ve seen since…Ashanti.
It seems like just yesterday that Nelly was crushing charts and collecting Grammys (with Diddy for Shake Ya Tailfeather, which doesn’t say much about the Grammy committee’s standards), but the truth is it’s been almost four years since his ambitious double-album Sweat Suit. Now, after repeated delays, Nelly is back for another round with his fifth release Brass Knuckles, an album that contains nineteen guest features spread over only fourteen tracks but is often strangely lacking in one key presence: Nelly himself. Regardless of Brass’ success Nelly’s going to remain a very rich man, but I’m going to go ahead and call it. Nelly will never again be a premier rapper. Time of death? A quarter past Brass Knuckles.
There was a time when no one made hypnotically melodic singles better than the pride of St. Louis. With Nelly, what he says isn’t nearly as important as how he says it, and his stick-and-move rhyme style made tracks like Hot In Herre certified smashes. Nelly’s kept his flow relatively consistent over the years, so it’s hard to explain why Brass Knuckles can’t seem to connect. The near-misses start with the head-banging Party People, an adrenaline soaked joint whose beat and chorus was custom tailored to the clubs. Nelly delivers a typically tight delivery, but it’s never a good thing when Fergie almost upstages you on the track, and in the end Party People’s energy feels forced. Speaking of forced, Stepped On My J’Z is Nelly’s almost embarrassingly obvious attempt to recreate the magic of his part fashion-centric hits like Air Force Ones, he even recycles some of the beat from Grillz on the chorus. While the always-scintillating Ciara certainly does her part, Lord knows a Jermaine Dupri verse isn’t going to save J’Z from predictability. On Brass Knuckles, Nelly often sounds like he’s as mystified by his decreasing popularity as I am, and even when he reaches into his old bag of tricks, he can’t quite seem to pull out a winner.
Having failed to connect with the clubs, Nelly turns to the most powerful demographic in all of music: the ladies. If you’re looking to see women swoon you still can’t beat bringing in Usher on the track, a fact Nelly knows only too well. The result is Long Night, a track whose production sparkles with muted synths and slow-grinding percussion, exactly the kind of beat Nelly was born to rhyme over. Nelly easily lives up to expectations, but while Long Night aims for hot and steamy, it ends more like damp and warm. Perhaps sensing his once invincible power fading, Brass Knuckles occasionally become a flat-out aggressive album. From Nelly’s shirtless album cover to f-bomb laced tracks like U Ain’t Him and Who F**ks Wit’ Me, Nelly expends a lot of energy making sure the world knows he can still throw a musical power punch, and he occasionally lands a solid blow. T.I. and LL Cool J drop by for Hold Up, a track where Nelly rightfully points out he’s got more money than nearly every rapper currently on the radio, and Self Esteem combines some of the album’s best lyrics with a Marvin Gaye-esque beat, but just when Nelly is threatening to make something special out of Brass Knuckles he drops the sticky sweet sexuality of Body On Me. Body tries to spice up it’s catchy production with a typically horny Akon hook, but Ashanti came out with the song first and by now….
Wait…I can’t believe I didn’t think of this earlier. Nelly and Ashanti were (or are) a couple, what if Ashanti Syndrome is contagious?! What if Nelly gave it to Ashanti?! Should I start calling it Nelly Syndrome? Good God, this changes everything. Either way, let’s just hope the two of them stay away from Lil Wayne – for the health of hip-hop. This Syndrome has taken enough good artists already, don’t let it spread, please.
Listen to More: Nelly Written by Nathan S.
More From Nelly
Submit a Review and/or Rating
Member Reviews and Ratings
Average Member Rating: Total Ratings: 22
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
okay, worth a download really...one and only is a smooth joint,thats it really self-esteem is good too...
not a good effort by nelly but not a bad one either id give it a 6/10 |
| Posted on Sep 19, 2008 |
|
Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 433 |
Rating:
I have always loved Nelly's style. When I first heard him back in the 4th grade when "Ride Wit Me" came out, I thought that it was the best song ever. I like how he stays with that kind of music here, but Nathans right, it does get old after a while. To me there are only a few tracks that I would download if you don't want the whole thing.
|
| Posted on Sep 19, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
I've never owned a Nelly album so I can't compare it to his other efforts and neither should I say. Needless to say, this is a good album that people are sleeping on. I mean tracks like ucud gedit, long night, self esteem, and who f$*ks with me are just a list of songs u need to listen. Nelly proved critics wrong with Country Grammar when no one thought that song would do anything let alone the album.
|
| Posted on Sep 19, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 11866 |
Rating:
This is the funniest review I think I've ever read, Nathan. Thank you for some good humor on a Friday morning. Nelly's album was enjoyable, from a "entertain me" standpoint. This would never be played under headphones or at my desk, but in the car or the club its solid.
|
| Posted on Sep 19, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 1624 |
Rating:
Thank you for this review, as a long time Nelly fan I wanted to hear people's take on this album, because I personally did not enjoy it. I feel like every track was so forced and that Nelly knew they were weak, so he brought in star studded guest features to boost them up. In the end, "Let it Go" is going to be the only other song to get airplay on this album. It will shine in the clubs as well, which are Nelly's 2 favorite spots. I still see record sales pretty high for this one, because hey, its Nelly, he still has a fan base. But definetly weakest album of his career, and dammit, I hope he finds a cure for Ashanti Syndrome!
|
| Posted on Sep 19, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
NATHAN, YOU FORGOT TO MENTION THE BEST TRACK ON THE ALBUM!!
L.A. feat Snoop Dogg & Nate Dogg, the beat is amazing, and the lyrics are superb tooo....come on that is easily the best track |
| Posted on Sep 19, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
i havent bought the album yet, but judging by the tracks I've heard so far, if you're looking for a album with high energy, a real club album, then this album will fit the job. either way, i'm still a huge nelly fan. i'm basing this off of the recent tracks i've heard.
|
| Posted on Sep 19, 2008 |
|
|
Rating:
this album is pretty entertaining and has some good tracks to bump, but it'll be forgotten about soon. too bad. i think this album could've EASILY been very good but they don't quite connect. I think waiting 4 years is waaaaay too long, cause like Nathan said, he hasn't changed anything, but now he sounds like someone i'd bump 4 years ago...
|
| Posted on Sep 19, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
I'll agree that Nelly's time is fadin away.. the game has changed and he's not really in the mix anymore. Having said that, if you're a Nelly fan, you're gonna be feelin this album. A lot of bangers w/ alot of solid guests. he did his thing. My favorite track is "LA" with snoop and nate. great to see NATE DOGG back baby!! I'm not dissapointed at all with this. 4.5
|
| Posted on Sep 19, 2008 |
|
|
Rating:
|
| Posted on Sep 19, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
Brass Knuckles reminds me of Ali vs Holmes. Nelly is way past his prime. I remember when Country Grammar dropped circa 2000 and I believed Nelly to be the freshest artist out with the freshest sound. Today, Nelly is just barely hanging on. There's a few tracks here and there but Brass Knuckles just isn't quality.
|
| Posted on Sep 19, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 135 |
Rating:
This guy is garbage.
|
| Posted on Sep 20, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 452 |
Rating:
I think Nelly's time has passed. None of the songs that he dropped as singles made a lasting dent on the radio. This album feels like it was thrown together and didn't have a good vibe to it like his previous albums. I think it proves again why Jay-Z is probably the King of the rap game. Is he the best lyrically, probably not, but the man knows how to pick his spots and jump on the "it" artist of the moment (Amy Winehouse, Lil Wanye, TI, recently) and keep his name out there until his album drops. If Nelly could find a way to pick his spots like Hov does, maybe he can bounce back.
|
| Posted on Sep 21, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
Garbage
|
| Posted on Sep 21, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
o yeah im liken that pic 4real=)=)
|
| Posted on Sep 21, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
I want my Country Grammar back, this sucks
|
| Posted on Sep 23, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
i love this album.
it's one of the best.*keep doin ya thang nelly* |
| Posted on Sep 24, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
unfortunatly, i think WAYNE will catch the curse too, eventually....
You have to somewhat "reinvent" yourself every now and then or people just get sick of your voice.... half the community is already sick of him, but he just cant stay off hot tracks...One can argue he already did reinvent himself when he left 504, but that was a decade ago, he better consider a haircut or something soon |
| Posted on Sep 26, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
nathan S... u nailed this review so perfectly!
youve addressed every issue i felt was wrong with nelly i dont even see him being the same person tho. he should change his name and try to start a new career!!! GREAT ALBUM REVIEW!!!"nelly syndrome" HAHA you killed it!!! im givin 5 stars for the review.. and not the album |
| Posted on Sep 27, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
NATE DUDE YOU JUST SAID IT LYK IT WUZ. NELLY FELL OFF BUT Y IZ HE BRINGING DOWN ASHANTI. ANYWAY ,THE ALBUM DIDNT EXCATLY SEEM LYK NELLY 2 ME , IT SEEMZ LYK HE WASTED 4 YEARZ LOOKIN AT OTHER ARTISTS AND NOT IN HIMSELF TO MAKE ANOTHER ALBUM. NATE U GOTTA HOOK ME UP WIT YOUR JOB .BUT SOM SONGZ WERE STRAIGHT . BUT THATZ NOT GETTING U ALBUM OF THE YEAR
DJ.CHIEF |
| Posted on Sep 30, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
I like it, Nelly all ways taking it back to a slow song. The people who said you didn't like it you a "LIE".
|
| Posted on Oct 01, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
I've always been a fan of Nelly. I'v always loved his music. From Country Grammar to Suit, I loved almost every song he made.
In CG, he was the little country boy who brought STL to the map. In Nellyville, he got more "swagger", more pop-oriented songs. In Sweat/Suit, he showed what he was able to do in evry sense. And then come Brass Knucles. A total mess. In this album, it really feels like Nelly is tryin' to show us that he's not the same Nelly anymore. His rappin' style is not the same, he tries to make some dirty south gangsta song with Rick Ross and Gucci Mane, a little Jay-Z like in "Let It Go"... I mean it feels like Nelly lost his identity. That's why this album doesn't work. |
| Posted on Nov 23, 2008 |
|
DJ Booth Member |
Rating:
HE iS DE man homie
|
| Posted on Dec 01, 2008 |
|
|
Rating:
|
| Posted on Jan 13, 2009 |
|
DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 7 |
Rating:
Nelly's time has past, he needs to go do more movies if he wants to say relevant.
|
| Posted on May 18, 2009 |
FEATURED ARTIST
FEATURED ALBUM
TOP 20 MUSIC CHARTS
The top rated new Hip Hop & R&B songs on DJBooth, updated every Sunday.
